Program Director - Technical Partnerships

Apptronik•Austin, TX

26d

About The Position

Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years, dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces, and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion, creativity, and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products. You will join a team developing state-of-the-art general-purpose robots designed to operate in human spaces and with human tools. It is designed to work alongside humans, mobilize to human spaces, and manipulate the world around it. Role Summary The Program Director – Technical Partnerships is responsible for leading Apptronik’s most important technical development partnerships. This role is the central point of coordination between Apptronik’s engineering and product teams and our partners’ technical teams. You will own the joint technical roadmap, align workstreams and deliverables across both organizations, and ensure that interface definitions, models, data, and hardware/software integrations land on time and at the right level of quality. You will translate executive intent into concrete technical plans and keep the entire partnership on track toward shared milestones.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in program management, technical partnerships, or product development leadership in a technology environment.
Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs or co-development efforts with external partners or customers.
Engineering background with strong technical fluency in at least one relevant domain (e.g., robotics, autonomous systems, AI/ML, complex hardware–software systems) and the ability to engage credibly with senior engineers and researchers.
Proven ability to turn high-level strategic objectives into structured plans, with clear milestones, owners, and measurable outcomes.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing and presenting updates to VP/C-level audiences.
Strong relationship-building skills and a track record of effectively influencing without direct authority across functions and organizations.
Highly organized, with excellent follow-through and attention to detail in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in robotics, autonomous systems, AI/ML, or other deep tech industries.
Prior ownership of strategic technical partnerships with major technology companies or research labs.
Experience in a high-growth startup environment, building or scaling program/partnership mechanisms.
Familiarity with simulation-driven development, data pipelines, or large-scale system integration programs.

Responsibilities

Partnership Strategy and Roadmapping
Develop and maintain the long-term technical strategy and multi-year roadmap for key partnership, in collaboration with Apptronik and partner leadership.
Translate high-level business and product goals into clear joint technical workstreams, milestones, and success criteria.
Ensure that partnership plans are aligned with Apptronik’s product roadmap and internal plans of record.
Technical Alignment and Execution
Drive alignment between Apptronik and partner engineering teams on architectures, APIs, data requirements, simulation environments, hardware interfaces, and integration points.
Coordinate joint technical reviews (e.g., architecture, integration, performance) as appropriate, and ensure decisions are captured, communicated, and executed.
Track progress against technical deliverables and integration milestones on both sides, and intervene early when things drift.
Program Governance and Communication
Define and run the governance model for the partnership, including meeting cadences, decision forums, and communication channels.
Serve as the primary program contact for partner technical and program leadership, ensuring a single, coherent view of status, risks, and decisions.
Prepare clear, concise updates and narratives for internal and partner executives, including quarterly reviews and steering committee meetings.
Risk, Dependency, and Resource Management
Proactively identify technical, schedule, and organizational risks; drive mitigation plans with accountable owners in both organizations.
Make cross-team and cross-company dependencies explicit and ensure they are tracked, owned, and de-risked.
Work with functional leaders to ensure appropriate resources are allocated to meet joint commitments and critical milestones.