--- title: 'Staff Technical Program Manager at Apptronik' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-technical-program-manager-apptronik-sunnyvale-ndzg8ne47h5c' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-13' --- # Staff Technical Program Manager at Apptronik - **Company:** Apptronik - **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA - **Posted:** 2026-07-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/apptronik/jobs/6121684004?gh_jid=6121684004 ## Job description Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond. We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better. ## JOB SUMMARY We are looking for a seasoned Staff Technical Program Manager to be the first TPM in our newly opened Sunnyvale, CA office. This is a high-autonomy, high-visibility role at the intersection of AI/ML infrastructure, robot perception, and strategic partnerships. You will lead complex, cross-functional programs spanning ML operations and perception for humanoid robotics, while serving as the primary program interface to one of our most important strategic AI partners — ensuring crisp communication, aligned priorities, and delivery against shared goals. As the first TPM on the ground in Sunnyvale, you will wear many hats: standing up program structure for a new site, driving ML and perception program execution, and shaping how Apptronik collaborates with world-class external AI teams. You will set the strategic direction for how these programs are planned and executed, drive alignment between executive stakeholders and engineering leadership, and help scale the program management function as the Sunnyvale team grows. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES - New Site Program Leadership: Serve as the first TPM in the Sunnyvale office. Establish program management structure, cadences, and operating rhythms for a new and rapidly growing site, while staying tightly connected to Austin-based engineering and program leadership. - MLOps Program Ownership: Own end-to-end execution of ML infrastructure and operations programs — including data pipelines, training and evaluation infrastructure, model release processes, and the tooling that enables rapid, reliable iteration on robot learning systems. - Perception Program Leadership: Lead and TPM the perception team's program execution for humanoid robotics — driving roadmaps execution, milestones, and cross-functional integration of perception capabilities into the full robot stack. - Strategic Partner Interface: Act as the primary program conduit to a key strategic AI partner. Ensure clear, proactive, bidirectional communication; translate partner needs into internal execution plans; track joint milestones and deliverables; and ensure Apptronik is consistently meeting partner expectations while advocating for Apptronik's priorities. - Ownership: Own program execution end to end. Set strategic direction, identify resource requirements, and be accountable for executing on company goals and roadmap. Challenge assumptions at the org level and foster a results-driven culture. - Orchestration: Partner directly with engineering leadership to execute solutions and adapt quickly when priorities shift. Coordinate across engineering, research, operations, and executive leadership — internally and externally — to keep all stakeholders aligned and informed. - Communication: Proactively communicate program status, risks, trade-offs, and decisions to executive stakeholders and partner counterparts. Clearly articulate requirements, goals, and milestones across teams and up to leadership. - Leadership & Mentorship: Mentor and develop other TPMs as the Sunnyvale team scales. Define and continuously improve program management practices, frameworks, and tooling that elevate the entire function. ## SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS - MLOps & ML Infrastructure Program Leadership — Deep experience running programs across the ML lifecycle: data collection and curation, training and evaluation infrastructure, edge inference and model deployment, and the data pipelines that enable robot skill learning at scale. Fluency in the tooling, workflows, and failure modes of modern ML systems spanning cloud and edge. - Perception Systems Experience — Demonstrated ability to lead programs for perception and sensing teams (computer vision, sensor fusion, tactile and multi-modal sensing, state estimation, scene understanding), ideally for robotics or other real-world systems. - Partner & External Stakeholder Management — Proven success serving as the program interface to external technical partners: managing joint roadmaps, resolving cross-org dependencies, and building trust through consistent, transparent communication. - Hands-On Technical Partnership — Deep ability to engage with engineering and research teams on architectural decisions, interface definition, and complex technical problem-solving — operating as a peer to engineering leadership, not just managing schedules. - Comfort with Ambiguity & Breadth — Willingness and ability to wear many hats as one of the initial hires at a new site: program execution, site operations, partner management, and function building, often in the same week. - System-Level Product Development Leadership — Experience leading hardware + software product life cycles from concept through deployment, across multiple concurrent programs. - Cross-Disciplinary System Integration — Expert-level experience coordinating AI/ML, software, firmware, controls, and hardware teams to deliver fully integrated, sophisticated systems. - New Technology Introduction — Demonstrated success maturing novel technologies from prototype toward scalable deployment, including subsystem qualification, reliability, and supplier/partner co-development models. - Program Execution & Results Orientation — Strong track record of driving measurable outcomes at scale, managing critical path and interdependencies across portfolios, and delivering against company roadmap goals. - Influence in Resource-Constrained Environments — Proven ability to align product, engineering, research, and executive teams, prioritize across competing demands, and execute successfully in fast-paced, limited-resource settings. - Strategic Thinking — Ability to translate company strategy into actionable program plans and influence roadmap decisions through data-driven insight. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE - Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or Applied Physics required - 10+ years of experience in technical program management or engineering management, including leading cross-functional teams across ML/AI and software, with demonstrated experience operating at a senior or staff level - Preferred: Experience in robotics, autonomous systems, or embodied AI - Preferred: Direct experience with robot learning, manipulation/dexterous systems, modeling, or large-scale ML data and training programs - Preferred: Experience with edge AI inference platforms and embedded systems integration - Preferred: Master's degree in Engineering or Computer Science ## PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: - Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer - Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times - Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen - Hearing and speech to communicate The annual compensation range for this position is $250,000-$285,000. *This is a direct hire.  Please, no outside Agency solicitations. Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. ## About Apptronik ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Apptronik builds advanced humanoid robots for real-world industrial applications, starting with manufacturing and warehousing, to address labor shortages and improve human productivity. - **Entity Type**: Private (Funding Stage: Series A) - **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States - **Founded**: 2016 - **Founders**: Founded as a spinout from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin; leadership includes CEO Jeff Cardenas and CTO Nicholas Paine ## Core Business - Primary industry/industries: Robot Manufacturing, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence - Target customers: B2B / Enterprise — manufacturing facilities, warehousing and logistics operators, supply chain organizations - Mission or purpose statement: “It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine” — building robots that empower humans to live to their fullest potential by solving labor shortages and reducing physical strain. ## Products & Services - **[Apollo Humanoid Robot Platform]**: A full-electric, bipedal humanoid robot designed for industrial use. Combines advanced hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software. Current applications include material handling, line-side tasks, palletizing, case picking, trailer unloading, and inspection. Built as a scalable platform that can extend into healthcare, eldercare, and home environments over time. (Type: Hardware + SaaS Platform) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Annual Revenue**: ~$3.5 million (estimated) - **Total Funding**: ~$963.8 million (includes a Seed Round of $14.6M in 2022, a Corporate Round in 2025, and an undisclosed Series A round; notable investors include Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Google) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Google, Terex, Humanoid Global - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 98.1% year-over-year to 334 employees (2026 data). Named to the **2026 CNBC Disruptor 50** list. Recognized on the **Best Places to Work** list (2024, 2025). Won the **2025 IEEE Robotics & Automation Product Innovation Award**. Named **Most Innovative** (2025). Active job postings increased 238.5% year-over-year (88 open roles). Acquired Elevate Robotics Inc. ## Competitive Advantages - **Deep heritage**: Spun out of UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab; team dates back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2015) and includes ex-NASA collaborators. - **Full-stack vertical integration**: Covers hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software — a complete, scalable platform rather than a one-off robot. - **Safe, human-centric design**: Built for human environments from the ground up, with a focus on reducing physical strain and complementing human workers, not replacing them. - **Early enterprise traction**: Active partnerships with major industrial players like Mercedes-Benz and Terex, proving real-world deployment over lab demos. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling Apollo for manufacturing and warehouse deployment (current core market). - Expanding into more complex environments: construction, healthcare, eldercare, and the home. - Continuous hardware and software upgrades (CEO Jeff Cardenas calls humanoid robotics “the space race of our time” and has signaled major upgrades to Apollo). - Building out fleet-level tools for multi-robot management and learning. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven**: Work on the frontier of humanoid robotics with a stated ethos of “Man + Machine” — robots that improve human quality of life. - **High-growth environment**: Doubled headcount year-over-year with massive funding and expanding job postings; strong career growth potential. - **Culture values**: Passion, creativity, collaboration, integrity, curiosity, and humility are explicitly stated as core values. - **Perks & Benefits**: - Flexible PTO (open, unlimited) - 401k retirement plan - Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision coverage - Parental leave - Flexible work hours - Collaborative and innovative work environment - **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Not explicitly stated; 77% of workforce is in the United States (majority in Austin HQ). Specific roles may vary, but the company promotes a collaborative environment. - **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from top robotics and tech companies — SpaceX, Tesla, Fox Robotics, Agility Robotics, Apple, iRobot, Neocis, and top universities (UT Austin). - **Employee rating**: 3.9/5.0 on employer reviews (Work-Life: 3.5, Career: 3.7). ## Sources 1. [apptronik.com](https://apptronik.com/) — Company homepage 2. [apptronik.com/about-us](https://apptronik.com/about-us) — About Us / History / Mission 3. [apptronik.com/careers](https://apptronik.com/careers?gh_src=B+Capital+job+board) — Careers page / Perks & Culture 4. [apptronik.com/careers/job-listings](https://apptronik.com/careers/job-listings) — Open job listings 5. [linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.) — LinkedIn company profile (revenue, headcount, funding, employee breakdown) ## Other roles at Apptronik - [Senior Benefits Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-benefits-specialist-apptronik-austin-pg7cq5yty0kr) — Austin, TX - [Global Supply Manager - Electrical & Electronics](https://feeny.ai/job/global-supply-manager-electrical-electronics-apptronik-austin-3sqnzehk3ykj) — Austin, TX - [Configuration Manager - Teamcenter](https://feeny.ai/job/configuration-manager-teamcenter-apptronik-austin-ggdwar2q4w5b) — Austin, TX - [Manager, Manufacturing Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-manufacturing-engineering-apptronik-austin-tg0vb1xzd1ev) — Austin, TX - [Talent Acquisition Recruiter (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-acquisition-recruiter-contract-apptronik-austin-jj7cw0hq4ya2) — Austin, TX - [Senior Business Systems Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-business-systems-manager-apptronik-austin-s3r011eac6hz) — Austin, TX - [Senior Embedded Linux Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-linux-engineer-apptronik-austin-99y7c5jkwx2q) — Austin, TX - [Firmware Engineer – Hands](https://feeny.ai/job/firmware-engineer-hands-apptronik-austin-1crts7y338t0) — Austin, TX - [Senior Business Systems Analyst - ERP](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-business-systems-analyst-erp-apptronik-austin-ns9kykxgm8mt) — Austin, TX - [Staff Drivetrain Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-drivetrain-engineer-apptronik-austin-trjb9rpwtdp1) — Austin, TX