Senior Technical Program Manager - Robotics Software & Controls

RETHINK MANUFACTURING  

The only way to ignite change is to build the best team. At Bright Machines®, we’re innovators and experts in our craft who have joined together to create a new category of manufacturing that will help transform the industry. We believe software and data are the answer, thoughtfully applied to solve our customers’ unique challenges. Through intelligent automation, we give factories newfound flexibility, scalability, and resilience. We deliver products to meet the demands of today while building a platform to take advantage of what comes next.  

Working with us means you’ll have the opportunity to make lasting, impactful changes for our company and our customers. If you’re ready to apply your exceptional skills to create the factory of the future, we’d love to speak with you. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Technical Program Manager, you will lead the development of core robotics and hardware capabilities within Bright Machines’ next-generation manufacturing platform, bringing AI-enabled, software-defined automation to data center infrastructure manufacturing.

You will drive the development of complex electromechanical systems that integrate robotics, perception, controls, and ML into scalable, production-ready platforms. Operating at the system level, you’ll align hardware, software, and manufacturing teams to accelerate time from silicon to revenue, delivering faster ramps, higher yield, and more predictable performance in real-world production environments.

This role sits at the intersection of robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing, defining how intelligent infrastructure is built and scaled.

• Lead end-to-end execution of software and controls programs that power Bright Machines’ next-generation manufacturing platform. Integrate robotics, perception, motion control, and AI-driven quality systems into scalable, production-ready solutions.
• Partner with robotics software, controls, perception/ML, hardware, cloud, and manufacturing teams to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance systems.
• Drive program planning for major platform releases, define scope, system requirements, integration milestones, validation strategy, and deployment readiness.
• Operate at the intersection of software and physical systems. Identify dependencies across motion planning, real-time controls, machine vision, ML pipelines, embedded systems, and hardware interfaces. Surface and mitigate integration risks early.
• Lead execution across: Controls architecture and design milestones, Robotics software releases, Perception and ML integration, Hardware-software interface validation, System-level testing and reliability validation
• Release management and deployment readiness
• Provide clear visibility into program health, including technical risks, integration bottlenecks, performance trade-offs, and schedule alignment.
• Deliver high-quality releases on time with production-grade reliability. Escalate issues quickly, drive decisions, and maintain momentum in fast-moving environments.
• Help build scalable program frameworks that support modular platform growth, faster customer deployments, and continuous software-driven improvement.
• Bring structure and urgency without creating unnecessary process overhead.
• Travel: Up to 25%, primarily during late-stage builds, supplier work, and customer validation phases.

• BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years leading complex software and/or controls programs in robotics, automation, or intelligent systems.
• Strong systems-level understanding of:
• Robotics software stacks
• Real-time controls and motion systems
• Machine vision and perception pipelines
• ML-enabled quality systems
• Hardware/software integration
• Release and deployment management
• Experience delivering production-grade robotics or automation software — not just prototypes.
• Demonstrated success driving cross-functional alignment across robotics, firmware, hardware, and cloud teams.
• Ability to translate architectural trade-offs into executable program plans.
• Experience operating in fast-paced, high-growth environments with strong engineering cultures.

•  Experience building modular, software-defined automation platforms.
• Exposure to ML/AI systems deployed in real-time production environments.
• Experience supporting customer deployments and resolving field integration issues.
• Background in robotics startups or advanced mobility/automation companies in the Bay Area.

BE EMPOWERED TO CHANGE AN INDUSTRY 

Bright Machines is a next-generation, AI-enabled manufacturer focused on data center infrastructure assembly operations. Bright Machines uses its proprietary AI-based robotics and software to assemble AI infrastructure hardware products (i.e., data center servers) for hyperscalers and leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). With its new AI factory, Bright Machines addresses increasing market demands for computing power due to the surge of AI and the U.S. national mandate to reshore manufacturing by building data center infrastructure at scale with higher quality and shorter time-to-market.

Bright Machines is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an integration center in Guadalajara, Mexico. The company has been recognized as one of Forbes’ AI 50, awarded “Best AI-based Solution for Manufacturing” by AI Breakthrough, named a “Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum, and highlighted by several other leading technology and innovation organizations.