Technical Program Manager

Technical Program Manager at North Star Staffing

North Star Staffing is seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager to lead cross-functional hardware development programs from definition through mass production. This global remote role requires strong technical fluency, structured program execution, and the ability to foster collaboration across diverse engineering, operations, and vendor teams. The ideal candidate will have experience in consumer electronics or hardware technology and be adept at managing multiple moderate-complexity programs with interdependencies.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Execution & Delivery: Define, plan, and execute intricate hardware programs, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, quality, and budget. Develop comprehensive development, validation, and qualification schedules, identify and mitigate risks, and drive cross-functional resolution for top issues.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner effectively with Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems, Reliability, and Operations teams. Coordinate engineering deliverables including specifications, DOEs, and validation plans. Establish clear communication frameworks and present program updates, risks, and milestones to leadership.
• Hardware Development & Manufacturing Readiness: Support the development and qualification of hardware components through all build phases. Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM), tooling readiness, and validation processes. Coordinate timelines for system requirements and production targets, collaborating with internal and external partners for mass production readiness.
• Process & Governance: Implement structured phase-gate development methodologies to optimize program structure for clarity, transparency, and efficient execution. Strengthen cross-functional best practices in technology development.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• Proven experience as a Technical Program Manager or Engineering Lead in consumer electronics or hardware technology.
• Familiarity with ODM, JDM, and CM vendor engagement models.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical system development, DFM, tooling, and validation processes.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent technical programs.
• Demonstrated analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multi-disciplinary teams and global time zones.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced technical degree.
• PMP or PMI certification.
• Experience in large-scale, multi-platform systems environments.
• Experience managing top-issue tracking and structured risk mitigation frameworks.

Work Environment

This is a 100% remote role, with a preference for California-based candidates. The position operates within a fast-paced hardware development environment, requiring extensive cross-functional collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams.

Key Skills/Competency

• Program Management
• Hardware Development
• Consumer Electronics
• Risk Mitigation
• Cross-functional Leadership
• DFM (Design for Manufacturability)
• Vendor Management (ODM, JDM, CM)
• Mechanical Engineering
• Validation Processes
• Product Lifecycle Management