Project Manager

Mesodyne•Somerville, MA

About The Position

Mesodyne is seeking a Project Manager to oversee the journey of the Mesodyne LightCell from concept and prototype toward a mature, deliverable product. This role involves owning schedules, milestones, and cross-functional coordination across R&D, engineering, manufacturing, vendor partners, and quality to ensure successful product delivery. The Project Manager will drive structure and rigor throughout the full lifecycle of a complex hardware product, from design and testing through production and delivery. This is a hands-on program management role reporting into program leadership and working closely with the CEO, CTO, CGO, Engineering Team, and Production Team.

Requirements

BS in Engineering, or a related field, with relevant experience
3+ years managing complex projects or programs, ideally new product introduction (NPI) at a startup
A proven track record running cross-functional projects end to end — from planning through delivery
Experience coordinating across R&D, engineering, manufacturing, and quality functions
Comfort managing vendor relationships, purchase orders, and procurement processes in a fast-moving environment
Strong organizational and communication skills, with a track record of managing cost and schedule without sacrificing quality
Comfort making calls with incomplete information

Nice To Haves

Startup experience (20–200 people)
PMP, or similar project/program management certification
Experience in advanced batteries, aerospace, optics, photonics, semiconductor, or other precision or specialty hardware programs
Knowledge of any of the following: brazing, welding, high temperature materials, advanced ceramics, optomechanical systems, optical coatings, vacuum systems, semiconductors, microfabrication, and semiconductor packaging
Experience with project/program management tools (e.g. Airtable, Asana, Jira, MS Project) or ERP/MRP systems
Familiarity with supplier quality management and performance metrics

Responsibilities

Drive the product end to end, owning project plans spanning design iteration, testing and validation, assembly ramp-up, process improvements, and new vendor onboarding.
Track milestones across every phase, flag risks early, and keep timelines realistic and honest, ensuring teams are accountable to their results.
Coordinate across teams (R&D, engineering, quality, supply chain, and the shop floor) and ensure accountability, making sure design changes, testing results, vendor issues, and production constraints are communicated.
Own supply chain management and vendor timelines, tracking deliverables from fabrication, brazing, coatings, and electronics vendors, and escalating delays.
Build the systems that keep the program organized, including program tracking, scheduling, and visual management tools, and keep documentation current.
Support quality and delivery across the lifecycle by enforcing quality checkpoints and tracking corrective actions to closure.
Report program status, risks, and necessary actions to leadership.