Hardware Operations Program Manager

Gritt Robotics Inc•Belmont, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Gritt Robotics is seeking a Hardware Operations Program Manager to act as the chief of staff for the hardware organization. This role is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of the team and its leads by clarifying priorities, unblocking engineers, establishing realistic schedules, maintaining a tight cadence, and ensuring timely component availability. The position also involves end-to-end ownership of procurement, including sourcing components, managing vendors, tracking purchase orders, and overseeing the final assembly, testing, and readiness of Gritt Robotics systems before shipment. This is a hands-on, on-site role for an organized and motivated individual experienced in program management, supply chain, and hardware execution.

Requirements

3–6 years of experience in technical program management, chief of staff, operations, or procurement.
Experience in a hardware, robotics, mechanical, aerospace, automotive, or manufacturing environment.
Prompt communication and follow-through on tasks.
Strong organizational skills, including maintaining task lists, schedules, vendor records, and BOMs.
Ability to read mechanical drawings and understand Bills of Materials.
Comfortable sourcing components like LiDAR or industrial cameras.
Ability to work effectively with mechanical engineers, suppliers, field deployment teams, and leadership.
Ability to remain calm and create a plan under pressure.
Strong Excel / Google Sheets skills for BOMs, cost rollups, and supplier comparisons.

Nice To Haves

Experience procuring custom machined or fabricated parts (CNC, sheet metal, weldments) alongside off-the-shelf hardware.
Familiarity sourcing sensors and compute like LiDAR, industrial cameras, NVIDIA Jetson/x86 compute modules, GPUs, automotive-grade cabling and connectors, and verifying environmental ratings.
Hands-on experience setting up or administering an ERP/MRP or PLM system at a hardware startup.
Background working with mechanical, electrical, and firmware engineers on integrated hardware systems.
Exposure to construction equipment, heavy machinery, off-highway vehicles, or field service in real-world environments.
Relevant certifications such as APICS/ASCM (CPIM, CSCP), ISM CPSM, PMP, or Lean/Six Sigma.

Responsibilities

Make the leads more effective by taking on tasks such as meeting preparation, follow-ups, status rollups, and cross-functional coordination.
Manage the day-to-day operations by maintaining clear task lists, weekly priorities, and sprint-level plans.
Own and maintain realistic timelines for each system from design freeze through field deployment, identifying and addressing schedule slippage.
Lead team cadences, including standups, reviews, and planning meetings, ensuring action items are tracked and completed.
Act as the primary point of contact for engineers needing assistance with parts, vendors, tools, or dependencies, ensuring rapid resolution.
Provide clear and honest communication to leadership regarding status, risks, and decisions needed.
Procure mechanical components, including brackets, mounts, fasteners, structural and machined parts, as well as sensors like LiDAR units, cameras, compute modules, cabling, and connectors.
Build and maintain relationships with mechanical suppliers, sensor and compute distributors, and local machine shops, negotiating terms for price, lead time, and quality.
Manage purchase orders from initiation to completion, track shipments, and maintain an accurate inventory of parts, including Bills of Materials (BOMs) for different system configurations.
Anticipate and mitigate risks associated with long-lead items such as LiDARs, industrial cameras, and compute modules by ordering early and qualifying alternatives.
Control costs by maintaining visibility into spending per system, negotiating quotes, and supporting cost-aware sourcing decisions.
Ensure every Gritt Robotics field system is correctly assembled, fully tested, and signed off before shipment, covering mechanical structure, sensors, compute, and mounting.
Oversee the testing process, including mechanical and functional tests, fitment to host equipment, sensor alignment, compute boot-up, and end-to-end checkout.
Monitor assembly quality by observing builds and identifying issues such as missing components or misalignments.
Coordinate with the deployment team to ensure systems are fully configured with necessary parts, tools, and documentation for on-site installation.
Capture and feed back issues identified during testing or deployment to improve mechanical design, sourcing, and assembly processes.