At Sonatus, we’re driving the transformation to AI-enabled software-defined vehicles. Traditional automotive software methods can’t keep pace with consumer expectations shaped by the mobile industry—where features evolve rapidly, update seamlessly, and improve continuously. That’s why leading OEMs trust Sonatus to accelerate this shift. Our technology is already in production across more than 6 million vehicles on the road today and rapidly expanding.
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with 250+ employees worldwide, Sonatus combines the agility of a fast-growing company with the scale and impact of an established partner. Backed by strong funding and proven by global deployment, we’re solving some of the most interesting and complex challenges in the industry. Join us and help redefine what’s possible as we shape the future of mobility.
As a Staff Product Manager, you will work closely with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and ecosystem partners to understand vehicle platform constraints and evolving SDV architectures. You will collaborate with engineering, product design, and quality assurance teams to define clean abstractions, scalable interfaces, and roadmap priorities that simplify vehicle complexity for both internal teams and customers. You will also partner with sales, marketing, and customers to articulate the value of Sonatus’ vehicle abstraction approach and support successful customer adoption.
The ideal candidate brings strong technical depth across vehicle software platforms, data modeling, and service-oriented architectures, along with a practical understanding of production vehicle constraints. You are a structured problem solver, strategic thinker, and clear communicator who can balance long-term platform direction with near-term customer and product needs.
Duties and Responsibilities- Define and execute the product roadmap for the Vehicle Management System, aligning with customer needs, SDV industry trends, and Sonatus’ long-term platform strategy.
- Own the vehicle data model and abstraction strategy, enabling customers to define, map, version, and evolve vehicle signals, services, and capabilities at scale.
- Set direction and priorities for adopting/improving our adoption of automotive protocols & SDV initiatives/standards, e.g. SOVD, XCP, CAN FD, J1939 & SOAFEE, VSS.
- Partner with product managers, engineering and architecture teams to define clean interfaces and contracts between vehicle platforms, Sonatus products, and cloud services.
- Collaborate with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to understand vehicle platform variability and translate it into scalable product capabilities.
- Enable internal product teams by providing stable, reusable vehicle abstractions that reduce custom integration and accelerate feature delivery.
- Engage with sales and marketing to support product positioning, customer education, and go-to-market efforts related to Sonatus’ SDV platform capabilities.
- Stay ahead of emerging SDV trends, standards, and architectural patterns that influence vehicle data modeling, service exposure, and long-term platform evolution.
- 3–5 years of product management experience, with a focus on platform, infrastructure, or enabling systems rather than standalone end-user products.
- Strong understanding of software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures, including cloud-to-vehicle interaction models.
- Demonstrated experience defining and managing vehicle data models, abstractions, or platform interfaces used across multiple products or customers.
- Experience working with vehicle diagnostics, service-oriented access, or data pipelines from vehicle to cloud.
- Solid understanding of embedded and vehicle software lifecycles, including production, validation, and release constraints.
- Proven ability to translate complex technical systems into clear product direction, priorities, and roadmaps.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous problem spaces and bringing structure and clarity.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional and external stakeholders.
- Familiarity with emerging SDV standards and protocols, such as SOVD, XCP, CAN FD, J1939 & SOAFEE, VSS.
- Experience working with vehicle data specifications (e.g., CAN DBC, ARXML, J1939 or equivalent OEM-specific models).
- Background collaborating with OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers on vehicle platform or architecture-level initiatives.
- Experience defining APIs or service interfaces for cloud-to-vehicle communication and orchestration.
- Technical degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- Track record of contributing to products or platforms deployed in production vehicle programs.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment while balancing long-term platform strategy with near-term execution.
Benefits Offered:
- Competitive compensation and equity program
- Health care plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Flexible and Dependent Care Expense program
- Retirement plan (401k)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Unlimited paid time off per year, 14 paid holidays
- Hybrid office work arrangement/flexibility
Perk Offerings include:
- Complimentary lunches, snacks, and beverages during on-site working days
- Wellness benefit allowances (towards gym membership and fitness programs)
- Internet reimbursement
- Computer Accessory Allowance
Employee Engagement Offerings:
- Departmental team building and outings
- Employee Referral Program
- Culture/Employee Satisfaction Surveys - Feedback matters!
The posted salary range is a general guideline and represents a good faith estimate of what Sonatus ("Company") could reasonably expect to pay for a base salary for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. The Company reserves the right to modify this range in the future, as needed, as market conditions change.
