Program Manager, Development Testing Operations

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’s Product Operations team plays a critical role in turning development priorities into safe, executable testing outcomes. We partner closely with Engineering, Safety, and Operations to ensure development testing is planned, coordinated, and executed with rigor and speed.

We are seeking a Program Manager I, Development Testing Operations to support the planning and execution of development testing activities across Aurora’s testing environments. This role is focused on program execution, coordination, and operational discipline, translating engineering requirements into structured test programs while balancing schedules, assets, and constraints. This is a hands-on role suited for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys bringing clarity to complexity. You are the bridge between 'What' engineering wants to build and 'How' operations actually executes it. You will own the operational lifecycle of your assigned workstreams - from the first technical requirements doc to the final verification mile

In this role you will

• Partner with Engineering, Safety, and Operations to turn development requirements into executable testing plans and milestones.

• Review and refine incoming test requests for clarity and feasibility to ensure "first-time execution success" and minimize re-testing.

• Ensure all development tests are intentional, well-scoped, and directly aligned with defined engineering outcomes.

• Establish a tight loop between execution teams and engineering stakeholders, translating technical blockers into actionable bug reports or process improvements.

• Identify and advocate for necessary operational tooling, hardware diagnostics, and infrastructure support required to unblock testing for your assigned workstreams.

• Define and manage "Operational Readiness" criteria for new features or hardware, ensuring safety protocols, tooling, and documentation are ready before testing.

• Track progress and dependencies, proactively identifying blockers and escalating risks with context and recommended solutions.

• Maintain clear program documentation, timelines, and status reporting for all cross-functional stakeholders.

• Drive change adoption and capture lessons learned to incrementally improve development testing workflows.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Program Management, Project Management, Product Operations, Technical Operations, or a related role

• Ability to develop a functional understanding of hardware/software stacks, including how sensors, calibration, and software versions interact to impact vehicle behavior.

• Demonstrated experience with change management principles and successfully driving process improvements within an organization

• Experience supporting technical or development programs in a cross-functional environment

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with comfort coordinating across technical and non-technical teams

• Safety focused, with the ability to operate effectively in environments where safety is a core requirement

• Flexible schedule with ability to work days, nights, and (or) weekends when required

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities

Desirable Qualifications

• Technical aptitude, including the ability to understand technical designs, SDLC concepts, challenges, and risks, and work closely with cross-functional teams

• Proven experience managing relationships and expectations with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders

• Experience supporting testing, validation, or development programs in a technology or engineering-driven organization

• Comfort using basic data, dashboards, or reporting to support prioritization, risk tracking, and execution decisions

• Experience in autonomous vehicle, automotive, robotics, logistics, or similarly complex operational environments

• Passion for shipping new-to-market products and the ability to dynamically adapt to new responsibilities required to do so.

The base salary range for this position is $83,000-$120,000 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.

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 [email protected].

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