Principal Product Engineering Program Manager

Monarch Quantum; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401(k) with 4% employer matching

20 PTO days per year

13 holidays per year

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum is seeking a Principal Product Engineering Program Manager in San Diego to lead cross-functional hardware development programs across mechanical, electrical, module, photonics, software and firmware disciplines.

You will own scope, schedule, and budget for photonics hardware, identify and unblock risks, and partner with supply chain and vendors to ensure on-time delivery. Competitive salary with strong benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering; PhD preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of hardware project engineering or hardware engineering product management experience.
• Startup hardware development experience is a plus.
• Fluency across mechanical, electrical, software, and firmware disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Leads cross-functional engineering development programs spanning mechanical, electrical, module, photonics systems, software, and firmware teams, driving day-to-day execution.
• Maintains the scope, schedule, and budget for photonics hardware development activities.
• Identifies risks and unblocks engineering teams to ensure projects stay on schedule and budget.
• Partners with supply chain to track long-lead items, part availability, and vendor commitments against the build schedule.
• Manages matrixed technical team and vendors through bottlenecks and changes, ensuring productivity and focus.
• Provides technical, logistical and problem-solving leadership and defines best engineering program management practices.
• Drives execution per defined processes and defends milestones: requirements, design and test readiness reviews, integration and test events, test reports, installation and support.

Skills

Hardware program leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Independent execution

Contract manufacturing collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

PhD preferred

Job description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Product Engineering Program Manager. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. This role sits on the Reliability Engineering and Product team. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Leads cross-functional engineering development programs spanning mechanical, electrical, module, photonics systems, software, and firmware teams, driving day-to-day execution.
• Maintains the scope, schedule, and budget for photonics hardware development activities.
• Identifies risks and unblocks engineering teams to ensure projects remain on schedule and budget.
• Partners well with supply chain, tracking long-lead items, part availability, and vendor commitments against the build schedule. Works directly with vendors and supply chain team members to ensure on-time delivery.
• Manages matrixed technical team and vendors through schedule bottlenecks, uncertainty, lack of information and sudden changes, while screening team from external turbulence and assuring productivity and focus on success.
• Provides technical, logistical and problem-solving leadership, develops and employs best engineering program management practices. Anticipates risks and identifies opportunities.
• Responsible for project execution per internally and customer defined processes, reaching, documenting and defending project milestones: requirement, design and test readiness reviews, integration and test events, test reports, installation and support activities.

• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering field (PhD preferred)
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in hardware project engineering or hardware engineering product management.
• Experience in a hardware development startup environment is a plus.

Skills:

• Proven record of successfully leading a hardware development project using structured development process.
• Fluency driving actions across mechanical, electrical, software, and firmware disciplines.
• Ability to execute projects independently or in partnership with third party contract manufacturers.

Startup Mindset:

• You'recreative, flexible, and eager to wear multiple hats.
• You'repassionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

The expected annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000.

As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
• 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
• 13 paid company holidays
• 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.