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Vehicle Platform Program Manager
Vehicle Platform owns the full vehicle scope of Bolt's autonomous ride-hailing mission - vehicle product strategy, base vehicle definition, autonomy readiness, and the programs through which our vehicles are developed, industrialised and delivered with OEM partners. As Vehicle Program Manager, you will own and run these programs end to end - evaluating vehicle platforms and suppliers, driving the day-to-day engineering and production relationship with our OEMs, and making program calls on the ground. We work hands-on and travel often; commercial negotiations sit with our partnerships team, but everything vehicle is ours.
About Bolt
Bolt is shaping a future where cities are built for people, not cars. What started as an ambitious project of a 19-year-old in 2013 has grown into a global mobility platform used by more than 200 million customers and 4.5 million driver and courier partners across 50 countries.
From ride-hailing and food delivery to scooters, e-bikes, and car-sharing, Bolt helps people move through cities every day. Small, autonomous teams drive this work, combining the speed and ownership of a startup with the scale of a global technology company backed by more than €1bn in funding.
And we're just getting started.
Why Join Bolt?
- Build the future of mobility and help transform how people live and move in cities.
- Tackle challenges at scale that span technology, operations, regulation, and growth.
- Take real ownership early. Small, lean teams mean your decisions matter from day one, and you'll learn fast alongside some of the best people in the industry.
- Join one of Europe's leading technology companies, backed by world-class investors including Sequoia.
About The Role
Bolt is building a commercial L4 autonomous ride-hailing service in Europe. The Vehicle Platform team owns the vehicle side of that mission - the base vehicle, its readiness for autonomy, and the programs through which our vehicles are developed, integrated and delivered with OEM partners.
Vehicle Platform owns the full vehicle scope - vehicle product strategy, base vehicle definition, autonomy readiness, and the engineering and production programs through which our vehicles are developed, industrialised and delivered with OEM partners.
We are looking for a Vehicle Program Manager to own and drive our vehicle programs end to end. Our first OEM vehicle program is moving toward contract and execution, with further programs to follow. You will be the person who runs these programs - from evaluating vehicle platforms and OEM capabilities, through contract-phase technical alignment, to development, integration, industrialisation and delivery.
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This is a senior, hands-on role with real authority over the vehicle program. You will represent Bolt in OEM engineering rooms, lead working-level relationships with vehicle partners and suppliers, and be trusted to make program calls on the ground. You report directly to the Head of Vehicle Platform.
Main Tasks And Responsibilities
- Own and run OEM vehicle programs end to end - program structure, milestones, technical gates, deliverables and timing from first engagement through development, integration and delivery
- Drive the day-to-day engineering and production relationship with our OEM partners - technical reviews, requirement dialogues, industrialisation and manufacturing readiness, and regular on-site presence at partner locations
- Lead the evaluation of vehicle platforms, OEM capabilities and suppliers - platform maturity, L4 readiness, E/E architecture, lifecycle and carry-over - and support sourcing decisions with clear technical and program recommendations
- Own the requirements flow between Bolt and the OEM - translate internal needs from sensors, ADS integration and operations into vehicle-level requirements, and bring OEM constraints back into our planning
- Run program governance - steering meetings, decision logs, risk management, clean escalation paths and vehicle-side regulatory and homologation tracking, so that progress is visible and problems surface early
- Bring program and OEM insight into vehicle product strategy - feed platform, cost and feasibility learnings from running programs back into product and platform decisions
About You
- You have solid experience running vehicle programs in automotive, autonomous driving or an adjacent hardware industry - as a program manager, chief engineer, project leader or similar, with personal ownership of outcomes, not just participation
- You have worked directly with or inside OEMs and understand how vehicle development and production actually run - gateways, sourcing, engineering change, validation, industrialisation and the realities of bringing a vehicle to series
- You are technically credible on complete vehicles - you can hold a room with OEM engineering on topics like E/E architecture, vehicle systems, integration constraints and redundancy without needing a specialist beside you
- You are methodical and operate with authority and calm - structured plans, clean documentation and disciplined follow-up are your default, and you can make calls, defend them, and keep a program moving through ambiguity and pressure
- You are comfortable as a senior individual contributor in a small, fast team, and willing to travel regularly to OEM and supplier locations across Europe and beyond
- Experience with vehicle homologation or type approval is a plus; experience on L4 or L2+ autonomous vehicle programs is a strong plus
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Why You'll Love It Here
- Accelerate your professional growth with unique career opportunities.
- Enjoy a rewarding salary and stock options, knowing that as Bolt succeeds, so do you.
- Take care of your physical and mental health with our wellness perks.
- Celebrate 5 years at Bolt with a 1-month paid sabbatical to recharge.
- Connect with colleagues at annual company events and smaller team gatherings.
- Balance flexibility and in-person collaboration with our hybrid model, including at least 12 monthly in-office days.
Some perks may differ depending on your location and role.
At Bolt, using AI daily is a baseline expectation for everyone. If there's a faster, smarter way to do your work, we expect you to find it. You're still responsible for the output, so the standard stays high when using AI tools.
Experience is great, but what we really look for is drive, intelligence, and integrity. So even if you don't tick every box, please consider applying!
Everyone is Welcome
Bolt is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, colour, nationality, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are happy to make reasonable accommodations throughout our hiring process. If you require any adjustments, please let us know.
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