Head of Hardware Technical Program Management

Kodiak Robotics; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-friendly work environment

401k

Generous PTO policy

Life insurance

Medical (PPO/HMO/HDHP), dental, vision

FSA plans

Dog-friendly office

Employee-driven fitness classes

Beautiful facilities in Mountain View,

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics is seeking a Head of Hardware TPM to guide program management across sensor systems, compute, electrical/mechanical integration, and vehicle platforms. You’ll own end-to-end execution from concept to fleet deployment and lead a team of three TPMs with direct reporting to the Director of Program.

You will shape the hardware program roadmap, manage gates and change processes, and partner with engineering, manufacturing, and operations to de-risk programs while maintaining strong

Qualifications

• 10+ years in technical program management with hardware focus.
• Proven ability to lead TPMs and deliver complex hardware programs.
• Strong executive communication and risk management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 3 TPMs across sensors, compute, harnessing, and vehicle integration.
• Own end-to-end hardware program roadmap, milestones, and risk tracking.
• Drive design reviews, gate reviews, and ECO/ECR processes to maintain quality.
• Partner with Hardware Eng, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Safety.

Skills

Technical Program Management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

PLM systems

Release processes

Job description

• We’re looking for a Head of Hardware TPM to lead program management across our hardware organization, spanning sensor systems, compute, electrical/mechanical integration, and vehicle-level hardware platforms
• You’ll own the end-to-end execution rigor that gets hardware from concept through validation to fleet deployment, and you’ll lead a team of 3 TPMs covering these programs
• This is a leadership role reporting directly to the Director of Program, with high visibility across Engineering, Operations, and executive leadership
• Own the hardware program roadmap: schedules, milestones, dependencies, and risk tracking across concurrent hardware programs (sensors, compute, harnessing, vehicle integration, etc.)
• Lead and grow a team of 3 TPMs, setting standards for program rigor, reporting, and cross-functional communication, and developing them as they take on increasing scope
• Partner closely with Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Safety/Compliance to de-risk programs before they become fire drills
• Drive design reviews, gate reviews, and change management processes (ECOs/ECRs) to keep programs moving without sacrificing quality
• Own escalation paths: identify blockers early, drive resolution, and know when to pull in leadership
• Create and maintain program-level visibility for executives: status reporting, risk registers, and roadmap health
• Set the strategic direction for hardware program management processes, tooling, and metrics org-wide (e.g., PLM systems, release processes)
• Represent hardware program status in cross-functional, executive, and customer-facing settings as needed
• Act as a key partner to hardware engineering leadership on org design, resourcing, and prioritization tradeoffs

Benefits

• Remote-friendly work environment
• 401k
• Generous PTO policy
• Life insurance
• Assortment of medical (PPO/HMO/HDHP), dental, vision, and FSA plans
• Family-friendly company events
• Dog-friendly office
• Employee-driven fitness classes
• Beautiful, renovated facilities in Mountain View, CA and Lancaster, TX
• Free EV charging
• Trivia and board game nights

Deep familiarity with hardware development lifecycles: DFM/DFA, EVT/DVT/PVT-style validation gates, ECO/PLM processesBonus: experience with autonomous vehicle systems, sensor hardware (lidar/radar/camera), or safety-critical hardware developmentComfortable owning ambiguous, high-stakes problems with no clean home10+ years in technical program management, with deep experience in hardware (mechanical, electrical, or systems-level), robotics, automotive, aerospace, or similar hardware-intensive industries strongly preferredProven track record shipping complex hardware systems on schedule at scale, with a bias toward identifying and killing risk earlyExcellent executive communication: able to distill complex, multi-workstream programs into clear risk/status narratives for leadership4+ years managing TPMs or program managers directly, with experience developing senior ICsHardware programs are the backbone of getting real vehicles into the real world. This role will set the direction for how hardware program management scales as the org grows, balancing speed, quality, and risk across a widening portfolio of programs