NPI Technical Program Manager

Physical Intelligence

$120K — $145K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field, essential for credibility in hardware shipping.
  • 3+ years in operations, supply chain, or engineering program management, highlighting experience in cross-functional settings.
  • Strong organizational skills with a track record of process improvements in fast-paced environments.
  • Proficient with operational tools including Notion, Linear, and Excel for effective project management.
  • Exceptional communication skills, capable of conveying technical details to both specialized and executive audiences.
  • Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to engage with vendors and contract manufacturers.
  • Experience in R&D operations or robotics, adding value to complex technical environments.

Responsibilities

  • Drive program schedules and timelines in partnership with platform leads and engineering teams.
  • Manage build planning and coordinate production for hardware platforms from inception to fleet hand-off.
  • Oversee material forecasting and Clear-to-Build analysis to maintain honest build schedules and visible risks.
  • Facilitate hardware staging and acceptance hand-offs to ensure smooth fleet integration.
  • Coordinate the arrival and tracking of COTS hardware from global vendors, including handling modifications.
  • Run logistics readiness and troubleshoot component arrivals, ensuring no blockers impact timelines.
  • Channel requests for custom hardware through internal and external production resources.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to collaborate directly with leading engineering teams in a cutting-edge robotics environment.
  • Chance to influence and implement process improvements in hardware production and logistics.
  • Exposure to international vendors and networking opportunities in the supply chain sector.
  • Direct impact on R&D programs, contributing to advancements in robotics and hardware technology.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a driven and resourceful Technical Program Manager to lead the charge on bringing our robot platforms online. This is your opportunity to sit at the heart of the action and make the next generation of hardware systems ready for researchers and deployments.

You'll own the end-to-end program execution, including but not limited to development schedules, risk mitigation, build matrix management, material forecasting and planning, Clear-to-Build (CTB) analysis, logistics readiness and troubleshooting, vendor follow-up, and configuration management across our hardware programs. You'll partner closely with hardware engineering, supply chain, build, fab, and fleet integration to communicate changes, analyze risk, and execute complex build plans in support of fast-moving research and deployment timelines.

In this role you will
  • Partner with Platform leads and the engineering team to drive program schedule, timelines and execution end to end.
  • Own build planning and production coordination for hardware platforms from part / tooling kickoff through production output to fleet hand-off.
  • Drive material forecasting, Clear-to-Build (CTB) analysis, dashboards, and readiness reporting to keep build schedules honest and risks visible.
  • Manage hardware staging and acceptance hand-offs to the fleet integration team.
  • Coordinate arrival of COTS hardware from global vendors, including modifications for repair, allocation, tracking, replenishment, and end-of-life management.
  • Run logistics readiness and troubleshooting for incoming components, and chase down the missing 2% before it becomes a blocker.
  • Route custom hardware requests across internal build and fabrication space and external vendors.
  • Partner with supply chain and procurement on vendor follow-up, lead-time management, and risk mitigation on long-lead and single-source parts.
  • Identify and implement process improvements in how PI plans, builds, and ships hardware as the program scales.

What we hope you'll bring
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field. Experience with shipping hardware is required.
  • 3+ years of experience in operations, supply chain, manufacturing program support, or engineering program management, including cross-functional and vendor engagement.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with a proven ability to drive process improvements and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Proficiency with operational tools such as Notion, Linear, Excel, project trackers, and procurement, ticketing, or workflow systems.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication. Able to translate engineering detail into clear status updates for both technical and executive audiences.
  • Willing to travel domestically and occasionally internationally to vendors and contract manufacturers.
  • Experience in R&D operations, robotics, or other technical environments with complex procurement, NPI, or capitalization requirements.
  • Familiarity with electromechanical systems, PCBA, machined parts, or robotics hardware.
  • Direct experience with build planning, BOM management, Clear-to-Build analysis, or material readiness for hardware programs.
  • Hands-on bias: a willingness to spend time on the build floor working alongside technicians and engineers.
  • Ability to identify and implement process improvements using data and cross-functional input.
  • Familiarity with ERP/MRP, PLM, or production tracking tools.

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