Program Manager (Japan, Bilingual Japanese/English, Automotive)

Location: Santa Clara, California, United States; hybrid role based in the Bay Area with approximately 25% travel to Japan.

Company

hirify.global operates cross-functional engineering, product, operations, and customer programs connecting Bay Area teams with Japanese partners.

What you will do

• Manage ongoing programs with Japanese customers as the primary point of contact for program-level matters.
• Coordinate Japanese partner teams with engineering, product, and operations organizations in the United States.
• Collect and integrate performance and progress information from engineering, quality, and partner teams.
• Prepare status reports covering accomplishments, deliverables, metrics, and risks in English and Japanese.
• Maintain project plans, timelines, KPIs, and milestones while driving mitigation plans for dependencies and risks.
• Travel to Japan approximately 25% of the time for partner reviews, milestones, and testing activities.

Requirements

• Fluent Japanese and English required for written, verbal, and real-time professional communication.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional programs from planning through execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt to different audiences and cultural contexts.
• Strong organizational, planning, prioritization, and decision-making skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel to Japan approximately 25% of the time.

Nice to have

• Professional experience living or working in Japan and familiarity with Japanese business norms.
• Experience with Japanese automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers.
• Experience in the automotive, autonomous vehicle, or trucking industry.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work arrangement based in the Bay Area.
• Direct collaboration with Japanese partners and United States-based engineering, product, and operations teams.