How to apply for Senior Autonomy Technical Project Manager

About May Mobility

May Mobility builds autonomous electric vehicles and the software that drives them. Its Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system is the company's core technology for how its vehicles make decisions. The company is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has given more than 500,000 autonomous rides since 2017.

About the role

This role leads engineering teams to solve hard technical problems in autonomy. The job summary describes it as a fit for a trained engineer who moved into project management and people leadership. The work sits at the intersection of advanced technology, problem solving, and team coordination.

A typical day

A typical day likely involves working with engineering teams on technical problems, tracking project progress, and removing blockers. The job summary suggests you would spend time diagnosing tough problems and orienting teams to solve them. The exact rhythm of meetings and priorities is not described in the posting, so ask about team structure and daily workflow in interviews.

Who May Mobility is looking for

• Has an engineering background and moved into project or program management later in their career.
• Has led technical teams working on complex systems, ideally in autonomy, robotics, or a related field.
• Can dig into tough technical problems and orient a team around solving them.
• Is motivated by real-world impact in transportation and mobility.

Tips for this application

• Name MPDM (Multi-Policy Decision Making) specifically in your materials to show you read how May Mobility's AVs make decisions.
• Frame your engineering-to-management transition as a deliberate career choice, since the job summary explicitly asks for that path.
• Reference May Mobility's scale (500,000+ autonomous rides since 2017) to show you understand where the company is in its growth.
• Highlight examples where you led a team through a difficult technical problem from diagnosis to resolution.
• Note that the role is remote in the US but the company is based in Ann Arbor, and address any willingness to travel or work with that team if relevant.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain why you moved from hands-on engineering into project management and what you gained from that transition. Describe a specific hard technical problem you led a team to solve and how you oriented them. Show familiarity with May Mobility's MPDM technology and why autonomy is the domain you want to work in. Connect your work to the company's stated goals of safer, greener, more accessible transit.

Research before applying

• Read May Mobility's published material on Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) and how it works.
• Look at the cities and deployments where May Mobility has operated, and what types of transit gaps its vehicles fill.
• Check the backgrounds of May Mobility's leadership and engineering team to understand the company's technical roots.
• Find recent news or announcements about May Mobility's deployments, partnerships, or funding since 2017.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would lead a team through a difficult, ambiguous technical problem in autonomy.
• Your understanding of MPDM and how it differs from other approaches to AV decision making.
• A time you managed a project where the technical path was unclear and how you kept the team moving.
• How you balance project deadlines with the safety requirements of autonomous vehicles.
• Why you transitioned from engineering to project management and how you keep your technical judgment sharp.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying as a pure project manager without showing an engineering background, since the job summary specifically asks for a trained engineer.
• Using generic AV or robotics language without mentioning MPDM or May Mobility's specific approach.
• Ignoring the remote nature of the role or failing to address how you would work with a team based in Ann Arbor.