Our Mission:

Driving technology always feels old. Not by a little bit. We believe vehicles can be a thousand times smarter, safer, and more connected to the world around us, and our mission is to see it happen. In 2019, we joined forces with Honda as their first startup acquisition, and now we’re expanding our vision into building the future of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) for millions of people around the world.

Why Drivemode:

Join Drivemode for an exciting startup environment and a vibrant culture that combines impactful work, competitive compensation, and excellent benefits. By becoming a part of our team, you'll contribute to a crucial mission that revolutionizes the way people engage with vehicles, addressing both business needs and the world's environmental challenges. This presents an exceptional opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation and drive Honda's success in the connected software.

About the Role:

Execute complex Automotive projects following AgileA-SPICE methodologies while laying the groundwork for cybersecurity compliance (ISO 21434 / UNR155). You will own the project plan, shepherd cross-functional teams, and ensure that overall projects land on time, on budget, and with measurable impact. You will work closely with other component project managers to ensure integrated system projects success.

What you will do:

• Define Scope and Feasibility - Gather and identify all stakeholder requirements in a timely manner, engage with the right Engineering teams to commit for feasibility.
• Manage the plan – Collaborate with Engineering teams to build the implementation roadmap and schedule. Maintain it by managing the risk log and deliver concise status updates to meet the strategy.
• Facilitate & Align – Run recurring syncs, issue boards, and retros with engineering, QA, V&V, product, and external stakeholders.
• Risk Management - Identify, Analyze, Prioritize, Mitigate and Monitor technical and non-technical risks within the project.
• Issue Management - Ensure problems and issues are addressed with quality and in a timely manner.
• Drive QA readiness – Facilitate communication with QA internal audits, track compliance and ensure all teams continuously burn down non-compliances to Drivemode development process.
• Metrics & Continuous Improvement – Define KPIs (e.g., process conformance, defect escape rate) and drive PDCA cycles to hit Level B targets.
• Reporting - Establish a periodical summary status report of the health of the project for stakeholders.
• Partner with other project managers to ensure clarity on dependencies and plan alignment across teams.

What we are looking for:

• 5+ years driving multi-team software or hardware initiatives.
• Managed one or more projects in alignment with A-SPICE - created and maintained process assets, evidence, and internal gap analysis.
• Familiarity with ISO 21434/UNR-155 and can integrate CS activities into A-SPICE workflow.
• You love working with people and collaboratively solving a challenging problem.
• You are structured and proactive. You have a proven track record of anticipating gaps and turning ambiguity into a crisp plan.
• You have a growth mindset - you iterate on process, seek feedback, and level up peers in the journey.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively in Japanese and English.

Nice to have:

• Cybersecurity compliance (ISO 21434, UNR-155) rollout experience.
• Exposure to functional safety (ISO26262) or software quality models (CMMI, ASPICE Automotive Safety Level B+).
• Familiarity with ALM tools such as TestRail, JAMA Connect, Polarion, and similar; Project management tools such as Jira, and any Gantt Chart planning tool.
• Experience working with Japanese OEMs or global multicultural teams.
• Experience balancing Waterfall and Agile development processes.

EEOC Statement:

Drivemode is proud of a very diverse team with employees coming from 5 continents as of today. Diversity in our workplace has played an important part in our success; we recognize each employee’s unique background, knowledge, experiences, ideas, and viewpoints which are all critical in developing a product that has the greatest impacts on drivers all over the world. Drivemode provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristics that make you unique.