Technical Program Manager

Foundation Robotics Lab; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation Robotics Lab in San Francisco seeks a senior engineering leader to shape the vehicle program, defining product priorities and driving end-to-end development from prototype to production. You will coordinate Mechanical, Electrical, Software, AI, and Operations toward a shared vision.

You will own milestones, assess tradeoffs between performance and manufacturability, and partner with leadership to allocate resources and set strategic direction.

Qualifications

• 3 to 10+ years in hands-on engineering and technical leadership on complex products.
• Proven track record delivering hardware-electronics-software from concept to production.
• Experience with mechanical systems, motion, sensing, and closed-loop control.
• Strong decision-making, prioritization, and cross-functional collaboration.
• BS or higher in an engineering field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Shape the vision and strategy of our vehicle program with engineering leadership.
• Own end-to-end program execution from prototype to production.
• Define product requirements, performance targets, and engineering tradeoffs.
• Drive high-impact technical and business decisions balancing cost, schedule, risk.
• Lead cross-functional teams across Mechanical, Electrical, Software, AI, Operations, and Leadership.
• Resource allocation and strategy planning, including supplier strategies.
• Transition from prototype to production with milestones and manufacturing readiness.
• Collaborate with company leadership on major challenges and opportunities.

Skills

Senior engineering leadership

Hardware-electronics-software

First-principles thinking

Executive presence

Strong communication

High EQ

Education

BS or higher in engineering

Job description

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics and electric mobility with the goal to save lives and augment human labor.

Our mission is to create an autonomous, crewless ATV built to be truly all-terrain. Designed for commercial and defense use, it can save lives and take on heavy transport across mining, agriculture, construction, and more.

We’re looking for people with solid industry experience that also have the ability to take a step back and innovate.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work .Why You Should Join

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to Happen Yesterday
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.

The Role:

• Shape the vision and strategy of our vehicle program, working directly with engineering leadership to define product priorities, technical roadmaps, and long-term development goals.
• Own end-to-end program execution, from early prototype development through production, with the authority to drive priorities, resolve blockers, and influence critical decisions.
• Help define what we build, not just how we build it, contributing to product requirements, performance targets, engineering tradeoffs, and strategic direction.
• Drive high-impact technical and business decisions, balancing performance, cost, schedule, risk, and manufacturability to determine the best path forward.
• Lead cross-functional execution across Mechanical, Electrical, Software, AI, Operations, and Leadership, aligning teams around a shared vision and measurable outcomes.
• Play a central role in resource allocation and strategic planning, influencing engineering investments, development priorities, supplier strategies, and build-versus-buy decisions.
• Own the transition from prototype to production, defining development milestones, validation strategies, manufacturing readiness, and the processes required to scale.
• Work directly with company leadership on the program's biggest challenges, with the autonomy to identify opportunities, propose solutions, and drive meaningful organizational change.

What Kind of person are we looking for

• 3 (minimum for Senior) to 10+ years spanning hands-on engineering and technical leadership (TPM, engineering management, or equivalent) on complex multidisciplinary products.
• Proven track record delivering integrated hardware-electronics-software systems from concept through manufacturing release.
• Strong technical fluency grounded in real build experience — able to recognize when a decision requires more rigor vs when to move fast.
• First-principles thinking with sound instincts for strategic tradeoffs (e.g., buy vs. build, specialization vs. generalization).
• Experience with mechanical systems involving motion, kinematics, sensing, and closed-loop control, and software for embedded or hardware-adjacent systems.Strong bias for ownership and clarity in ambiguous environments.
• Experience with iterative, incremental hardware development in fast-moving or startup contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to structure ambiguous programs — breaking them down into fundamental components, dependencies, and a fast cycle-time execution model.
• Strong executive presence and communication — trusted by both technical teams and leadership.
• High EQ and sound judgment navigating complex people dynamics across technical organizations.
• BS or higher in relevant engineering field, or equivalent experience
• Experience driving reliability growth, scaling readiness, and manufacturing release processes.

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits. Salary

The annual compensation is expected to be between $150,000 - $280,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.