Senior Technical Program Manager II - AI

axon; Washington; Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

401(k) with employer match

Discretionary PTO

Medical, Dental, Vision

Learning & Development

Snacks in offices

Job summary

Axon is building technology that protects life by integrating AI research with hardware and cloud software. The Senior Technical Program Manager II, AI will own cross-functional AI initiatives from concept to production, spanning model development, cloud/edge deployment, and post-launch optimization.

You will lead programs in Generative AI workflows, Video Search & Automated Redaction, and On-Device Edge Vision, bridging research with mission-critical production systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a highly technical field (CS/Engineering/Math/Physics).
• 7+ years of hands-on software development experience in large-scale distributed systems as TPM/Tech Lead/PM.
• 5+ years managing complex ML programs from concept to production delivery.
• Demonstrated expertise with ML platforms and cloud model deployment (AWS, Azure or GCP).
• Excellent ability to author clear technical specifications and architectural docs for complex systems.
• Able to translate ambiguous product requirements into structured delivery plans while prioritizing in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end AI initiatives from design to deployment and post-launch evaluation.
• Lead cross-functional teams with AI Scientists, ML Engineers, PMs, and Exec Leadership to build roadmaps.
• Coordinate dependencies between AI research, cloud services, and edge devices.
• Define success metrics, create WBS, and manage executive reporting and risk reviews.
• Oversee data lifecycle: acquisition, annotation, evaluation, and vendor management.
• Mentor junior TPMs to elevate execution across the organization.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related highly technical field

Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, AI, Electrical Engineering, or related quantitative discipline

Tools

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud Platform

Job description

Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

At Axon, we're on a mission to Protect Life. We're explorers, pursuing society's most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you'll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

About the Role

At Axon, we are building technology that protects life and transforms public safety. As a Senior Technical Program Manager II, AI , you will play a pivotal role at the intersection of AI Research, Engineering, Product Management, and hardware ecosystems. You will take ownership of cross-functional AI initiatives from early concept through model development, cloud/edge deployment, and continuous post-launch optimization.

In this role, you will lead high-visibility programs spanning Generative AI workflows (Draft One, Form One), Video Search & Automated Redaction, and On-Device Edge Vision & Guardian Alerts. You will serve as a strategic technical operator-de-risking complex ML systems, scaling internal delivery mechanisms, and bridging the gap between state-of-the-art research and mission-critical production environments.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Program Ownership: Orchestrate complex, multi-team AI initiatives from design and data collection to model training, deployment, and post-launch evaluation.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with AI Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, Product Managers, and Executive Leadership to define strategic roadmaps, prioritize opportunity areas, and align delivery milestones.
• Scale Edge & Cloud Systems: Coordinate the technical dependencies between cutting-edge AI research, cloud microservices (AWS/Azure/GCP), and resource-constrained IoT/Edge devices.
• Delivery & Executive Governance: Define key success metrics, work breakdown structures, and program roadmaps. Own executive reporting and operational frameworks (MBRs, ZBB, risk reviews).
• Data Lifecycle Oversight: Manage end-to-end data strategies, including dataset acquisition, annotation pipelines, model evaluation, and third-party vendor management.
• Enablement & Mentorship: Elevate overall AI literacy across customer-facing product pillars. Coach and mentor junior TPMs to drive execution excellence across the broader organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related highly technical field.
• Core TPM Experience: 7+ years of hands-on experience in a software development organization building large-scale distributed systems as a TPM, Technical Lead, or Product/Engineering Manager.
• Machine Learning Track Record: 5+ years of dedicated experience managing complex machine learning programs from concept to production delivery.
• Cloud & Platform Mastery: Demonstrated expertise with ML platforms and cloud model deployment on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Technical Communication: Proven ability to author clear, high-quality technical specifications and architectural documentation for complex, multi-tiered systems.
• Ambiguity & Execution: Proven track record of translating highly ambiguous product requirements into structured delivery plans while managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Degree: Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Hands-on Technical Depth: Background as a former ML researcher, engineer, or engineering manager. Ability to write Python scripts to evaluate, benchmark, or triage ML model performance.
• IoT & Edge AI Experience: Direct experience deploying ML/CV models on-device (IoT/Edge) under strict power, compute, memory, and latency constraints.
• Ecosystem Expertise: Fluency with modern Deep Learning/LLM frameworks, third-party ML platforms, continuous learning loops, and AutoML systems.
• Ethical AI & Industry Presence: Deep understanding of AI safety, ethics, and model fairness. Public speaking, publications, or active contributions to the ML community are a strong plus.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work.

Location: This role is based out of our Seattle, WA office and follows a hybrid schedule. We rely on in-person collaboration and ask that team members work onsite Tuesdays through Fridays, with the flexibility to work remotely on M