Job Description, Responsibilities & Requirements
About the Position
Technical Program Manager, NPI
Torrance, California, United States
Who we are
Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.
As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We’re hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.
What you will be doing
Are you a highly organized Technical Program Manager who thrives at the intersection of engineering and manufacturing operations? Neros is seeking a TPM to drive execution and alignment across our New Product Introduction (NPI) programs, ensuring products move efficiently from development builds to production ramp. You will own program execution across multiple teams by driving schedules, coordinating readiness activities, resolving cross-functional blockers, and ensuring critical manufacturing milestones are achieved on time. This role reports to the Head of NPI & Test and will be instrumental in helping Neros scale from rapid development builds to reliable, repeatable production.
Responsibilities
- NPI Program Management: Own and maintain the NPI master schedule, tracking milestones, dependencies, risks, and critical path items from prototype builds through production ramp.
- Cross-Functional Coordination: Drive alignment across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Production teams to ensure successful product introduction and readiness.
- Executive Reporting & NPI Reviews: Organize and lead weekly NPI status reviews, consolidating program updates, action items, risks, and escalation topics for leadership visibility.
- Manufacturing and Build Readiness: Coordinate Manufacturing and Build Readiness Reviews, ensuring deliverables, line readiness activities, staffing plans, tooling, documentation, and training are completed on schedule.
- ECO & Change Management: Facilitate Engineering Change Order (ECO) implementation, communicate production impacts, track execution, and coordinate cross-functional actions required for deployment.
- Build Execution Support: Monitor daily manufacturing, test, quality, and supply chain issues during NPI builds, driving rapid resolution and escalating blockers when needed.
- Tooling & Equipment Procurement: Coordinate procurement and deployment of NPI tooling, fixtures, test equipment, spare parts, and factory resources identified by engineering teams.
- Firmware Release Coordination: Manage production firmware control-runs, ensuring alignment between Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Production teams regarding releases and implementation plans.
- Production Ramp, Handoff & Risk Management: Track NPI-to-PVT transition readiness and ownership transfers, while identifying program risks, driving mitigation plans, and maintaining clear cross-functional communication on execution status and ramp health.
Requirements
- NPI Program Management
- Cross-Functional Coordination
- Executive Reporting & NPI Reviews
- Manufacturing and Build Readiness
- ECO & Change Management
- Build Execution Support
- Tooling & Equipment Procurement
- Firmware Release Coordination
- Production Ramp, Handoff & Risk Management
Nice to Have
- Drone, Aerospace, Robotics, or Consumer Electronics Experience
- Factory Ramp Experience
- Supply Chain Exposure
- Quality Systems Knowledge
- Technical Background
- Lean Manufacturing
We Offer
- US Salary Range: $110,000 - $200,000 USD
- The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.
About the Company
Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.
As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We’re hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.