Senior Project Manager for R&D

Tokyo
Partial Remote
Full-time
January 31, 2025

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 electric vehicles (BEV) 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 EV market.

About the Role

As a Senior Project Manager, you will lead research and development projects, delivering software platforms ready for production as well as development tools in collaboration with Honda's motorcycle and automotive divisions. This role is pivotal in Honda's transformation into a software-driven company within the automotive industry.

What you will be doing

Leadership and Accountability
- Collaborate closely with Honda's LPLs (Large Product Leads) to deliver competitive software, hardware, and technical consulting solutions.
- Lead the development and research of:
- Driving and riding safety solutions
- Map rendering for embedded systems
- Meter UI toolkits
- Competitor E&E software and hardware architecture analysis
- Facilitate meetings with internal and external stakeholders to drive project alignment and progress.
Schedule Management
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive master schedule that aligns with Honda's product timelines and key milestones.
- Define clear outcomes for each milestone and ensure the underlying rationale is well understood.
Risk Management
- Identify, communicate, and manage project risks and issues.
- Develop and implement strategies to mitigate risks and address challenges throughout the project lifecycle.

What We’re Looking For

5+ years of project management experience in software and/or hardware development.
Native-level Japanese proficiency.
Business-level English proficiency.
Solid understanding of software development processes and environments.
Flexibility and a willingness to learn new technologies relevant to the projects.
Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Gantt chart tools).
Familiarity with project operations, including contract management and meeting facilitation.
Proactive, detail-oriented, and highly collaborative.
Experience working in a multicultural environment with diverse stakeholders.

Nice to Have

Knowledge of:
ECU software and hardware.
Vehicle networks (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet).
Hardware simulation and emulation for software development.
Telecommunication technology.
AD/ADAS systems.
Embedded systems development.
Positioning and navigation technologies.
Experience managing projects in the automotive industry.
Experience working with hardware and software suppliers.

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.

APPLY NOW ➜Japanese Required ⚠️

About Drivemode

Drivemode (ドライブモード) は、ZipcarとTesla Motorsの起業家によって2014年に米国シリコンバレーで設立されたスタートアップ企業です。ドライバー向けスマートフォンの安全運転アプリの開発を手がけ、すでに150か国以上で数百万人のドライバーに使用されています。どの車両であっても、よりスマートで安全な運転を可能にするという、ドライバーの運転体験を根本的に変えるイノベーションに挑戦しています。

Drivemodeは、車両とダイレクトに連結し、主要な通信やナビゲーション機能を提供すると同時に、車両のデータをすぐに活用できるような、モバイルベースのプラットフォームを構築しました。Drivemodeが提供するアプリは、気に入ったアプリに安全にアクセスするためのもので、音声制御により運転中でも手を使わずに通話やカーナビ、音楽の再生、メールなどを行うことを可能にします。

2019年には、Drivemodeのプラットフォームを世界中のホンダ車にダイレクトに連結するために、独立子会社としてホンダに買収されました。

Honda Smartphone Voice Control system

公用語は英語で、シリコンバレーと東京にオフィスを構える約20人の小さなチームです。スピード、学習、柔軟性、データを使った意思決定に重点を置いており、１人１人が起業家のように考え、行動します。ダイバシティ豊かで、職種に関係なく、アイディアや意見を共有するため、積極的に発言することを奨励しています。

小さなチームですが世界を変えるテクノロジープロダクトの開発に挑戦することが大好きです。 DrivemodeのCEOは「チャンスさえあれば日本の技術力でシリコンバレーに勝負できる」と信じている経営者です。そんな思いを体現する会社を目指す、ベンチャー精神溢れるDrivemodeのカルチャーに共感いただける方に、ぜひジョインいただきたいと思っています！

Japanese Language Policy
Although Drivemode's official language is English, Business level + fluency in Japanese may be required depending on a role that needs communication with Japanese-speaking stakeholders.
Visa Sponsorship
Drivemode provides visa and relocation support for certain positions, and for the roles where they have such support in place, they will clearly state that in the job description.
Paid Leave
- Weekends (Saturday and Sunday), Japanese national holidays, New Year’s holiday
- Annual paid leave (10 days for the 1st year)
- Sick Leave (5 days per year)
- Celebratory/bereavement leave
Benefits
🧡 Brand new office just opened in Nov 2020, 5min walk from Ebisu station!

🏥 Health insurance

🚃 Commuting allowance

👩‍🎓 Language study allowance for non-Japanese employees

🍻 Team lunch party (Every Friday)

🍬 Favorite snack allowance

💜 We also have education support for up to 15,000 JPY a month which are to be used to develop skills and acquire knowledge in the job area.
Engineer Interview Process
Interview process at Drivemode varies from position to position.
Here is an example of a process for our Software Engineer:
- 1st step: Resume screening and Screening online test
- 2nd step: 1st Technical interview with a hiring team
- Further step: 2-3 more interviews with the management
Remote Work
Drivemode was already a “remote team” before COVID-19, and they will continue to be with offices in multiple locations. However, due to the nature of work that happens inside Drivemode, there is a need to be at the office together from time to time when developing new products that involve hardware prototypes.
Work style
- Our standard working hours: 9:00 - 18:00
* We currently do not have flex time set up in our company.
* However we value and respect employees' work-life balance, and we provide an environment where employees feel comfortable enough to discuss his/her schedule with a reportline manager to prioritize a personal life, e.g. taking care of families.
* Also, we offer "holiday swap option" for employees to be able to move holidays to their non-busy time.
Tech Stack
Android: Android SDK, Kotlin, Java, Jetpack, Coroutines/Flow, Dagger/Hilt, Gradle, Android Studio

iOS: iOS SDK, Swift, SwiftUI, Combine (Async/Await), SPM, Xcode

Server/Infrastructure: Rust, PostgreSQL, gRPC, Docker, GCP/Firebase (Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, etc.), Kafka, Terraform

CI/CD: GitHub Actions, DeployGate, Fastlane

IoT: Raspberry Pi, Arduino board, M5Stack, C++/C

Communication: Slack, Google Meet

Project Management: Jira Software, Notion, Miro

Analytics: BigQuery, Firebase Analytics, Jupyter, Pandas, scikit-learn

Others: Google Workspace
Parents and Family
We offer maternity leave and child care leave.
Also, we offer money gift for childbirth.