Staff Product Program Manager

Aurora Innovation
Pittsburgh, US
Career-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Aimed at mid-level product managers with 7+ years in software who thrive in cross-functional collaboration between engineering and design teams.

Best fit for

  • Experienced product managers who can navigate ambiguity and create structured frameworks from white space.
    — “Exceptional ability to navigate ambiguity, create structured frameworks from "white space,"
  • Candidates with a strong technical fluency to understand architecture risks and complexity trade-offs.
    — “Ability to pick up deep technical concepts quickly to understand architecture risks and complexity trade-offs.
  • Leaders who can articulate a compelling product narrative for executive audiences.
    — “Ability to articulate a compelling product narrative and translate sophisticated concepts into clear, persuasive communication for executive leadership.

Things to consider

  • Hybrid work model requires at least 3 days per week in-office.
    — “we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.
  • Commitment to safety is a core expectation for all employees.
    — “At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety.

How to stand out

  • Demonstrate specific examples of driving AI adoption in past roles.
    — “Drive AI Adoption: Define and champion AI/agentic tools and workflows that accelerate development workflows
  • Showcase experience with ML-based software development lifecycles.
    — “Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle, particularly in ML-based software development,
  • Highlight cross-functional leadership between design and engineering teams.
    — “Demonstrated experience leading high-performing, cross-functional teams (Design, Engineering, and Data)
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • defining product vision
  • maximizing business value
Typical background
software product managementtechnical product management

Skills & requirements

Required

Product ManagementCross-functional CollaborationProduct Lifecycle ManagementUser Research

Preferred

Autonomous Vehicle TechnologyAI Adoption

About the role

Original posting from Aurora Innovation

Who we are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

 

At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. 

This role will partner closely with our Software and Design teams to define the vision and long-term strategy for Aurora's internal application ecosystem for Autonomy development. You will be responsible for the end-to-end product lifecycle of tools that empower our engineers and operations teams to build, test, and deploy autonomous vehicle technology at scale. By conducting deep user research and synthesizing complex requirements, you will transform technical capabilities into a cohesive product portfolio that accelerates our path to commercialization.

In this role, you will

Architect Product Strategy: Define and champion a multi-year product vision and North Star for a portfolio of internal applications, ensuring alignment with Aurora’s broader commercial objectives.

Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the primary bridge between Engineering and Design to deliver high-impact products that maximize business value and optimize user workflows.

Master the User Domain: Develop an empathetic, deep-seated understanding of the challenges inherent in AV development, including data visualization, ML labeling, and simulation lifecycles.

Drive AI Adoption: Define and champion AI/agentic tools and workflows that accelerate development workflows

Prioritize for Impact: Rigorously manage the product roadmap, balancing the immediate needs of internal stakeholders with long-term platform scalability and technical debt.

Operationalize Feedback: Translate qualitative user insights and quantitative usage metrics into high-fidelity requirements and actionable user stories.

Lead Through Influence: Navigate complex stakeholder environments to build consensus on timelines, trade-offs, and resource allocation.

Required Qualifications

Proven Leadership: 7+ years in software product management with a track record of driving the strategy and execution of complex software ecosystems.

Strategic Problem Solver: Exceptional ability to navigate ambiguity, create structured frameworks from "white space," and lead teams through organizational change.

Influence & Communication: Ability to articulate a compelling product narrative and translate sophisticated concepts into clear, persuasive communication for executive leadership.

Collaborative Excellence: Demonstrated experience leading high-performing, cross-functional teams (Design, Engineering, and Data) to deliver high-ROI products.

Operational Fluency: Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle, particularly in ML-based software development, and the ability to identify and mitigate delivery risks.

Technical Fluency: Ability to pick up deep technical concepts quickly to understand architecture risks and complexity trade-offs.

Desirable Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or other technical education) or equivalent practical experience

Experience shipping products 

Experience with self-driving technology or other AI-based applications

The base salary range for this position is $163K-$236K per year.  Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

 #LI-SP1

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.

We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusion

Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at careersiteaccommodations@aurora.tech. 

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.

Source: Aurora Innovation careers

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