Program Manager, Vehicle Manufacturing
Operations
Garden Grove, CA, USA
USD 120k-150k / year + Equity
Posted on Aug 12, 2026
About Harbinger
Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best-in-class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first-of-its-kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium-duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.
Role Overview
The Program Manager, Vehicle Manufacturing serves as the technical liaison between upfitters and the Harbinger Engineering team for both the Step Van and Low Cab Forward product lines. This role requires strong 3D modeling expertise, prior automotive Design Release Engineer (DRE) experience, and proficiency in program management and quality management principles.
This person will work onsite at Harbinger headquarters in Garden Grove, California.
Key Responsibilities
CAD Modeling and Integration
- Import and integrate body CAD models with Harbinger’s chassis CAD within Harbinger’s CATIA environment..
- Prepare and securely export CAD data for external release by sanitizing proprietary and intellectual property content..
- Analyze upfitter body specifications and translate them into chassis engineering requirements..
- Maintain a library of 2D drawings with critical dimensions to support logistics operations..
- Perform packaging studies to integrate upfitter-specific devices, such as liftgates, ePTOs, and battery boxes..
Documentation and Configuration Management
- Define and maintain approved upfit configurations, compatibility guidelines, and best practices..
- Coordinate design changes with upfitters when updates affect body or upfit integration..
- Maintain traceability records documenting “clean points” when chassis or body design changes are implemented..
- Drive continuous improvement of the Stripped Chassis Body Builder Guide by incorporating technical feedback and lessons learned..
- Develop configuration rules, constraints, and documentation to guide quoting and ordering..
Program Management and Continuous Improvement
- Coordinate cross-functional timelines, deliverables, and dependencies to support successful upfitter integration and vehicle delivery..
- Partner with manufacturing and ERP teams to ensure chassis build configurations align with intended body specifications and upfit requirements..
- Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement..
- Recommend standardized solutions that improve upfitter efficiency and operational consistency..
Qualifications
Required
- 3+ years of experience in solid modeling..
- Proficiency in CATIA; CATIA V6 experience preferred..
- Prior automotive Design Release Engineer (DRE) experience..
- Program management experience, including managing timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional stakeholders..
- Knowledge of stripped chassis architecture and upfit integration processes..
- Familiarity with quality management principles..
- Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with external upfitters and partners..
- Ability to translate technical requirements into clear customer-facing guidance..
- Strong project management and stakeholder coordination skills..
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills..
- Willingness to travel approximately 20%..
Preferred
- Experience in the medium- or heavy-duty vehicle segment, particularly DRE or program management experience with medium-duty vehicles..
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, or with Google Sheets..
- Experience with electric vehicles, alternative powertrains, or emerging mobility platforms..
- Familiarity with vehicle integration, electrical systems, weight distribution, and load constraints..
- Experience building standardized product or configuration frameworks..
- Prior experience supporting enterprise or fleet customers..
What Success Looks Like
- Successful upfitter execution that ensures completed vehicles are delivered on time and meet Harbinger Motors’ quality standards..
- Standardized processes that streamline operations, improve productivity, and reduce execution time, particularly for sharing CAD externally..
- Fewer engineering escalations through well-defined upfitter integration requirements..
Key Benefits & Perks:
- Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) – 100% employee covered
- Early-stage Stock Options
- Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA)
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave
- Annual Vacation Bonus
- Wellness & Fertility Benefits
- Cell Phone Stipend
- Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens
California Pay Range
$120,000—$150,000 USD
Equal Opportunity
Harbinger is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Harbinger is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at info@harbingermotors.com.
Candidate Data Privacy
Harbinger may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Harbinger may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.
Harbinger may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our HR, legal, and finance teams, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Harbinger affiliates; and (iii) Harbinger’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.
Harbinger may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.
Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services. Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted in response to our job posting shall be considered the property of Harbinger and are not subject to payment of referral or placement fees if any such candidate is later hired by Harbinger unless you have a signed written agreement in place with us which covers the applicable job posting.