Technical Program Manager (Engineering Project Lead)

Seek Thermal; Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Performance incentives

Job summary

Seek Thermal is seeking a Technical Program Manager (Engineering Project Lead) to own the technical critical path of new-product programs, coordinating electrical, mechanical, software/firmware, optics, and systems from concept to production.

You will report to the SVP of Engineering and drive design decisions, risk mitigation, and verification, ensuring milestones are met for LWIR thermal imaging products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical/Software/Mechatronics or related field.
• 5+ years of engineering experience, incl. 2+ years owning tech critical path of embedded HW/SW.
• Must be a U.S. Person per ITAR/EAR export control.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical critical path of NPD programs through gates.
• Ensure design outputs and reviews are complete and defensible.
• Document technical trade-offs with cross-functional approval.
• Identify risks and drive mitigation across the program.
• Assign tasks and manage status with program management.
• Drive root-cause and corrective action when failures threaten milestones.
• Ensure PRD requirements are testable and verifications defined.
• Provide technical deliverables for supplier engagements and represent engineering.

Skills

Embedded systems

Quality processes

Phase-gate

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Tools

Jira

SmartSheets

Job description

Company Description

Join Seek Thermal – See the Unseen. Shape What’s Next.

This is not a remote position

At Seek Thermal, we’re changing the way the world sees heat. Our innovative thermal imaging technology brings visibility to the unseen, empowering professionals and consumers to measure, detect, and visualize heat — transforming how people work, protect, and explore.

Company Description

Join Seek Thermal – See the Unseen. Shape What’s Next.

This is not a remote position

At Seek Thermal, we’re changing the way the world sees heat. Our innovative thermal imaging technology brings visibility to the unseen, empowering professionals and consumers to measure, detect, and visualize heat — transforming how people work, protect, and explore.

Our products and OEM solutions are trusted by some of the most innovative companies in automotive, security, consumer electronics, and industrial markets. From safety to automation to smart sensing, Seek Thermal technology powers the next generation of intelligent systems that make the world safer, smarter, and more connected.

But technology alone doesn’t drive change — people do. At Seek Thermal, you’ll find great teammates who collaborate, innovate, and care deeply about their work and its impact. We offer a flexible, open environment where ideas thrive, contributions are valued, and you can make a real difference every day.

If you thrive at the intersection of technology and business, and you’re energized by solving complex challenges and driving high-impact results, Seek Thermal is your next move. Join us in building products that save lives, inspire discovery, and redefine what’s possible

Job Description

SUMMARY

As a Technical Program Manager (Engineering Project Lead) at Seek Thermal, you will own the technical critical path of one or more new-product programs—the chain of design decisions, integrations, and verifications that determines whether the product works and ships. You will be accountable for design outputs, design reviews, and technical trade-offs—working alongside program management while coordinating engineering across electrical, mechanical, software/firmware, optics, and systems to bring LWIR thermal imaging products from concept through production. The Technical Program Manager (Engineering Project Lead) will report directly to the SVP of Engineering.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the technical critical path of new product development (NPD) programs through phase gates (concept through DV, PV, and production release)—know at all times which technical task gates the program, and keep the multidisciplinary team focused on it.
• Ensure design outputs and design-review materials are complete and defensible at every gate, and provide the technical readiness signal for gate sign-off.
• Make and document technical trade-offs (e.g., image quality, runtime, cost, architecture), with cross-functional approval for scope and design changes.
• Identify technical risks early, assess their critical-path impact, and drive mitigation of technical exposure across the program.
• Assign engineering tasks, drive technical status at program meetings in step with program management, and own design documentation and approvals per Seek’s design-control process.
• Drive root-cause and corrective action (8D) when sensor, manufacturing, or integration failures threaten a milestone.
• Ensure PRD requirements are testable and verification is defined before design gates; pull hardware/software integration risks off the critical path early.
• Provide technical deliverables (SOWs, specifications) for supplier engagements and represent engineering with customers, change control boards, and leadership.

SKILLS KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Hands-on embedded systems depth (e.g., RTOS debugging, multicore SoC/MPSoC platforms, I2C/SPI, MIPI CSI, hardware/software co-design) with independent technical judgment.
• Experience developing products under structured quality and development processes (e.g., functional safety, ASPICE, ISO 9001, or similar) within formal design controls.
• Fluency with phase-gate development, PRD/requirements management, DV/PV verification, 8D, RASIC, and planning tools (Jira, SmartSheets).
• Proven technical coordinator of distributed cross-functional teams and a clear communicator—holds a technical position, escalates cleanly, and commits once decided.

Preferred: thermal/IR imaging (FPA/ROIC, NUC/AGC, LWIR optics), automotive qualification, semiconductor packaging/yield analysis, Agile/Scrum leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, Physics, Optical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of engineering experience, including 2+ years owning the technical critical path of embedded hardware/software programs, with at least one shipped sensing or electro-optical product taken through production.
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual) as required by ITAR/EAR export control regulations.

Additional Information

This is not a remote position

WHY SEEK THERMAL

• Join a team defining the future of sensing technology
• Work directly with world-class OEMs solving real-world challenges
• Competitive compensation and performance-driven incentives
• Small, agile team with global reach and strong technical depth

Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident