Technical Project Manager (6-month contract)

Dephy, Inc.•Boxborough, MA

About The Position

Dephy is seeking a Technical Project Manager to coordinate hardware and software engineering work in the wearable robotics field. The role is the organizational backbone of the engineering team, translating program goals and timelines into actionable plans and coordinating work across electrical, software, mechanical, firmware, procurement, and manufacturing. The position adapts agile practices to hardware development, including long lead times and validation cycles, and keeps leadership informed about progress, risks, and schedule impacts. The manager builds project plans and dependency maps, facilitates planning sessions and cross-functional meetings, tracks tasks and milestones, identifies blockers and risks, and supports continuous improvement. The role also handles component sourcing and purchase orders, monitors lead times, coordinates vendors, and helps ensure parts arrive when needed. Dephy emphasizes collaboration, respect, inclusion, curiosity, and its company values. This is a six-month contract with the possibility of extension, with an ASAP start. The hourly rate is $55, based on experience. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; local candidates will be prioritized. The position is not eligible for employment-based immigration sponsorship. The role is not for recruiters.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in project coordination, program management, or procurement; software, hardware, or electronics experience is strongly preferred.
Strong organizational skills and comfort managing many moving parts across software, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing.
Ability to operate without direct authority, negotiate, influence, and constructively push back when schedules, scope, or vendor commitments are at risk.
Working knowledge of agile methodology.
Experience with project or task tracking tools such as Jira and Smartsheet.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to get along with the team, build strong working relationships, and execute on Dephy’s values.
Authorization to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Scrum Master experience or certification, such as CSM or PSM.
Experience working directly with electrical, software, firmware, or mechanical engineering teams.
Vendor negotiation experience.
Exposure to manufacturing or New Product Introduction (NPI) processes.
Ability to read and understand a bill of materials (BOM) and basic component datasheets.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary link between program management and engineering, translating program goals and timelines into actionable engineering plans and communicating progress, risks, and schedule impacts to leadership.
Build and maintain project plans, timelines, and dependency maps across engineering, procurement, and manufacturing using Smartsheet.
Facilitate team check-ins and planning sessions using a cadence suited to hardware development, long lead times, and validation cycles.
Maintain a visible Jira task and backlog board that includes engineering tasks and procurement dependencies.
Track action items, owners, and deadlines, and proactively flag milestones at risk.
Identify and remove blockers for engineers, including supply-chain blockers that could delay a build.
Run retrospectives and continuous-improvement check-ins to refine team workflows.
Coordinate and facilitate design reviews, kickoffs, milestone checkpoints, and cross-functional meetings with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and procurement teams.
Identify and plan for scope creep and unnecessary context-switching.
Use flow-based metrics, such as cycle time, work-in-progress limits, and throughput, when they better reflect hardware work than sprint velocity.
Track sourcing for electrical, mechanical, and other components, including ICs, PCBs, connectors, enclosures, cables, and fasteners.
Manage quotes and compare distributor and vendor pricing, including Digi-Key, Mouser, LCSC, and direct manufacturer channels.
Issue and track purchase orders and expedite critical-path orders.
Monitor component lead times and flag parts at risk of delaying the schedule.
Manage basic vendor relationships and negotiate pricing or terms where applicable.
Build strong working relationships with the team and execute on Dephy’s values.