Sr. Technical Program Manager, Lighting Systems

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company that provides solutions for engineering, technology, and product development projects. For decades, we’ve been helping our clients develop products that are changing the world, whether that’s by shaping the future of space exploration, saving lives with medical devices that set a new standard of care, or creating the fully autonomous electric taxi of tomorrow. Our team of more than 600 people works across industries including aerospace, medical devices and life sciences, unmanned systems and robotics, automotive OEM and tier 1 suppliers, commercial vehicle, electric vehicles, rail, and more. Our offices across the US have different industry focuses and engage with our clients in different ways, ranging from working on-site at client facilities to performing product development at our delivery centers.
 
ALTEN Group, our parent company, has been a leader in engineering and information technology for more than 30 years. ALTEN Group operates in 30 countries across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East and employs more than 36,000 people, 88% of whom are engineers. The company covers the whole development cycle and offers a choice of service levels, from technology consulting to complete project outsourcing.
 
When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you join a group of people passionate about collaborating to solve some of the world’s most technical engineering challenges. Our success is tied to taking care of our employees by building relationships and providing opportunities for mentorship and career growth. We offer comprehensive benefits for all full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan with employer matching; paid time off (PTO); paid parental leave; and mentorship to help you take your career to the next level. You don’t have to take our word for it that we are a great place to work—we were named on the 2023 Top Workplaces list thanks to feedback from our proud employees.

Sr. Technical Program Manager, Lighting Systems 

We are currently seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager – Lighting Systems. This position requires an experienced professional with a proven track record of excellence and managerial achievement. The candidate is an accomplished program or project manager of automotive cross-functional within exterior and interior lighting systems with strong organizational capabilities and the ability to influence and coordinate with talented engineering teams and stakeholders, for a seamless technical program development. The candidate communicates effectively to ensure each individual team member remains aware of the most relevant program milestones, and deliveries expectations placed by the vehicle program team. Critical issues are promptly identified and brought up to senior management alongside a concise action plan.  
 
Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude, hands on and approaches work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields, to possess the ability to learn quickly and to strive for efficient progression within a fast-paced and complex work environment. 
 

Role 

• Leads automotive cross-functional Exterior and Interior Lighting projects/programs, in close collaboration with required stakeholders, ensuring the projects meet the necessary timelines, budgets, and technical specifications.  

• Manages and coordinates relationships with Tier 1 suppliers to source and develop critical lighting components, ensuring adherence to OEM requirements, quality standards, and program timelines. 

• Drives the development of complex systems end-to-end, from the definition of technical requirements and attributes to implementation and series production maintenance– in direct alignment with the corresponding vehicle programs and chief engineer direction.  

• Accompanies vehicle programs from the conceptual phase to the start of production and market introduction, including model upgrades– ensuring a successful launch based on program scope, timing and budget. 

• Leads communication and escalation of priority topics to upper management in coordination with internal stakeholders. 

• Executes solid root-cause analysis with the ability to identify, predict and mitigate possible deviations from the program expectations. 

• Works with engineering managers and system leads to define the level of effort, resources and requirements based on assigned budget and timing. 

• Eager to learn about new technologies in order to drive constant optimization efforts in collaboration with the engineering and integration areas. 

• Collaborates with group engineering manager to set, track, release program deliverables, align on priorities. 

• Leads implementation of technology strategies and ensuring successful delivery. 

• Drives continuous improvement initiatives to optimize efficiency, processes and procedures, product quality 
   
  Qualifications 

• 6+ years of proven experience in leading and managing automotive technical projects involving Exterior and Interior lighting components. (Headlamp, taillights, DRL, ambient lighting) ideally within an OEM or Tier 1 supplier.  

• 6+ years of active contribution in the design, specification and implementation of complex product features.  

• 8+ years of professional experience in the automotive industry, or equivalent. 

• Experience building, developing, and managing highly effective program management tools and processes. 

• Knowledge of automotive and safety standards (e.g. ASPICE, ISO26262, etc.) 

• Available for occasional business travel within and outside of the US. (10-20%) 
   

Advantageous 

• Strong understanding of lighting technologies (e.g., LED, Laser, micro displays) and their integration into automotive applications. 

• Understanding of injection molded processes for automotive components.  

• Experience working with Tier 1 suppliers on Build-to-Print components, ensuring high-quality and scalable manufacturing. 

• Familiarity with automotive lighting standards (e.g., ECE, FMVSS, SAE) and ISO 26262 for safety-critical applications. 

• Familiarity with lighting control systems and intelligent lighting solutions (e.g., adaptive driving beam). 

• Understanding of vehicle communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, FPDLink),  

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with ability to work in a high-pace highly complex cross-functional environment. 

• Excellent organization and delegation skills with ability to own the product roadmap and schedule with a track record of delivering projects on-time. 

• Experience in automotive development processes, including design reviews, change management i.e. engineering changes, evaluation with suppliers, deviation requests, etc. 

• Experience with Atlassian Software (JIRA , Confluence). 

 
Education 

• Bachelors in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, or a related field. A Master’s degree is a plus. 

• Project Management training. PMP certificate is highly valued. 

Salary Range: $110,000-140,000

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience 

ALTEN Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our Policy is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or veteran status.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.