Customer Program Manager at Wayve in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

About us Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology.  Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward.  Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter.  We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career! The role In this role, you will be responsible for leading and overseeing programs with OEM customers, spanning from early-stage advanced development initiatives to full-scale production programs. You will collaborate closely with the customer to define and manage project plans, ensuring that requirements are seamlessly integrated into the internal development pipeline and delivered on schedule. A deep understanding of the automotive industry and the development of embodied AI systems is essential to effectively guide these programs, identify and report potential risks, and implement a robust change management. You will be at the forefront of delivering meaningful impact to real-world customers. Key responsibilities: Lead and support cross-functional teams in executing complex customer programs, ensuring the successful achievement of program objectives. Establish and maintain a comprehensive project management framework, including project planning, risk management, change management, and task coordination. Engage with customers to understand and address their technical requirements and needs. Collaborate closely with teams across Product, R&D, and other departments to translate customer demands into clear, actionable technical requirements. Ensure efficient reporting both externally to customers and internally within the organisation. Work closely with internal development teams to align customer requirements with internal milestone planning and execution. Provide first-level support to customers, ensuring their needs are met promptly and effectively. About you In order to set you up for success as a Customer Program Manager at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience. Essential Extensive program management experience in complex automotive software development. Proficient in utilising program management tools (e.g., Jira) to optimise workflow efficiency and ensure seamless project execution. Robust technical expertise with comprehensive knowledge of the automotive industry. A proactive problem-solving mindset. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams. Willingness to travel as needed. Fluent Japanese and business-level English are required for collaboration with international teams and stakeholders Desirable Knowledge of current AI advancements, including Generative AI, AV 2.0, and Large Language Models (LLMs). Hands-on experience in software development. A Master’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science. This is a full-time, office-based role located in Yokohama or Tokyo, depending on the candidate's place of residence. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home. We operate core working hours so you can determine the schedule that works best for you and your team. Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know. We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self-driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply. At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition  (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law. For more information visit Careers at Wayve. To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.