Technical Program Manager

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we're on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We're developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience via high-risk, high-reward, use-inspired research. To lead a transformative shift in mobility for Toyota, we've built a world-class team in human-centred AI, human interactive driving, energy and materials, machine learning, and robotics.

We are seeking a Technical Program Manager to join the Opportunity Discovery and Technology Adoption (ODTA) team—a group focused on bridging the gap between groundbreaking robotics research and real-world impact. In this role, you will enable the execution and cross-functional delivery of computer vision and robotics systems into manufacturing environments. You’ll work closely with our customers, machine learning and robotics researchers, software engineers, and commercialization/product leads to ensure alignment, manage technical dependencies, and deliver research-driven innovations that are grounded in operational reality. The team portfolio of projects includes a combination of internal hand-off, internal collaboration, and external deployment projects.

Your ability to think and communicate at a systems level will be critical in enabling teams to collaborate effectively across subject areas and iterate toward scalable, production-ready solutions. The ideal candidate has a technical background in robotics or hardware/software systems and thrives at the intersection of applied research, real-world deployment, and execution excellence. Travel to U.S. manufacturing sites is expected approximately once per quarter.

Responsibilities

• Own program structures and decision-making frameworks that enable multidisciplinary teams to move quickly, iterate collaboratively, and stay focused on delivering customer value.
• Coordinate with customers, researchers, engineers, and product leads to define goals, translate needs into requirements, and surface technical dependencies.
• Translate complex technical ideas into actionable, multi-functional roadmaps, aligning efforts with real-world constraints and long-term vision.
• Enable the research-to-product funnel, aligning upstream research with downstream productization and deployment.
• Apply technical empathy and product grounding, ensuring architectures, interfaces, and workflows are realistic, integrated, and robust.
• Drive clear communication of scope, priorities, breakthroughs, and status across all levels—from engineering teams to executive partners.
• Proactively identify, track, and mitigate risks, spanning technical, organizational, and scheduling challenges.
• Deliver strategic clarity while shielding teams from disruption, preserving momentum and focus.
• Support operational readiness and on-site integration, including occasional travel to manufacturing sites to validate systems and stay vigilant between the lab and the field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, robotics, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 4–6+ years of industry experience, including 2–3 years in a hands-on technical role (e.g., software development, robotics systems, or computer vision), and additional direct experience in technical program or project management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams across technical domains and drive execution from concept to deployment.
• Experience managing complex systems involving both hardware and software integration.
• Strong technical, analytical, and quantitative skills, with the ability to use data to back up recommendations and drive decisions.
• Experience conceptualizing complex interrelated applications and system platforms, as well as the ability to communicate those systems to non-technical partners.

Bonus Qualifications

• Strong understanding of machine learning, computer vision, and ML concepts.
• Familiarity with robotic perception, planning, or real-time systems.
• Knowledge of high-performance computing and cloud-based ML training pipelines.
• Experience coordinating across institutions, departments, or distributed teams.
• Exposure to agile development methodologies and experience managing risk in early innovation projects.