Technical Program Manager, Product Design

Sesame AI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Health, vision, dental benefits

Unlimited PTO

Medical FSA

Employee Stock Options

Job summary

Sesame is seeking a Product Design TPM to own the mechanical side of a wearable device project. You will manage enclosures, materials, finishes, mechanisms, tooling and accessories across EVT through PVT, coordinating with design, manufacturing and suppliers.

You will lead change control, schedule maintenance, and drive build readiness while balancing cost and schedule pressures on a fast-paced startup. Travel up to 25% is expected.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of hardware program management or mechanical/product design engineering in consumer electronics.
• Hands-on experience releasing mechanical parts through EVT/DVT/PVT or equivalent.
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing processes and tolerance/DFM validation.

Responsibilities

• Own the Product Design program schedule from concept through EVT, DVT and PVT, including part release, tooling kickoff, first-shots, validation and phase exit criteria.
• Run the PD release and change-control process: every part has a release date, an owner and a status in our PLM tool.
• Program-manage styles, colors and materials: cosmetic material qualification, color development, SKU rollout planning.
• Coordinate design validation and reliability testing for mechanical parts, and own closure of design-review action items.
• Manage tooling, materials, cosmetic-part and packaging suppliers: quotes, POs, sample requests, tooling timelines and delivery schedules.
• Plan mechanical materials and build matrices for prototype builds, and lead mechanical build readiness across factory sites.
• Run failure analysis triage for mechanical and cosmetic issues: every issue has an owner, a due date and a path to closure.
• Maintain the Product Design section of the program's master issues list and weekly status, aligned with area leads.
• Travel to contract manufacturer and supplier sites for builds, tooling reviews and validation as needed.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering

Hardware program management

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

PLM tools

Job description

About Sesame

Sesame believes in a future where computers are lifelike - with the ability to see, hear, and collaborate with us in ways that feel natural and human. With this vision, we're designing a new kind of computer, focused on making voice agents part of our daily lives. Our team brings together founders from Oculus and Ubiquity6, alongside proven leaders from Meta, Google, and Apple, with deep expertise spanning hardware and software. Join us in shaping a future where computers truly come alive.

About the Role

Sesame is integrating a complex sensing and computing system into a compact wearable that has to be light, comfortable and attractive, and available in many styles and colors. The Product Design TPM owns the program plan for the mechanical side of that product: enclosures and cosmetic parts, materials and finishes, mechanisms, packaging and accessories. You will carry hundreds of mechanical parts through design release, tooling, validation and factory builds, working with our Product Design, Industrial Design, Manufacturing and Operations teams and with our contract manufacturers and tooling and materials suppliers.

The ideal candidate has a mechanical or product design engineering background, has run part release and tooling for a consumer product through EVT, DVT and PVT, and knows how to keep design change under control when the schedule is tight and the design is still moving. You are comfortable telling a designer or an executive what a change will cost in weeks and dollars, and then building the plan that makes it happen.

We are a small team working on very ambitious projects. In a fast-paced startup, everyone must be comfortable, collaborative, decisive, and able to achieve results with limited supervision.

Responsibilities:

• Own the Product Design program schedule from concept through EVT, DVT and PVT, including part release, tooling kickoff, first-shots, validation and phase exit criteria.
• Run the PD release and change-control process: every part has a release date, an owner and a status in our PLM tool.
• Program-manage styles, colors and materials: cosmetic material qualification, color development, SKU rollout planning.
• Coordinate design validation and reliability testing for mechanical parts, and own closure of design-review action items.
• Manage tooling, materials, cosmetic-part and packaging suppliers: quotes, POs, sample requests, tooling timelines and delivery schedules.
• Plan mechanical materials and build matrices for prototype builds, and lead mechanical build readiness across factory sites.
• Run failure analysis triage for mechanical and cosmetic issues: every issue has an owner, a due date and a path to closure.
• Maintain the Product Design section of the program's master issues list and weekly status, aligned with area leads.
• Travel to contract manufacturer and supplier sites for builds, tooling reviews and validation as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience in hardware program management or mechanical/product design engineering of consumer electronics, with at least 2 years managing programs.
• Hands-on experience releasing mechanical parts and taking them through tooling and prototype builds (EVT/DVT/PVT or equivalent).
• Working knowledge of high-volume manufacturing processes (injection molding, machining, stamping, cosmetic finishing) and tolerance, DFM and validation practices.
• Direct experience managing tooling, materials or fabrication suppliers, including quotes, POs, samples and schedules.
• Experience running change control and part release in a PLM tool.
• Strong written communication; able to run a program with clear plans, decision logs and status updates.
• Ability to travel internationally, up to 25%.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with wearables or other products with heavy industrial design and cosmetic constraints.
• Experience with premium cosmetic materials and finishes and their supply chains.
• Experience managing many SKUs, colors or configurations through a single program.
• Experience with packaging or accessories programs.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers.
• Experience with Linear, Arena or similar issue and PLM tools.
• Startup experience, or ownership of new product programs at a large company.

Sesame is committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. We welcome all qualified applicants, embracing diversity in race, gender, identity, orientation, ability, and more. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Contact [e-mail] for assistance.

Full-time Employee Benefits:

• 401 (k) max employer match: 3.5% of compensation
• 100% employer-paid health, vision, and dental benefits for you and your dependents
• Unlimited PTO and sick time
• Flexible spending account with employer matching up to $1,650/year (medical FSA)
• Guardian Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Opportunity to share in the company's success with competitive stock options

Benefits do not apply to contingent/contract workers.