Technical Program Manager

Technical Program Manager

This role leads hardware-focused program management for complex validation and test initiatives, with a strong emphasis on test infrastructure readiness, manufacturing-to-test coordination, and lab asset allocation. The Technical Program Manager ensures that custom test fixtures and stands are designed, fabricated, commissioned, and fully operational ahead of scheduled tests, while maintaining a single source of truth for the validation program through Jira, Confluence, and dashboards. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the scaling of advanced battery technology and support the growth of a fast-moving company with breakthrough technology and a compelling mission.

Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with the Test Infrastructure team to track the design, fabrication, and commissioning of custom test fixtures and stands.
• Ensure test stands and fixtures are fully operational, calibrated, and ready ahead of scheduled validation tests.
• Act as the primary bridge between Manufacturing and Test teams to coordinate the flow of test assets, prototype units, and components from the production floor to the lab.
• Verify that units and components are delivered on time, built to specification, and ready for validation activities.
• Lead allocation planning for high-demand lab space, custom mechanical test fixtures, and test stands to maximize utilization.
• Balance competing engineering priorities to optimize the use of limited lab and test infrastructure resources.
• Own and maintain Jira boards as the single source of truth for the validation program, ensuring data accuracy and transparency.
• Build and maintain Confluence pages and tracking dashboards to visualize real-time testing progress and test cycles.
• Highlight program blockages and testing bottlenecks for the broader engineering team using clear metrics and dashboards.
• Map and schedule validation activities in partnership with the Test Engineering team to ensure high-priority tests are completed on time.
• Coordinate test timelines with engineering leadership to align validation efforts with broader program milestones.
• Lead regular cross-functional syncs with Test Engineering Leadership, Test Infrastructure Engineers, Lab Technicians, and Production Schedulers.
• Align stakeholders on asset readiness, resource constraints, and upcoming validation needs.
• Decompose high-level engineering timelines into clear, sequential milestones using tracking tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, and Confluence.
• Track and communicate timeline dependencies, risks, and blockers across highly technical cross-functional teams.
• Maintain a strong focus on operations and infrastructure, including manufacturing build cycles, material tracking, and asset allocation strategies.
• Support continuous improvement of lab operations, test infrastructure planning, and validation workflows.
• Contribute to the scaling of battery technology programs by ensuring efficient and reliable test execution.

Essential Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related physical discipline.
• 2+ years of experience managing complex, physical hardware programs such as battery systems, automotive, aerospace, or industrial machinery.
• Experience with production scheduling, test infrastructure, or lab operations in a hardware-focused environment.
• Power-user level experience with Jira, including building filters, customizing workflows, and generating progress metrics and dashboards.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing build cycles, material tracking, and asset allocation strategies.
• Knowledge of lead times associated with assembling mechanical test rigs and related infrastructure.
• Proven track record of taking high-level engineering timelines and decomposing them into clear, sequential milestones.
• Experience using tracking tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, and Confluence for program planning and execution.
• Exceptional ability to coordinate across highly technical cross-functional teams.
• Strong skills in highlighting timeline dependencies and clearly tracking program blockers.
• Experience in hardware testing and hardware validation.
• Program management experience in engineering-heavy environments.
• Project management skills with an emphasis on execution and delivery.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a structured, cross-functional practice.

Additional Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience working with battery systems or battery-related technologies.
• Experience in automotive, aerospace, or industrial machinery programs.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies applied to hardware or mixed hardware-software programs.
• Experience building and maintaining Confluence pages for documentation and communication.
• Experience creating and managing data dashboards for real-time program visibility.
• Strong communication skills to clearly convey status, risks, and priorities to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving company environment with breakthrough technology and an ambitious mission.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a high degree of execution autonomy and ownership.

Work Environment:

This role operates in a hybrid work model, with three days per week in the office and a standard schedule of 40 hours per week. The environment is hardware-intensive, involving close collaboration with test laboratories, manufacturing operations, and engineering teams focused on battery technology and related test infrastructure. You will work with tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, Confluence, and various data dashboards to manage validation programs and coordinate lab activities. The setting is fast-paced and growth-oriented, offering the opportunity to contribute directly to the scaling of advanced battery technology and to work alongside cross-functional teams in a collaborative, mission-driven culture.

Job Type & Location:

This is a Contract position based out of Berkeley, CA.

Pay and Benefits:

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $70.00/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Application Deadline:

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 30, 2026.