Technical Program Manager / Systems Architect

Viken Detection•Burlington, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a rare hybrid: a Technical Program Manager who thinks like a Systems Engineer. This role goes well beyond tracking schedules and status updates—you will serve as the connective tissue between high level system architecture and the day to day execution of complex engineering work. The ideal candidate brings a hands on engineering background (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or Mechatronics) and a deep understanding of how physical systems integrate with software, controls, and power. You will own the full lifecycle of technically demanding programs—defining the roadmap, managing requirements and risks, and ensuring milestones are met without compromising system integrity.

Requirements

Technical Fluency: Ability to read schematics, interpret CAD models, analyze data, and understand complex mechanical, electrical, and power distribution systems.
Proficiency with PLM systems, Jira (or equivalent), Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and advanced scheduling/Gantt charting tools.
Proven ability to communicate clearly and effectively across all levels of the organization—capable of explaining a voltage drop issue to an executive and a budget constraint to an engineer in the same afternoon.
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Minimum 5 years of hands on engineering experience, including direct involvement in product or system design.
Minimum 3 years of program or project management experience, with demonstrated responsibility for cost, schedule, and technical execution.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
Prior experience with aftermarket vehicle builds, EV conversions, off-road rig outfitting, or bespoke automotive or marine craft prototyping or construction gained either through professional employment or significant personal/recreational projects.

Responsibilities

Own and coordinate multiple interrelated projects to ensure alignment with broader program and organizational objectives.
Define program scope, objectives, milestones, dependencies, and measurable success criteria.
Develop, maintain, and execute detailed schedules, proactively identifying risks and bottlenecks before they become execution blocking issues.
Translate customer, regulatory, and market needs into clear, actionable technical requirements.
Ensure sub system leads understand expectations, dependencies, and delivery milestones.
Facilitate regular technical stand ups, syncs, and reviews to keep execution on track.
Advocate for appropriate staffing and resource levels to enable program success.
Coordinate shared resources across mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing teams, and other internal and external stakeholders.
Serve as the primary technical point of contact between engineering, procurement, operations, and external stakeholders.
Lead high level system architecture and integration across mechanical, electrical, and control domains.
Maintain clear visibility into interdependencies between sub systems to prevent integration issues downstream.
Identify, track, and mitigate program level technical, schedule, and cost risks.
Perform trade off analyses (cost vs. performance vs. schedule) to inform decision making and keep programs on course.
Establish and maintain a structured single source of truth for program documentation, ensuring technical artifacts (requirements, schematics, wiring diagrams, BOMs, test results) are easily discoverable.
Organize information so both executives and engineers can access what they need within three clicks or fewer.
Lead the creation of assembly documentation, work instructions, and test procedures that allow engineering intent to be executed repeatedly and reliably by production or service teams.
Ensure designs transition smoothly from engineering to manufacturing, integration, and field deployment.
Deliberately separate high level program summaries from detailed technical documentation to reduce information overload.
Optimize data organization to support rapid decision making and minimize friction across teams.