--- title: 'Launch Program Manager at Seneca' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/launch-program-manager-seneca-sausalito-2w7wp2zgf0jx' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-06' --- # Launch Program Manager at Seneca - **Company:** Seneca - **Location:** Sausalito, CA - **Compensation:** $120k–$220k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/seneca/76ee1ef7-d375-4592-a390-1db4bad1c31b ## Job description ## THE OPPORTUNITY: Seneca is looking for a Launch Program Manager to own the end-to-end deployment of our aircraft systems with customers. When we say, “We’re launching in Aspen,” you turn that decision into an executable plan: dates, logistics, site readiness, regulatory requirements, training, customer onboarding, and field support. Our customers purchase and operate their own aircraft today but launching successfully is a high-touch process. You will ensure they are ready to receive, store, charge, maintain, and operate the system safely and effectively. And, when we start operating the aircraft for customers, you will make sure that Seneca is known as a partner you want to call again. You will be the single source of truth for everything launch-related, coordinating across Seneca, the customer, and other external stakeholders. You will also build the launch playbook that makes each deployment more repeatable and scalable. ## WHAT YOU’LL DO: - Own customer launches from commercial handoff through operational readiness. - Build and manage the integrated launch plan, including milestones, dependencies, owners, risks, and critical path. - Coordinate aircraft readiness, shipping, site preparation, training, regulatory work, field support, and customer acceptance. - Ensure the customer has appropriate storage, charging infrastructure, power, connectivity, maintenance space, tools, spare parts, and operating locations. - Clarify which launch responsibilities belong to Seneca and which belong to the customer. - Coordinate required aviation, airspace, site, agency, and local approvals with the appropriate experts. - Develop and drive the customer onboarding and training plan for operators, maintainers, supervisors, and other stakeholders. - Lead launch-readiness reviews and identify gaps before they become field problems. - Coordinate on-site deployment, commissioning, training, and initial operations. - Maintain clear, current communication on launch status, risks, decisions, and open actions. - Drive a defined handoff from launch activities to ongoing customer operations and support. - Write and maintain Seneca’s launch playbook, including standard plans, checklists, readiness gates, templates, and lessons learned. - Feed recurring launch issues and customer insights back into Product, Engineering, Operations, and Support. ## BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE: - 5+ years of experience in program management, customer deployment, field operations, implementation, or a similar role. - Experience launching complex physical products or systems at customer sites. - Strong cross-functional planning, risk management, and execution skills. - The ability to turn ambiguous objectives into detailed, actionable plans. - Strong customer-facing communication and judgment. - A high level of ownership, attention to detail, and follow-through. - Comfort working in a fast-moving environment where the product and launch process are still evolving. - Willingness to travel regularly to customer locations. - Experience in aviation, drones, robotics, public safety, emergency response, regulatory coordination, technical training, or charging infrastructure is helpful but not required. ## WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE: - Every launch has a clear plan, accountable owners, and defined readiness criteria. - Customers understand and complete their responsibilities before the aircraft arrive. - Aircraft, batteries, chargers, facilities, personnel, approvals, and training are ready when needed. - Leadership and functional teams have one reliable view of launch status. - Problems are identified and resolved before they jeopardize the launch. - Customers are prepared to safely operate and support their aircraft. - Each deployment improves a repeatable launch process for the next customer. ## WHAT WE OFFER: - Competitive Salary – Reflective of your skills and experience - Equity Compensation – Be a part-owner in the company’s future - Comprehensive Health Coverage – Medical, dental, and vision plans - Health Savings Account (HSA) – Optional pre-tax savings for medical expenses - Unlimited PTO – Flexible time off to recharge, plus paid company holidays ## About Us Seneca is building cutting-edge drone and sensor technology for wildfire suppression, aiming to eliminate wildfire risk across 500 million acres of high-risk U.S. + allied territory. Backed by top-tier investors, including Convective Capital, Caffeinated Capital, First Round Capital, Slow Ventures, Nextview Ventures, Transition Capital, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, Roar Capital, Offline Ventures, and leaders from Palantir, Google, Meta, and many others, the company has raised $110M in Series A funding and is valued over $500 million. Founded by Stu Landesberg (former Founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative — IPO in 2022 at $1.7B) and fire industry experts, Seneca is a mission-driven company dedicated to climate resilience and fire prevention. Don’t meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply — you may still be the right fit for our team. ## About Seneca ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Seneca builds autonomous aerial systems that detect and suppress wildfires rapidly, using AI, drones, and robotics to protect communities and ecosystems. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series unknown; raised $60M in venture capital) - **Headquarters**: Sausalito, California, USA - **Founded**: Founded in 2022 (as a corporate entity; founding team has prior experience with billions in capital raised and two IPOs) - **Founders**: Stuart Landesberg (CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Fire Technology / Resilience Technology, Autonomous Systems, Climate Tech / Wildfire Defense - **Target customers**: Fire departments (municipal, county, state), utilities (e.g., power companies), government agencies (federal, state, local), and allied nations. **B2B / Government / Public Sector** - **Mission or purpose statement**: To protect 500 million acres in the U.S. and allied nations by 2035. (“Amor Fati” — love of fate — is a core philosophy, as is the belief that technology is how we create a more resilient civilization.) ## Products & Services - **Autonomous Fire Suppression System**: A complete system of autonomous suppression drones, modular ground cases (for field deployment), and a software platform. Each quadcopter is hand-portable, battery-electric, carries >100 lbs of suppressant (water + Class-A foam concentrate), and pumps at >100 PSI. Drones use AI (computer vision, heat signature recognition) to navigate and knock down fires. The system is offered as a **System-as-a-Service (SaaS) annual subscription**, including hardware, software, maintenance, and support — not a hardware purchase. - **Software / Control Dashboard**: An iOS and web-based interface that allows a single operator to supervise multiple drone swarms simultaneously, coordinate with manned aircraft (via ADS-B transponders), and manage missions from launch to automatic return/refill. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not disclosed (raised $60M in venture capital) - **Key Metric**: **Total Funding: $60M** (the largest venture capital round in fire technology to date) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: - **Lead Investors**: Caffeinated Capital, Convective Capital - **Participating Investors**: First Round Capital, Transition VC, Advance Venture Partners, Nextview Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, DCVC, Offline Ventures, Roar Capital, Slow Ventures - **Key Partners / Advisory Board**: San Bernardino County Fire (Chief Dan Munsey), Aspen Fire Department (Chief Rick Balentine, 25-year Chief), Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell (former U.S. Fire Administrator), John Mills (Founder/CEO of Watch Duty) - **Growth Signals**: - Secured a **five-year contract** with a public agency (details not fully public; announced in 2025). - Rollout to field during **2026 fire season**. - 34 employees and growing (as of mid-2025). - Strong partnership with major fire agencies across the American West. ## Competitive Advantages - **First-mover in autonomous fire suppression**: The only company building an end-to-end, fully autonomous aerial suppression system from launch to knockdown. - **Speed to initial attack**: Autonomous drones can suppress fires in **under 10 minutes** from dispatch, vs. 30+ minutes for manned aircraft. This is critical for preventing small ignitions from becoming megafires. - **System-of-systems approach**: Drones coordinate among themselves, with manned aircraft, and with a central dashboard. Modular, case-based design for easy field deployment. - **Deep public-sector partnerships**: Developed in collaboration with leading fire agencies, not in a vacuum. This gives them credibility, real-world testing, and a clear go-to-market path. - **Business model**: Annual SaaS subscription provides predictable revenue and ensures customers always have the latest technology. ## Strategic Focus - **Production scaling**: Use the $60M to improve capabilities, harden the overall system, and increase production. - **Field deployment (2026)**: Roll out first systems to save lives during the 2026 fire season. - **Mission expansion**: Grow from initial contracts in the American West to a national/allied-nation footprint, targeting 500 million acres protected by 2035. ## Why Work Here - **High-impact mission**: Opportunity to work on a problem that affects 115 million+ Americans and costs $1T+ per year. The company’s stated goal is to “build technology to protect the things we love.” - **Elite team**: Founding team has built multiple companies, raised billions, and taken two companies public. Backed by world-class investors. - **Fast-paced, high-resource environment**: Designed for exceptional people — “No useless meetings, hierarchy, or office politics.” The team is resourced to move quickly. - **Cross-disciplinary work**: Roles span deep learning (perception), controls, embedded software, iOS development, electrical engineering, UAV test engineering, hardware fabrication, and people operations. - **Office culture**: Based in Sausalito, CA (near San Francisco). **In-office culture** with hybrid flexibility in certain cases. The team is expected to be physically present for hardware/software integration and team collaboration. - **Recent job openings** (as of mid-2025): Senior Deep Learning Engineer, Senior Software Engineer (Controls), Software Engineer (Embedded & iOS), Electrical Engineer, UAV Test Engineer, Hardware Assembly & Fabrication Specialist, Recruitment + People Operations Specialist. ## Sources 1. [Seneca.com Careers](https://seneca.com/careers/) 2. [Seneca Jobs (Ashby)](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/seneca) 3. [PRNewswire - Seneca Launch / Funding](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seneca-launches-with-60-million-to-equip-firefighters-utilities-and-communities-with-advanced-wildfire-defense-technology-302589441.html) 4. [Sacra - Seneca Company Profile](https://sacra.com/c/seneca/) 5. 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