Project Manager

Mesodyne•Somerville, MA

About The Position

Mesodyne is taking the Mesodyne LightCell from concept and prototype toward a mature, deliverable product, and we need someone to keep every moving piece of that journey on track. As Project Manager, you'll own the schedules, milestones, and cross-functional coordination that turn our program roadmap into a shipped product — working across R&D, engineering, manufacturing, vendor partners, and quality to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. This is a hands-on program management role for someone who's comfortable driving structure and rigor across the full lifecycle of a complex hardware product — from design and testing through production and delivery. You'll report into program leadership and work closely with our 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: Own 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 and most importantly make sure teams are accountable to their results.
Coordinate across teams and ensure accountability: Be the connective tissue between R&D, engineering, quality, supply chain, and the shop floor. Make sure design changes, testing results, vendor issues, and production constraints don't surprise anyone. You are the person that knows what everyone is working on and ensures they stay focused. Make sure deadlines are met or if not met, reasons are documented and communicated.
Own supply chain management and vendor timelines: Track deliverables from fabrication, brazing, coatings, and electronics vendors. Escalate delays before they become crises. Keep a clear picture of who owes what, by when.
Build the systems that keep the program organized: Stand up program tracking, scheduling, and visual management tools appropriate for our stage. Keep documentation current so anyone — from engineering to leadership — can see program status at a glance.
Support quality and delivery across the lifecycle: Help enforce quality checkpoints throughout design, testing, assembly, and production. Track corrective actions to closure. Keep an eye on how program decisions affect delivery timelines and cost.
Report up and out: Give leadership a clear, honest read on where the program stands — on schedule, at risk, or off track — and what it'll take to fix it.