Technical Program Manager - Electric Marine & Autonomy

Motive Workforce; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Motive Workforce seeks a Technical Program Manager to lead electric marine, autonomy, and defense programs from concept through prototype builds, testing, demonstrations, and delivery. This is a full-time onsite role in Southeast Michigan with travel up to 50%.

You will own the integrated program plan while coordinating engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, suppliers, customers, and government partners across propulsion, battery, controls, autonomy, and mission systems.

Qualifications

• 6+ years leading complex hardware and software programs.
• Experience with electric propulsion, battery systems, vehicle controls, autonomy, robotics, marine, or defense platforms.
• Experience delivering hardware programs to government or defense customers under milestone-based agreements.
• Strong understanding of schedules, program risk, suppliers, testing, and system integration.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Lead electric marine, autonomy, and defense programs from concept through prototype, testing, demonstration, and delivery.
• Own program scope, schedules, milestones, budgets, resources, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
• Coordinate mechanical, electrical, software, autonomy, manufacturing, supply chain, and field teams.
• Drive system integration across battery systems, electric propulsion, vehicle controls, onboard networks, autonomy, navigation, and third-party payloads.
• Partner with engineering leads to define integration plans, test objectives, acceptance criteria, and readiness reviews.
• Lead prototype sprints, government test events, customer demonstrations, and milestone reviews.
• Manage government program deliverables, reporting, statements of work, milestone schedules, and supporting documentation.
• Coordinate government-furnished equipment and third-party payload integration, including interface, power, data, and configuration requirements.
• Support proposals and capture efforts for defense and government programs.
• Coordinate bench, dockside, HIL, and on-water testing.
• Maintain clear program reporting covering schedule, technical risk, test results, open issues, and required decisions.
• Support prototype builds, sea trials, customer demonstrations, and field deployments.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional coordination

Hardware & software development

Electric propulsion

Battery systems

Autonomy/robotics

Government/defense contracting

Education

Technical degree

Job description

Motive Workforce seeks a Technical Program Manager to lead electric marine, autonomy, and defense programs from concept through prototype builds, testing, demonstrations, and delivery. This is a full-time onsite role in Southeast Michigan with travel up to 50%.

You will own the integrated program plan while coordinating engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, suppliers, customers, and government partners across propulsion, battery, controls, autonomy, and mission systems.