Director of Program Management

Field AI•Irvine, CA

13h•$70,000 - $300,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Overview Field AI is seeking a highly experienced and execution-focused Director of Program Management to lead the end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-functional programs across our AI, robotics, and autonomy R&D organization. This role is critical to translating cutting-edge research into scalable, deployable products and platforms, ensuring alignment with company strategy, customer commitments, and technical excellence. The Head of PMO will build and lead the Project Management Office from the ground up, establishing disciplined yet agile execution across research, product, and engineering teams. This leader will partner closely with R&D, Product, Engineering, and Business leaders to drive predictable delivery in a fast-moving, innovation-driven environment. Purpose As Director of Program Management, you will lead the Project Management Office (PMO), define and scale Field AI’s program and portfolio management capabilities. You will introduce structure, visibility, and accountability across high-impact initiatives while preserving the speed and creativity required in advanced AI and robotics development. You will act as a strategic execution partner to technical and business leadership, ensuring that priorities are clear, risks are proactively managed, and critical programs deliver measurable outcomes. This role reports directly to the executive leadership. What You’ll Get To Do: Build and lead a centralized PMO overseeing portfolio management and program execution across Field AI’s R&D and product roadmap. Drive portfolio prioritization and execution planning in close partnership with R&D, Product, Engineering, and Business leadership. Lead cross-functional programs spanning research, applied AI, robotics, systems engineering, software, hardware, and deployment. Ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope, and within agreed resource constraints , while managing uncertainty inherent in advanced R&D. Establish and continuously improve project management frameworks, governance models, and execution rhythms suited for deep-tech and AI development. Introduce standardized tools, metrics, and reporting to provide leadership with clear visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, and trade-offs. Act as a strategic partner to Technical Leads and Engineering Managers to identify, surface, and mitigate technical, operational, and execution risks. Enable strong cross-site and cross-discipline collaboration , aligning teams working across research, productization, and customer delivery. Own resource planning and capacity management across the portfolio, balancing near-term delivery with long-term innovation. Communicate program status, escalations, and mitigation strategies clearly and credibly to executive stakeholders. Hire, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of program and project managers, fostering a culture of accountability, rigor, and learning. Champion a customer- and mission-driven mindset , ensuring Field AI solutions are delivered with real-world impact in mind. What You Have: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, robotics, AI, or a related technical field. 15+ years of progressive experience in program / portfolio management within technology-driven, R&D-heavy organizations. Demonstrated success leading large, complex, cross-functional programs involving software, hardware, and advanced R&D. Strong understanding of product development lifecycles in AI, robotics, autonomy, or similar deep-tech domains. Proven ability to influence senior technical and business leaders without direct authority. Experience building or scaling PMO capabilities in fast-growing or ambiguous environments . Experience managing globally distributed teams. The Extras That Set You Apart: Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or PhD) preferred. PMP, Agile, or equivalent program management certification preferred (pragmatism over bureaucracy expected). Experience operating in a top tier tech company . Familiarity with Agile, hybrid Agile-waterfall, or research-to-product transition models . Compensation and Benefits Our salary range is between ($70,000 - $300,000 annual), but we take into consideration an individual's background and experience in determining final salary; base pay offered may vary considerably depending on geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Also, while we enjoy being together on-site, we are open to exploring a hybrid or remote option. Why Join Field AI? We are solving one of the world’s most complex challenges: deploying robots in unstructured, previously unknown environments. Our Field Foundational Models™ set a new standard in perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, ensuring our approach is explainable and safe for deployment. You will have the opportunity to work with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. With a decade-long track record of deploying solutions in the field , winning DARPA challenge segments, and bringing expertise from organizations like DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise Self-Driving, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, we are set to achieve our ambitious goals. Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution To tackle such ambitious challenges, we need a team as unique as our vision — innovators who go beyond conventional methods and are eager to tackle tough, uncharted questions. We’re seeking individuals who challenge the status quo, dive into uncharted territory, and bring interdisciplinary expertise. Our team requires not only top AI talent but also exceptional software developers, engineers, product designers, field deployment experts, and communicators. We are headquartered in always-sunny Irvine, Southern California and have US based and global teammates. Join us, shape the future, and be part of a fun, close-knit team on an exciting journey! We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, robotics, AI, or a related technical field.
15+ years of progressive experience in program / portfolio management within technology-driven, R&D-heavy organizations.
Demonstrated success leading large, complex, cross-functional programs involving software, hardware, and advanced R&D.
Strong understanding of product development lifecycles in AI, robotics, autonomy, or similar deep-tech domains.
Proven ability to influence senior technical and business leaders without direct authority.
Experience building or scaling PMO capabilities in fast-growing or ambiguous environments .
Experience managing globally distributed teams.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or PhD) preferred.
PMP, Agile, or equivalent program management certification preferred (pragmatism over bureaucracy expected).
Experience operating in a top tier tech company .
Familiarity with Agile, hybrid Agile-waterfall, or research-to-product transition models .

Responsibilities

Build and lead a centralized PMO overseeing portfolio management and program execution across Field AI’s R&D and product roadmap.
Drive portfolio prioritization and execution planning in close partnership with R&D, Product, Engineering, and Business leadership.
Lead cross-functional programs spanning research, applied AI, robotics, systems engineering, software, hardware, and deployment.
Ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope, and within agreed resource constraints , while managing uncertainty inherent in advanced R&D.
Establish and continuously improve project management frameworks, governance models, and execution rhythms suited for deep-tech and AI development.
Introduce standardized tools, metrics, and reporting to provide leadership with clear visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, and trade-offs.
Act as a strategic partner to Technical Leads and Engineering Managers to identify, surface, and mitigate technical, operational, and execution risks.
Enable strong cross-site and cross-discipline collaboration , aligning teams working across research, productization, and customer delivery.
Own resource planning and capacity management across the portfolio, balancing near-term delivery with long-term innovation.
Communicate program status, escalations, and mitigation strategies clearly and credibly to executive stakeholders.
Hire, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of program and project managers, fostering a culture of accountability, rigor, and learning.
Champion a customer- and mission-driven mindset , ensuring Field AI solutions are delivered with real-world impact in mind.