Technical Program Manager

Nelson Connects; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nelson Connects is seeking a Technical Program Manager to drive the execution of engineering projects from approved scope through delivery. The TPM will maintain schedules, track risks and dependencies, and align stakeholders while leading process improvements across the department.

The role emphasizes governance, cross-functional collaboration, and driving project visibility. You will partner with Legacy Engineers, Chief Engineer, and Directors to ensure on-time, quality outcomes in hardware,

Qualifications

• 5+ years in technical program/project management across complex cross-functional technical projects.
• Hardware, electronics, embedded systems, or legacy-product experience strongly preferred.
• Strong proficiency in project scheduling, risk management, and dependency tracking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for stakeholder updates and escalation management.
• Familiarity with PM/collaboration tools (Zoho, Jira, Confluence) and quality frameworks (ISO 9001, AS9100) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, and milestones based on Technical Activity Plans (TAPs).
• Track progress, identify variances early, and adjust plans as dependencies or priorities shift.
• Maintain visibility over risks, dependencies, and blockers with clear owners and escalations.
• Own and streamline Engineering's PM tools, workflows, and templates to maximize visibility.
• Owns project management plans, TAP schedule integration, and coordination without technical ownership.
• Support staffing, resource allocation, budgets, and department performance with Directors.

Skills

Scheduling

Risk management

Dependency tracking

Communication

Stakeholder updates

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Zoho

Jira

Confluence

ISO 9001

AS9100

Job description

The Technical Program Manager (TPM) drives the execution of our client's Engineering projects from approved scope through delivery. The TPM maintains project schedules, risk/dependency tracking, and stakeholder alignment while leading project management process improvements across the department.

Core Responsibilities

• Project Planning & Schedule Control: Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, and milestones based on Technical Activity Plans (TAPs). Track progress, identify variances early, and adjust plans as dependencies or priorities shift.
• Risk & Escalation Management: Maintain visibility over risks, dependencies, and blockers. Ensure mitigation plans have clear owners, and elevate technical issues to the Chief/Legacy Engineers and staffing/priority issues to the Director of Engineering.
• Delivery Visibility & Closeout: Act as the source of truth for project status using PM tools. Report updates to stakeholders, confirm handoffs and deliverables before closure, and capture lessons learned.
• PM Capability & Process Improvement: Own and streamline Engineering's project management tools, workflows, and templates to maximize project visibility while minimizing administrative burden on engineers.
• TPM: Owns project management plans, process alignment, and TAP schedule integration. Does not make technical decisions, direct personnel, or resolve staff performance issues.
• Director of Engineering: Owns staffing, resource allocation, priorities, capacity, budgets, and overall department performance.
• Legacy Engineers: Own technical delivery, solutions, estimates, and execution.
• Chief Engineer: Owns technical authority, standards, acceptance, and technical risk oversight.
• Operational Execution Lead: Owns day-to-day operational execution within Engineering.

Key Performance Metrics

• Planning Readiness: Approved plans and TAPs are in place before commitments or work begin.
• Schedule Integrity: Schedules reflect active capacity, dependencies, and priorities.
• Risk & Dependency Control: Blockers are identified, assigned, and escalated promptly.
• Execution Visibility: Clear, real-time status in PM tools without relying on repetitive manual engineering updates.
• Closure Discipline: Complete handoffs, approvals, and open-item dispositions prior to closeout.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in technical program/project management across complex, cross-functional technical projects. Hardware, electronics, embedded systems, or legacy-product experience strongly preferred.
• Skills: Strong proficiency in project scheduling, risk management, and dependency tracking. Ability to constructively challenge engineering plans and estimates without taking technical ownership.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication for stakeholder updates and escalation management.
• Tools & Standards: Familiarity with PM/collaboration tools (Zoho, Jira, Confluence) and quality frameworks (ISO 9001, AS9100) preferred.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, a technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience preferred.