Technical Program Manager (Hardware)

Quartermaster AI Inc

$90K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience
  • 5+ years in technical program/project management for hardware or embedded systems, ideally through EVT/DVT/PVT
  • Experience managing programs with contract manufacturers, including inspection and testing
  • Knowledge of hardware compliance and certification processes, and government sourcing constraints
  • Experience managing BOMs and procurement, especially regarding single-source supply risks
  • Familiarity with milestone-driven and hybrid development methodologies
  • Exceptional communication skills for bridging technical and executive communication.

Responsibilities

  • Own the full lifecycle of the hardware program from architecture freeze to field deployment
  • Build and manage an integrated master schedule with mapped dependencies
  • Drive down open items to reach design freeze and conduct lightweight design reviews
  • Manage relationships with contract manufacturers and procure long-lead components
  • Coordinate compliance and certification roadmaps to ensure timely fielding
  • Oversee engineering change processes and ensure communication of scope shifts
  • Plan new product introduction and field rollout logistics.
  • Facilitate cross-functional communication and maintain project updates.

Benefits

  • Flexible work hours with remote work options
  • Opportunities for professional development and continued education
  • Chance to work on innovative projects with a global impact.
Full Job Description
Job Description: Quartermaster is seeking a hands-on Technical Program Manager (TPM) to own execution of our hardware program - a ruggedized marine power, compute, and sensing system - from design freeze through EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp at our contract manufacturer, and fielding of hundreds of units worldwide. You'll run the hardware program day-to-day so our hardware leads stay focused on design: driving the schedule, closing open items, managing vendor and long-lead risk, and keeping compliance and manufacturability on track. You'll be the connective tissue between electrical, mechanical, firmware, manufacturing, supply chain, and field operations - tracking progress of critical builds, surfacing risks early, and forcing timely decisions. This is a high-visibility role for someone who thrives on aggressive timelines and knows which enterprise process steps to keep, compress, or cut at startup pace.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Own end-to-end planning and execution of the hardware program: architecture freeze, component selection, EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp, and field deployment
  • Build and maintain the integrated master schedule with dependency-mapped milestones and critical path across electrical, mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing tracks
  • Drive open-item burn-down to design freeze - component selections, trade decisions, and requirement gaps - and run lightweight design reviews with clear entry/exit criteria
  • Manage contract manufacturer engagement (builds, first articles, acceptance test procedures, line readiness) and long-lead component procurement across single-source supply risks
  • Coordinate the compliance and certification roadmap (IEC 60945 EMC, IP ratings, market access, TAA sourcing constraints) with engineering and test labs so certs never gate fielding
  • Run the engineering change process (ECR/ECO), ensuring scope and requirement shifts are documented, dispositioned, and communicated across teams
  • Plan new product introduction and field rollout: spares provisioning, field-service procedures, QA, coordination with logistics, and readiness reviews with global field ops teams
  • Facilitate cross-functional cadence - standups, milestone reviews, go/no-go gates - and act as primary point of contact for program status and decision timelines
  • Maintain program artifacts: schedules, risk registers, FMEAs, open-item trackers, and dashboards
  • Feed lessons learned from fielded units back into the design and manufacturing process, and align the program with company OKRs
Qualifications (Preferred):
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field (or equivalent experience)
  • 5+ years of technical program or project management experience in hardware, robotics, or embedded systems - ideally through at least one full EVT/DVT/PVT cycle into volume production
  • Proven track record running programs with contract manufacturers, including builds, first-article inspection, and acceptance testing
  • Working knowledge of hardware compliance and certification processes (EMC, ingress/environmental, regional market access) and government sourcing constraints (e.g., TAA)
  • Experience managing BOMs, long-lead procurement, and single-source supply risk
  • Strong familiarity with milestone-driven and hybrid development methodologies, and judgment about right-sizing process for a startup
  • Exceptional communication and organizational skills, translating between technical contributors and executive stakeholders
  • Experience with Linear, Notion, and Gantt/schedule tooling
  • Bonus: background in maritime, aerospace, defense, or field-deployed sensing systems; comfort with marine environmental standards (IEC 60945, IACS UR E10, IP66/67)


Work Environment:

  • This is a hybrid position with collaboration via online tools.
  • Flexible working hours with occasional deadlines requiring high availability.
  • Opportunity to work on innovative projects with a global impact.


Benefits:

  • Competitive salary
  • Flexible work hours and the option for remote work.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continued education.

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