Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

Your Impact

Axon's Robotics & New Ventures division is building the next generation of autonomous public safety technology -- TASER-enabled drones, ground control stations, ground robots, and the command-and-control ecosystem that connects them. These are complex, multi-disciplinary hardware-software-firmware systems designed, manufactured, certified, and launched for law enforcement agencies across three continents.

You will own the integrated execution of the hardware portfolio for our flagship robotics platform -- spanning drone hardware, ground control station hardware, radio integration, international contract manufacturing, regulatory certification, and product launch. The work crosses multiple engineering disciplines, multiple build phases, multiple countries, and multiple vendor relationships simultaneously. Your job is to hold all of it together, see around corners, and drive outcomes that no single team could deliver alone.

You will report directly to the Director of PMO and operate as the single-threaded hardware execution leader -- owning the integrated master schedule, the risk register, vendor and manufacturing relationships across 3 countries, phase gate governance, and executive communication. You are stepping into a live, complex program mid-flight. There is no ramp-up runway. You must be someone who has walked into ambiguity before, built situational awareness fast, and started driving outcomes within weeks.

What You'll Do

Location: Onsite in Scottsdale, AZ (travel 20-30% -- Taiwan, Belgium, Poland, vendor sites)
Reports to: Director, PMO - Robotics & New Ventures
Direct Reports: None initially; potential to build hardware program operations team

INTEGRATED SCHEDULE & EXECUTION

Own the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) across drone, GCS, radio, and supporting subsystems -- from SP2 design through EVT, PVT, and mass production -- ensuring all workstreams are synchronized, dependency-mapped, and resource-loaded
Manage the cross-functional integration points where design, manufacturing, firmware, test, and certification converge -- these are where execution breaks down, and your job is to see it before it happens
Drive formal change control: evaluate scope, schedule, and cost impacts of proposed changes before they are accepted; maintain a change log with full traceability
Ensure configuration management discipline across hardware revisions, BOM versions, ECOs, and firmware builds so that every unit in every location is on a known, controlled configuration

GOVERNANCE & PHASE GATES

Own phase gate execution (Concept, SP, EVT, DVT/PVT, Mass Production) with formally defined entry/exit criteria, evidence packages, and readiness reviews
Prepare and present gate readiness assessments to leadership -- evidence-based arguments for why the program is or is not ready to proceed, not status slides
Establish and enforce governance cadence: weekly execution reviews, bi-weekly risk reviews, monthly executive briefings, and ad-hoc decision forums when issues demand rapid resolution
Maintain the decision log -- every material decision, who made it, what alternatives were considered, what evidence supported it, and what constraints applied

RISK MANAGEMENT

Own the risk register end-to-end: identification, qualitative and quantitative assessment (likelihood, severity, detectability, schedule/cost impact), response planning, and active monitoring
Conduct structured risk analysis using FMEA methodology for hardware and manufacturing processes
Drive risk response strategies (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept) with assigned owners, funded mitigations, and measurable triggers
Quantify schedule confidence on key milestones -- probabilistic assessment, not single-point estimates
Track risk velocity and trending: which risks are heating up, which are cooling down, and what the aggregate posture looks like week over week

STAKEHOLDER & EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION

Serve as the primary hardware execution voice to VP-level and C-level leadership -- milestone readiness, risk posture, budget health, and critical path
Translate complex technical situations into decision frameworks: options, tradeoffs, recommendation, and rationale
Represent the hardware program in cross-program reviews, QBRs, MBRs, and customer trial readiness assessments
Manage expectations proactively -- bad news delivered early with a mitigation plan is always better than surprises at the gate

VENDOR & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Manage contract manufacturer relationships across multiple international sites (Taiwan, Belgium, Poland) -- accountability, delivery performance, quality, and cost
Own PCB/PCBA supply chain execution: fab house qualification, dual-sourcing strategy, yield tracking, root cause analysis on quality escapes, and supplier corrective actions
Drive factory readiness for each build phase: test fixtures, assembly stations, calibration equipment, operator training, SOPs, production line layout, and throughput validation
Lead hardware build execution at contract manufacturers -- on-site during critical builds
Manage vendor budgets, purchase order tracking, and statement-of-work execution within approved spend envelopes
Drive procurement planning aligned to the IMS: long-lead item identification, vendor lead time management, and material availability gates

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

Lead design reviews (CDR, TRR, MRR) and drive engineering closure on open items with assigned owners and due dates
Partner with EE, ME, FW, and test engineering to ensure design intent translates into manufacturable, testable, certifiable hardware
Drive DFM/DFA/DFT reviews at the design stage -- before parts are ordered, not after
Manage the BOM lifecycle from prototype through production: ECO processes, alternate part qualification, and design-to-cost optimization

CERTIFICATION & COMPLIANCE

Coordinate hardware certification activities (FCC, CE, radio type approval) with test labs and regulatory agencies, ensuring certification milestones are integrated into the IMS
Ensure export control compliance (ITAR/EAR) for international hardware shipments and controlled technical data access at contract manufacturer sites
Drive product safety and reliability requirements through design, manufacturing, and field operations

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ensure execution is aligned to the division's strategic objectives: international GA by EOY 2026, customer trials mid-year, and next-gen product announcements at key industry events
Track and report program-level KPIs: schedule performance, cost performance, risk burn-down, milestone completion rate, and build yield
Drive lessons learned capture at each phase gate as a living input to the next build cycle and to next-generation products
Identify and champion process improvements across program execution, tools, and cross-functional interfaces

What You Bring

Required:

10+ years of engineering program management in hardware product development (aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, medical devices, or complex consumer electronics)
Track record of owning and delivering complex multi-disciplinary hardware products from prototype through mass production at scale (10K+ units), managing the interdependencies across hardware, firmware, test, manufacturing, certification, and supply chain simultaneously
Direct experience managing contract manufacturers in Asia (Taiwan, China, Korea, or Japan) including on-site build oversight and supplier quality management
Integrated Master Schedule ownership: building, maintaining, and defending schedules with 500+ tasks, cross-functional dependency chains, and critical path analysis
Formal risk management practice: risk registers, quantitative scoring, FMEA, response planning, risk trending, and executive risk communication
Phase gate process ownership: defining entry/exit criteria, assembling evidence packages, and presenting readiness arguments to senior leadership
Change control and configuration management discipline across hardware revisions and multi-site builds
Deep understanding of PCB/PCBA manufacturing, supply chain management, yield optimization, and supplier corrective action processes
Strong technical foundation: ability to read schematics, understand mechanical tolerances, and engage credibly with EE, ME, and FW engineers on design and manufacturing tradeoffs
Excellent written and verbal communication: executive-ready briefings, vendor negotiations, and the ability to translate technical complexity into leadership decision frameworks
Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or related technical field
Must be able to qualify for an export control license (ITAR)

Preferred:

PgMP (Program Management Professional) or PMP certification
Experience with autonomous systems, UAS/drones, or robotics hardware
Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM) principles applied to hardware programs
Experience with schedule risk analysis (Monte Carlo simulation or equivalent probabilistic methods)
Experience managing programs with $5M+ annual budgets and 5+ active vendors simultaneously
MS Project, Jira, Confluence, or equivalent integrated scheduling and tracking toolsets
Lean/Six Sigma methodology, PFMEA, or structured quality framework experience
Experience with ITAR/EAR-controlled hardware programs and international shipment compliance
Multi-lingual or experience working across culturally diverse international teams

What Success Looks Like

Within 90 days:

Own the integrated hardware schedule, present critical path posture and top 5 risks to leadership with confidence
Establish direct relationships with all contract manufacturers and key component vendors
Complete a full risk register review and present aggregate risk posture with current evidence
Absorb current program state mid-flight: every open risk, every pending build, every vendor dependency, every certification milestone

Within 6 months:

Successfully execute at least one major hardware build milestone (EVT or PVT) with formal phase gate review
Reduce hardware-related schedule variance through proactive vendor management and early-warning systems
Be the recognized single-threaded owner for all hardware execution decisions -- engineering, manufacturing, and leadership know you are the person
Establish governance rhythm that the entire cross-functional team relies on

Within 12 months:

Ship certified hardware for international customer trials on schedule
Build and execute the production ramp plan for international launch
Deliver a lessons-learned package that feeds the playbook for next-generation products
Demonstrate measurable improvement in schedule predictability and risk response effectiveness vs. the baseline you inherited

Benefits that Benefit You

Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
Discretionary paid time off
Paid parental leave for all
Medical, Dental, Vision plans
Fitness Programs
Emotional & Mental Wellness support
Learning & Development programs
And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work.

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Important Notes

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at axongreenhousesupport@axon.com or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We’re committed to hiring the best talent — regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances — and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email recruitingops@axon.com. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.

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Senior Engineering Program Manager II - New Ventures