Engineering Program Manager - Robotics

Watney Robotics Inc; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Watney Robotics Inc in San Francisco is seeking an Engineering Program Manager to own hardware programs that teach our robots new tasks. You will define schedules, budgets, and cross-functional delivery from first build to validation, shaping how we scale robotics hardware.

You’ll work directly with hardware engineers, earn their trust, and grow into owning robot build and manufacturing programs as needs arise. This is a 0-to-1, hands-on leadership role.

Qualifications

• Owns hardware programs from 0-to-1 cycles at scale.
• Able to earn trust with engineers without designing hardware.
• Has proven experience translating big-company practices to smaller teams.

Responsibilities

• Own schedule, budget, and cross-functional delivery for hardware programs.
• Take a program from first build to validated with no existing process.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to understand needs while guiding the work.
• Grow to own robot build and manufacturing programs as needed.

Skills

Hardware program management

Cross-functional coordination

Budget management

Tools

Scheduling software

Budget tracking tools

Job description

Our Mission

Expand human ambition in the physical world.

Critical infrastructure is constrained by labor shortages, hazardous working conditions, and operational complexity. Watney builds and deploys autonomous robotic systems that increase the speed and capacity of buildout, starting with data centers.

About The Role

At Watney, the Engineering Program Manager owns the hardware programs that teach our robots new tasks - the fixtures and rigs that generate the training data behind robot autonomy.

This is a 0-to-1 role, and every program you run touches the robot itself. You build the schedule, the budget, and the cross-functional coordination starting with the first task.

What You'll Do

• Own schedule, budget, and cross-functional delivery for the hardware programs that teach robots new tasks.
• Take a program from first build to validated, with no existing process to lean on.
• Work directly with the engineers designing and building the hardware - enough to earn their respect, not to do their job.
• Grow into owning robot build and manufacturing programs as they need one.

You May Be a Good Fit If You

• Have run a hardware program at a large company through at least one 0-to-1 cycle.
• Are technical enough that engineers trust your calls, without needing to design the hardware yourself.
• Took what a big company taught you and proved it at a small one.
• Are comfortable owning a program before anyone has defined what "done" looks like.

We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive team. At Watney Robotics, we welcome people of all backgrounds and identities, and we make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential. If you’re passionate about robotics but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply!