Senior Technical Program Manager, Robotics San Francisco, CA Apply →

Scale AI, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,800 - 226,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, dental, vision

Retirement benefits

Learning & development stipend

Generous PTO

Commuter stipend

Job summary

Scale AI, Inc. is seeking a seasoned Technical Program Manager to join the Physical AI team as the first TPM bridging Engineering and Operations.

You will drive cross-functional alignment from design through large-scale production and own the lifecycle of complex programs. Ideal candidates have 5+ years in TPM/PM/lead engineering roles, a Bachelor's in Engineering/Robotics/CS, and a strong ability to translate technical constraints into operational plans while thriving in ambiguity.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a TPM, Product Manager, or Lead Engineer managing complex, deeply technical programs.
• Demonstrated success managing programs spanning engineering/R&D and operational environments.
• Exceptional ability to navigate ambiguity, build structure, and influence senior stakeholders without formal authority.
• Strong technical literacy enabling participation in architecture reviews and evaluating trade-offs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional alignment between Engineering, Operations, Solutions, Product, GTM, and other stakeholders with clear milestones and ownership.
• Own end-to-end program lifecycle: scope, schedules, dependencies, risk mitigation, and on-time delivery.
• Create and maintain a single source of truth for program status; produce executive updates and documentation.
• Navigate ambiguity and proactively chart paths, making decisions with incomplete data and building structure where needed.
• Operate hands-on—manage hardware release schedules, run sprint planning, and audit data to resolve critical issues.
• Design scalable frameworks and communication cadences to optimize Eng and Ops collaboration.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Program lifecycle management

Communication & visibility

Navigating ambiguity

Tactical execution

Process establishment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science

Job description

Scale AI is the data engine for the entire AI industry. Our mission is to accelerate the development of AI applications by providing organizations with the high-quality data they need. The Physical AI team at Scale is focused on the next frontier: building general AI that can reason and act in the physical world. By leveraging Scale’s massive data infrastructure, we are helping frontier labs build Foundation Models for Physical AI that will redefine the future of automation.

We are seeking a seasoned, highly collaborative Technical Program Manager (TPM) to serve as the critical bridge between our Engineering and Operations organizations. In this high-impact individual contributor role, you will be the first TPM dedicated to driving cross-functional alignment from initial system design through to large scale production. As the connective tissue between engineering teams and global operations, you will own the lifecycle of complex, multidisciplinary programs. You are someone who thrives in ambiguity, speaks fluent "eng" and "ops," and can seamlessly translate technical constraints into operational realities (and vice versa).

You will:

• Cross-Functional Program Leadership: Serve as the primary driver of alignment between all major stakeholder groups (Engineering, Operations, Solutions, Product, GTM, etc.), ensuring shared milestones, OKRs, and clear ownership.
• Program Lifecycle Management: End-to-end ownership of complex programs. Define program scope, build comprehensive schedules, manage dependencies, and aggressively mitigate risks to ensure on-time delivery.
• Communication & Visibility: Establish a single source of truth for program status. Author clear program documentation, maintain schedules, and provide regular, high-impact updates to executive leadership.
• Navigating Ambiguity & Pathfinding: Thrive in a highly fluid, rapidly evolving environment. As the first cross-functional TPM in this space, you will frequently face ill-defined problems, shifting priorities, and missing processes. You are expected to proactively chart a path forward, make sound decisions with incomplete data, and establish structure where none exists.
• Tactical Execution & Grit: Operate with a deep, hands-on approach. You are not just a high-level coordinator; you are willing to roll up your sleeves and dive into the details—whether that means managing hardware release schedules, running sprint planning meetings, or manually auditing data to solve a critical issue.
• Process Establishment: Design and implement scalable frameworks, tools, and communication cadences to optimize how our Eng and Ops teams collaborate.

Ideally you'd have:

• Experience: 5+ years of experience as a TPM, Product Manager, or Lead Engineer managing complex, deeply technical programs.
• Cross-Functional Mastery: Demonstrated success managing programs that span both engineering / R&D and operational environments.
• Problem Solving: Exceptional ability to navigate ambiguity, build structure out of chaos, and influence senior stakeholders without formal authority.
• Technical Literacy: Strong technical foundation allowing you to actively participate in architecture reviews and credibly challenge/evaluate technical trade-offs with both HW and SW engineers.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical field.

Nice to haves:

• Robotics Domain Expertise: Proven track record delivering complex robotics, mechatronics, autonomous vehicles, or hardware-software integrated systems from concept to production.
• Generative AI Experience: Experience working with large language models (LLMs) and/or vision-language models (VLMs).
• Agile & Waterfall: Deep familiarity with both Agile/Scrum and Waterfall methodologies, and the ability to hybridize them effectively.
• Education: Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• Certification: PMP certification or equivalent.

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.

Please reference the job posting's subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the locations of San Francisco, New York, Seattle is:

$180,800 — $226,000 USD

PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.

About Us:

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.

We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.

We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.

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