1. What is a Project Manager at AURORA?

At AURORA, the role of a Project or Program Manager is far more than tracking tickets or managing Gantt charts. You are a strategic orchestrator responsible for delivering the Aurora Driver—a self-driving system designed to transform mobility and logistics. Whether you are focused on Commercial Growth, Vehicle Hardware, Security, or Training Initiatives, your work directly impacts the safety and scalability of autonomous trucking and passenger mobility.

This position sits at the intersection of massively complex hardware, software, and operational challenges. You will work alongside world-class engineers and operations leaders to solve problems that have no existing playbook. The stakes are incredibly high; your ability to manage risk, drive cross-functional alignment, and execute with precision determines whether critical goods get to their destination safely.

You will likely be embedded within specific verticals such as Operations Excellence, Strategy, or Technical Program Management (TPM). Regardless of the specific team, successful Project Managers at AURORA are expected to navigate ambiguity, bridge the gap between technical constraints and commercial goals, and champion the company’s mission to deliver self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

2. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for AURORA requires a shift in mindset. You are not just being interviewed on your ability to manage a schedule, but on your ability to lead through uncertainty in a safety-critical environment.

Key Evaluation Criteria

Operational & Technical Fluency – You must demonstrate the ability to understand the specific domain you are applying for, whether it is hardware verification (V&V), logistics lane design, or software security. Interviewers evaluate if you can speak the language of engineers and operations teams to make informed trade-off decisions.

Strategic Execution – AURORA looks for candidates who can translate high-level commercial or technical goals into actionable plans. You will be evaluated on your ability to take a vague objective—like "launch a pilot program"—and break it down into rigorous timelines, resource plans, and success metrics.

Safety and Risk Management – In the autonomous vehicle industry, safety is the north star. You will be assessed on your proactive identification of risks and your discipline in maintaining high standards. Expect scrutiny on how you balance speed of delivery with rigorous safety requirements.

Cross-Functional Leadership – You will often lead without formal authority. Interviewers want to see how you influence stakeholders across Engineering, Product, Finance, and Business Development to align on a shared roadmap, especially when priorities conflict.

3. Interview Process Overview

The interview process at AURORA is rigorous and structured to assess both your functional expertise and your cultural alignment with a safety-first mission. It typically moves from an initial screening to a comprehensive onsite loop. You should expect a process that values data-driven decision-making and clear, structured communication.

Generally, the process begins with a Recruiter Screen to discuss your background and interest in autonomous vehicles. This is followed by a Hiring Manager Screen, which digs deeper into your specific program management experience and relevant domain knowledge. If you advance, you will move to the "Onsite" stage (virtually), which consists of 4–5 separate interviews. These rounds often include a mix of behavioral questions, situational case studies, and a "Presentation" or "Deep Dive" round where you may be asked to walk through a complex program you delivered from start to finish.

What distinguishes the AURORA process is the emphasis on "operating in ambiguity." Interviewers will likely present scenarios where requirements are not fully defined, testing your ability to create structure out of chaos. They are looking for resilience and a bias for action.

The timeline above illustrates a standard progression. Use the time between the Hiring Manager screen and the Onsite loop to prepare deep examples of past projects, specifically focusing on moments where you had to manage crisis, mitigate risk, or pivot strategy based on new data.

4. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed, you must prepare for specific evaluation areas that reflect the realities of the self-driving industry. Based on candidate data and job requirements, focus your preparation on the following domains.

Program Execution & Delivery

This is the core of the interview. You need to show how you drive programs from conception to launch. Interviewers want to know that you can handle the mechanics of complex dependencies.

Be ready to go over:

• Roadmap development: How you prioritize features or operational milestones against business needs.
• Dependency management: Handling "blocking" issues between hardware and software teams.
• Resource planning: Identifying constraints in personnel or equipment (e.g., terminal capacity or test vehicles).
• Advanced concepts: Managing "multi-generational" hardware developments or concurrent software release cycles.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you managed a program with critical external dependencies that were delayed. How did you recover?"
• "How do you determine the critical path in a project involving both hardware manufacturing and software development?"
• "Walk us through your process for setting up a new program from scratch when the scope is undefined."

Strategic Problem Solving & Ambiguity

AURORA operates in a frontier industry. You will be tested on your ability to make decisions with incomplete information.

Be ready to go over:

• Pilot scaling: Moving from a proof-of-concept to a scalable operational model.
• Trade-off analysis: Deciding between speed, cost, and quality (with safety as a non-negotiable).
• Business alignment: Translating commercial opportunities into operational reality.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "We want to expand our freight network to a new region. What are the first 5 things you would investigate to determine feasibility?"
• "How would you handle a request from leadership to accelerate a timeline that you believe introduces safety risks?"
• "Imagine you are launching a new training initiative for a vendor, but they are resistant to the new protocols. How do you handle this?"

Stakeholder Management & Communication

You will act as the "glue" between disparate teams (e.g., Operations, Engineering, Finance).

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict resolution: mediating disagreements between technical and commercial teams.
• Status reporting: Communicating risks to executive leadership without causing panic.
• Partner enablement: Working with external partners or customers to ensure readiness.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to say 'no' to a senior stakeholder. How did you frame it?"
• "How do you keep cross-functional teams aligned when their individual incentives are different?"

5. Key Responsibilities

As a Project Manager at AURORA, your daily work involves a blend of high-level strategy and "boots on the ground" execution. You are responsible for driving the planning, timelines, and performance monitoring of programs that fuel commercial growth and technical advancement.

You will frequently serve as the primary liaison between internal teams. For example, in a Commercial Growth role, you might translate business development deals into actionable lane design and terminal capacity plans. In a Technical Program Manager role, you might drive the schedule for vehicle hardware verification, ensuring that engineering development risks are balanced against program requirements.

A significant portion of your role involves risk management. You will identify resource constraints—whether it is test track availability or engineering headcount—and facilitate conversations that drive action. You will also lead readiness efforts, such as establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for new customers or embedding security governance into the product development lifecycle.

6. Role Requirements & Qualifications

AURORA seeks candidates who combine technical aptitude with strong operational instincts.

Must-Have Skills

• Complex Program Management: 5+ years of experience managing cross-functional programs, ideally involving a mix of hardware, software, and operations.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to use data to optimize workflows, track performance, and justify strategic pivots.
• Stakeholder Fluency: Proven ability to communicate effectively with both technical engineering teams and non-technical business partners.
• Tool Proficiency: Experience with project management tools (Jira, Asana, Smartsheets) and documentation platforms (Confluence, Google Workspace).

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Industry Experience: Background in autonomous vehicles, automotive, robotics, or complex logistics/supply chain networks.
• Technical Depth: For TPM roles, an engineering background or deep understanding of hardware V&V, security protocols, or software development lifecycles (SDLC).
• Consulting Background: Experience in strategy consulting can be beneficial for roles focused on commercial growth and ecosystem development.

7. Common Interview Questions

The following questions reflect the patterns observed in AURORA interviews. They are not a script, but a guide to the types of challenges you will be asked to address. Expect follow-up questions that probe the "why" and "how" behind your answers.

Behavioral & Leadership

• "Tell me about a time you had to influence a team over which you had no direct authority."
• "Describe a situation where you made a mistake that impacted a project timeline. How did you handle the communication and the fix?"
• "Give an example of how you have fostered a culture of safety or quality in a previous team."
• "How do you handle a team member who is consistently missing deadlines?"

Situational & Strategy

• "If we needed to launch a new freight lane in 3 months but the operational infrastructure typically takes 6 months to build, how would you approach this challenge?"
• "You discover a security vulnerability in a product scheduled to launch next week. Walk me through your decision-making process."
• "How do you prioritize a backlog of feature requests from three different internal customers who all claim their request is 'critical'?"

Technical & Operational Execution

• "How do you measure the success of a training program for external vendors?"
• "Explain your approach to managing risks in a hardware development lifecycle."
• "What is your methodology for capacity planning in a logistics network?"

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical do I need to be for this role? For TPM roles (e.g., Vehicle Hardware, Security), you need significant technical depth to debate trade-offs with engineers. For Program Manager roles (e.g., Commercial Growth, Training), the focus is more on operational logic, strategy, and business execution, though you still need to understand the product well enough to manage dependencies.

Q: What is the work culture like regarding remote vs. in-office? AURORA offers flexible work locations for many roles (Remote, or hubs in Dallas, Pittsburgh, Mountain View). However, the culture emphasizes collaboration. Some roles, particularly those interfacing with hardware or physical operations, may require travel or presence at specific hubs.

Q: How does AURORA assess "culture fit"? They look for "Aurora Values": working safely, winning together, and being reasonable but ambitious. They want to see that you are low-ego, mission-driven, and capable of handling the intense scrutiny that comes with safety-critical technology.

Q: What is the biggest challenge for PMs at Aurora? The biggest challenge is often the interdependency between hardware and software. A delay in a sensor component can block a software release, which delays a commercial pilot. Managing these cascading effects requires constant vigilance and communication.

9. Other General Tips

Safety First, Always: When answering situational questions, never compromise on safety for the sake of speed. AURORA’s mission is built on trust; showing a willingness to cut corners on safety is a red flag.

Embrace the Matrix: You will likely work in a matrixed environment. Highlight your ability to navigate organizational structures, build relationships across different verticals, and drive consensus without needing to escalate every issue to management.

Be Structured: Given the complexity of the problems you will face, structure is your best friend. Use frameworks to organize your answers.

Know the Product: Read up on the Aurora Driver, the difference between their trucking and ride-hailing strategies, and their partnership ecosystem. Showing that you have done your homework on their specific market approach sets you apart.

10. Summary & Next Steps

Becoming a Project Manager at AURORA is an opportunity to work on one of the most transformative technologies of our time. The role demands a unique blend of strategic vision, operational rigor, and technical curiosity. You will be challenged to solve problems that have never been solved before, all while maintaining an unwavering commitment to safety.

To succeed, focus your preparation on demonstrating how you manage complexity and ambiguity. Review your past experiences for examples where you successfully led cross-functional teams through difficult launches or operational expansions. Be ready to discuss how you prioritize work when everything seems urgent and how you maintain clarity in a fast-paced environment.

The salary data above represents the base pay range. Actual compensation at AURORA typically includes significant equity (RSUs) and benefits, which are a major component of the total package. The wide range reflects the varying levels of seniority (Senior vs. Staff) and the specific technical demands of different PM roles.

Prepare thoroughly, stay structured in your thinking, and approach the interview with the confidence of a leader ready to drive the future of transportation. For more insights and community discussions, you can explore further resources on Dataford. Good luck!