Senior Manager, Device Program Management

Job Summary

We're looking for a technically grounded Senior Manager, Program Management - Device to lead end-to-end program execution for consumer devices — spanning mobile imaging systems, IoT, and smart home products. You'll build and lead a team of Program Managers and own overall program health across Hardware, Electrical, Firmware, Image Quality, and Reliability workstreams. '

This role serves as the primary bridge between executive leadership and cross-functional engineering teams, driving alignment on scope, schedule, risk, and milestone readiness from concept through mass production.

Job Responsibilities

Lead & Develop a High-Performing PM Team

• Directly manage Program Managers covering hardware, electrical, firmware, image quality, and reliability disciplines
• Set clear goals, coach for growth, conduct performance reviews, and develop PM career paths
• Build team capability through process improvements, playbooks, and structured lessons-learned integration

Drive Program Execution

• Own the master program schedule integrating all functional workstreams across HW, EE, FW, IQ, and Reliability
• Establish and enforce milestone gates with clear entry/exit criteria across all hardware build phases (EVT, DVT, PVT, MP)
• Resolve cross-functional dependencies, resource conflicts, and schedule tradeoffs with speed and clarity
• Lead executive-level program reviews presenting status, risks, and mitigation strategies

Product Management Partnership

• Engage during early-phase development to co-develop program schedules, cost frameworks, and resource plans grounded in engineering reality
• Lead governance of feature lock milestones (Feature Concept Lock, Feature Definition Lock, Feature Freeze) to align scope before development begins
• Partner with Product Management to evaluate feature trade-offs balancing schedule, cost, and technical risk

App & Cloud Software Coordination

• Define cross-functional interdependencies and integration milestones across device, app, and cloud teams
• Ensure firmware milestones (FC/PC/SC) are mapped against app and cloud software readiness to prevent integration bottlenecks
• Drive regular cross-team integration syncs and escalate unresolved dependency conflicts with clear impact assessments

Hardware, Mechanical & Electrical Development

• Track mechanical milestones through design freeze, tooling kick-off, and tool pull cycles; monitor DFM reviews, GD&T compliance, and CMM validation
• Govern EE development milestones from schematic review through PCB/PCBA fabrication and maintain ECO/ECN discipline
• Coordinate prototype planning, part procurement, and factory readiness with Device and Hardware PMs

Firmware, Image Quality & Communications

• Partner with the Firmware PM to govern FC, PC, and SC milestones tightly integrated with hardware build schedules
• Oversee IQ milestones across camera and imaging systems through IQ alpha/beta/gold sign-off
• Govern cellular (FCC, PTCRB, carrier acceptance), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other LAN integration milestones and certifications

Reliability & Qualification

• Govern reliability test planning covering environmental stress, mechanical durability, MTBF validation, and regulatory certification (FCC, CE, UL, RoHS)
• Track all reliability findings to closure with clear ownership and committed ETAs

Job Requirements

Experience

• 10+ years in program management within consumer electronics; direct experience shipping smartphones, mobile communications devices, imaging products, and/or IoT/smart home devices
• 2+ years managing a team of Program Managers or leading a PM function
• Track record of shipping 2+ consumer devices from concept to mass production in an NPI/ODM model

Technical Knowledge

• Strong working knowledge of hardware development phases (EVT → DVT → PVT → MP)
• Solid understanding of mechanical design, electrical development, and firmware lifecycle
• Exposure to camera/imaging IQ tuning and reliability testing methodologies
• Experience with ODM/CM partner management including SOW definition, NRE negotiation, and offshore deliverable accountability

Program Management Skills

• Expert-level master scheduling (MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent)
• Strong risk management — identification, quantification, and mitigation planning
• Experience managing program budgets ($10M+), NRE tracking, and cost-to-complete reporting

Leadership & Communication

• Proven success building and retaining a PM team
• Exceptional executive communication — written, verbal, and data-driven
• Comfortable driving clarity across large, globally distributed cross-functional teams

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification
• Experience with camera module development, ISP integration, or imaging system NPI
• Background in IoT connectivity stacks (BT, Wi-Fi, Thread/Matter) and their firmware implications
• Familiarity with DFMEA, PFMEA, and structured quality systems (APQP, PPAP)

Essential Job Function

What Success Looks Like

• On-time milestone achievement across all functional workstreams
• Phase gate quality — reduction of open high-severity issues at gate entry
• PM team retention, development velocity, and engagement
• Post-launch field reliability performance vs. targets
• Program cost and NRE performance vs. budget