Technical Program Manager - ECU Manufacturing Software

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the central point of coordination for software release planning, timing, and content rollout across cross-functional teams, aligned with program milestones.
• Act as the voice of the user when managing software releases in collaboration with business stakeholders.
• Oversee the in-house ECU software release process in partnership with Manufacturing Test, Operations, and Contract Manufacturers.
• Collaborate with TPMs, software engineers, and test engineers to implement and maintain robust release management systems and processes.
• Provide critical support to engineering and production teams by supplying essential information such as software file locations, flashing tools, and traceability data for all engineering and production builds.
• Deliver regular updates to management on the status and progress of over 20 active programs.
• Review, track, and approve all software-related change requests and documentation (QUALs, PCRs, ECRs, ECOs) for both internal and external ECUs.
• Manage multiple concurrent software builds and deployments from development through production rollout.
• Lead pre-release software testing efforts across manufacturing test labs, contract manufacturers, and internal validation sites.
• Drive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure program goals are met.
• Track and resolve all open software issues impacting cross-functional teams.
• Support final software verification activities at headquarters prior to production release.

Skills Required:

• Proven experience in software program management or technical program management within engineering environments.
• Strong cross-cultural and cross-regional collaboration skills.
• Ability to thrive in a small, agile team within a larger organizational structure.
• Deep understanding of configuration management processes and tools.
• Familiarity with engineering change management systems and issue tracking platforms.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in electronics delivery to end customers.
• Minimum of 5 years in a technical role.
• Hands-on experience with software release processes, testing, Jira, waterfall and SCRUM methodologies, and build systems.
• Background in high-volume consumer or enterprise products; automotive ECU experience is a strong plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with ERP, bug tracking, and ECO/BOM systems (e.g., NetSuite, Jira, Arena, MKS, SmartBear).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of UDS standard.
• Familiarity with CAN and DoIP protocols.
• Automotive industry experience.