Program Manager

Aquent has partnered with a pioneering leader in autonomous mobility to find a dynamic, execution-focused professional who will drive alignment and execution across key industrial design initiatives. In this pivotal role, you will be the connective tissue uniting design, engineering, product, brand, and manufacturing teams to shape how next-generation mobility is experienced. By turning visionary concepts into physical reality, you will have a direct, lasting impact on the future of everyday transit within a highly collaborative and innovative environment.

What You Will Do

In this role, you will lead the coordination of multidisciplinary studio programs, ensuring all teams remain aligned on project goals, timelines, and deliverables. Your day-to-day impact will include:

• Driving alignment across company-wide and internal design initiatives, ensuring milestones and priorities are clearly communicated to all stakeholders.
• Partnering closely with design leadership to develop and manage comprehensive project plans, defining scope, timelines, and key deliverables.
• Coordinating cross-functionally with engineering, product, brand, and manufacturing to ensure seamless execution and manage dependencies.
• Proactively identifying risks and blockers early, driving transparency, and collaborating with teams to implement effective mitigation plans.
• Supporting design leadership with financial planning, budgeting, and resource tracking activities.
• Owning agendas for reviews, distributing materials to executive leadership, and highlighting key decisions to remove bottlenecks.
• Facilitating team syncs by consolidating agendas, highlighting upcoming deadlines, and tracking priorities.
• Partnering with administrative support to coordinate critical leadership and team meetings aligned with development milestones.

What You Bring (Required)

• 4+ years of experience in program management, operations, or project coordination.
• A strong background partnering directly with Industrial Designers on hardware projects from concept through production.
• A proven track record of successfully managing complex, cross-functional projects.
• Proficiency in industry-standard project management tools required to track and organize complex workflows.
• Extraordinary organizational and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with leadership and technical professionals.
• A solution-oriented mindset with the ability to ask insightful questions, learn quickly, and navigate obstacles effectively.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• A professional background in the automotive, consumer product, or design agency space.