Staff Program Manager, Cost Out & Productivity

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 or follow us on LinkedIn.

What we are looking for

As a Staff Program Manager, Cost Out & Productivity, you own cost-to-serve reduction across the partner portfolio. You identify and drive optimization opportunities; track year-over-year cost efficiency improvement; partner with regional leads to build productivity initiatives into vendor scorecards and QBRs.

This role requires significant autonomy, strong business judgment, and the ability to create structure and alignment across complex, ambiguous problems. You will help shape how critical partnerships operate at scale and influence decisions across multiple functions and levels of leadership.

In this role, you will

• Serve as the strategic owner for cost-to-serve performance across the partner portfolio, defining the measurement framework, targets, and improvement roadmap.

• Analyze cost trends across partner categories to identify systemic inefficiencies, pricing anomalies, and consolidation or renegotiation opportunities before they impact commercial operations.

• Partner with category leads (Partnership Program Managers, Supplier Quality, Ops Quality) to embed cost and productivity metrics into vendor scorecards and Quarterly Business Reviews.

• Lead cross-functional cost-out initiatives, applying Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC methodology to eliminate waste in both Aurora's and partners' processes.

• Build and maintain reporting infrastructure (dashboards, models) that gives leadership a clear, real-time view of cost-to-serve by partner category.

• Frame cost tradeoffs, risks, and business cases for senior and executive leaders, driving alignment across Operations, Finance, and Corporate Development.

• Establish reusable cost-optimization playbooks and mentor category leads on applying productivity rigor to their own vendor relationships.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience; advanced degree preferred.

• 7+ years of relevant experience in program management, cost/productivity management, operations, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex, data-driven cost-reduction or productivity programs across functions.

• Proven ability to define governance mechanisms and performance systems for cost efficiency in ambiguous environments.

• Track record of delivering measurable cost or efficiency outcomes through cross-functional leadership.

• Strong executive communication, business judgment, and stakeholder influence skills.

• Advanced experience developing and using metrics, controls, and performance systems to drive decisions, including tools such as Python, Tableau, or Power BI.

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, or ability to obtain certification within 90 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience in vendor management, supply chain, or service-provider ecosystems, particularly around cost and productivity levers.

• Experience establishing scalable cost-tracking or governance approaches across multiple programs or partner categories.

• Demonstrated success influencing significant business decisions without direct authority.

• Experience designing scalable operating mechanisms in rapidly growing or complex environments.

• Experience in transportation, logistics, or autonomous vehicle operations.

• Certifications such as PMP, CSP, Six Sigma, CFSE/P, or other relevant safety or project management certifications.

• Experience with Jira, Jama, Confluence, Google Suite.
  

For roles based in Coppell, TX: The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $166,500 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, Aurorans are expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week, with some roles requiring more frequent in-office presence, up to 5 days per week, based on operational needs.

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].

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.