Technical Program Manager, Hardware

Karman•Ann Arbor, MI

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

Karman is an AI company enabling AI data centers to dynamically orchestrate power and increase compute capacity from existing energy infrastructure. Its platform, built on a custom NVIDIA module, extends the company's grid technology to AI data centers. The Technical Program Manager will support hardware and on-device development teams, coordinating cross-functional initiatives and serving as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders. The role focuses on physical product development, including hardware design, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing. The TPM owns the hardware development lifecycle from early concepts and prototyping through validation, manufacturing readiness, production launch, and deployment, partnering with product teams to ensure designs meet market specifications, customer needs, and evolving product goals. The position is based onsite at Karman's headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with flexibility for occasional remote work. The successful candidate will collaborate with remote teams across the country and may travel up to 10% of the time. Salary is $125,000–$160,000 in base compensation, depending on experience, plus stock options.

Requirements

At least 5 years of program or project management experience in a hardware-focused technical environment, or a combination of education and professional experience commensurate with this level.
Hands-on experience managing hardware development projects, including form-factor design, prototyping, EVT/DVT/PVT cycles, and manufacturing transitions.
Technical background in hardware engineering or product development, including experience with IoT and/or remote hardware devices with embedded software.
Ability to work directly with product teams to translate market requirements into hardware specifications.
Ability to apply agile methodologies in a hardware context and adapt processes for rapid iteration in a dynamic, growing market.
Ability to manage multiple hardware programs simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Experience coordinating with operations and manufacturing teams to bring hardware products into production.
Proficiency with project management tools such as Jira, Trello, or Microsoft Project.
Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical or business discipline.
Certifications such as PMP, CSM, or SAFe Agile.
Technical background or hands-on experience in software development or engineering.
Experience developing consumer or industrial hardware form factors across multiple product generations.
Familiarity with supply chain management and contract manufacturer relationships.
Experience managing cloud-connected or large-scale IoT hardware deployments.
Familiarity with data analytics, machine learning, or AI-driven product initiatives.

Responsibilities

Define, implement, and optimize program management processes to improve cross-functional collaboration and delivery efficiency, particularly for hardware form-factor design, prototyping, and development.
Coordinate internal and external teams to manage risks related to component availability, form-factor feasibility, manufacturing defects, and physical testing.
Develop and monitor project plans, timelines, and performance metrics to align programs with organizational and market objectives.
Champion agile practices adapted for hardware development to support rapid iteration and responsiveness to a fast-moving market.
Work with engineering, product management, and operations teams to define technical requirements, priorities, and resource allocation across hardware programs.
Drive adoption of tools and frameworks that improve project tracking, stakeholder communication, and program delivery.
Track and report program metrics, including delivery timelines, prototype iteration cycles, priority shifts, resource utilization, and risk mitigation.
Facilitate communication and alignment across teams to identify and resolve bottlenecks, dependencies, and conflicts.
Own hardware development from early concept and prototyping through validation, manufacturing readiness, production launch, and deployment.
Partner with product teams to ensure hardware designs meet market specifications, customer requirements, and evolving product goals.