Head of Program & Product Management

ENSURGE • San Jose, CA

15d • Onsite

About The Position

Ensurge is seeking a Head of Program & Product Management, reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, to lead program and product management across all solid-state microbattery platforms from early concept through industrialization and production. This role builds, leads, and scales the team responsible for product definition, program execution, governance, risk management, schedules, roadmaps, budgets, and executive reporting across all product platforms. The ideal candidate has deep experience across these disciplines, including leading high-risk, hardware-intensive programs; translating market and customer requirements into clear technical specifications; and driving cross-functional execution across R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial teams, as well as with external partners and customers. This leader will also manage cross-functional execution with other departments and external parties, including vendors and customers, to optimize outcomes. This individual will serve as a leader and mentor to senior program staff, and further recruit, onboard, and develop a high-performing team of program and project managers. The ideal candidate understands and manages technical programs and works cross-functionally to identify potential setbacks and solutions early, keeping Ensurge at the leading edge of solid-state microbattery technology.

Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in engineering or other technical discipline(s), including materials science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering
• 8-10+ years of experience in program management of highly technical products and customers
• Proven experience building, leading, and mentoring high-performing teams with deep technical understanding
• Expert-level proficiency in all related design and technical tools (from CAD and simulation to the Microsoft suite)
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical topics to executive leadership, customers, and board-level stakeholders
• Located in, or willing to regularly work on-site in, the San Jose area

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degrees (MS, PhD) in relevant engineering discipline(s)
• Experience with thin-film, microbatteries, and/or solid-state battery technology
• Direct experience leading program management for technical products from early development through industrialization and production map

Responsibilities

• Define scope & objectives: lead the creation of program goals, target markets, success metrics, and scope of product features for Phase‑Gate reviews and roadmap alignment. Align with leadership and cascade to the full team
• Roles & governance: designate Leads for Program and Product Management and develop decision authorities, meeting cadences, and escalation paths for timely approvals
• Phase-gate deliverables & acceptance criteria: Establish and govern Phase-Gate deliverables, explicit entry/exit criteria, readiness metrics, and review timelines from concept through production ramp
• DOE planning & execution: define and govern design of experiments and validation strategies, including protocol ownership, data integrity, facilities usage, and reporting
• Resource & budget commitments: lead development of staffing, equipment, budget contributions, cost share, and contingency funding for each phase
• Risk management & change control: Design and operate program governance frameworks, including decision authorities, operating cadence, and escalation paths. Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, schedule, manufacturing, and commercial risks early. Own change-control processes for scope, timeline, and requirement changes with clear impact assessments
• Roadmap integration & partner coordination: Lead the definition and ongoing refinement of product roadmaps aligned with company strategy, technology readiness, and market timing. Integrate internal development plans and external partner inputs into roadmap prioritization, release planning, and joint go-to-market execution
• Performance metrics & reporting: Define and track program-level and company-wide KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting cadences.
• Exit & post‑project terms: conditions for termination, handover, ongoing support and/or maintenance, and commercialization/licensing arrangements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager