Job Description

Senior Technical Program Manager

Advanced Defense Technology - Tri-Valley Area / San Francisco - Hybrid schedule

Edison Smart is partnering with a rapidly growing, venture-backed defense technology company developing advanced hardware systems across some of the most technically demanding areas of the defense market.

We are looking for a Senior Technical Program Manager to bring structure, pace and execution discipline to highly technical R&D programs.

This is a role for someone who has progressed from an engineering background into technical program management and is comfortable working closely with engineers and senior leadership to turn complex technology roadmaps into executable programs.

You will be responsible for

• Building and managing complex program plans, schedules and dependencies
• Translating technical roadmaps into clear execution plans
• Managing program risks, opportunities and cross-functional dependencies
• Coordinating engineering, product and operational stakeholders
• Providing clear and accurate program reporting to senior leadership
• Identifying issues early and working with technical teams to develop solutions and workarounds
• Bringing structure and accountability to fast-moving R&D programs
• Supporting teams through changing requirements, technical challenges and evolving priorities

Key Requirements

• Engineering background, ideally Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
• Proven experience managing complex technical or hardware programs
• Experience within defense, aerospace or another highly regulated and technically demanding engineering environment
• Strong understanding of program execution, scheduling, risk and dependencies
• Ability to work effectively with highly technical engineering teams
• Strong communication skills and confidence reporting to senior leadership
• Demonstrated career progression and increasing responsibility
• Comfortable operating in an R&D environment where requirements and technology can evolve

We’re looking for individuals with a strong technical foundation and proven Program Management experience across highly technical product areas, such as:

Directed Energy, Electromagnetics/RF/Microwave, Antenna Systems, Pulsed Power/Solid-State Power, Photonics/ Laser Systems, advanced defense or aerospace hardware, or other cutting-edge defense R&D environments.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to join a rapidly scaling defense technology company working on technically challenging hardware programs.

You will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on how complex R&D programs are executed while helping establish processes and infrastructure that support continued growth.

Location: Texas or Northern California preferred. Remote may be considered for an exceptional candidate.

If you have a strong technical background and have built your career into increasingly senior Program Management roles within advanced defense technology, we'd be very interested in speaking with you.