--- title: 'Technical Program Manager at Applied Intuition' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-applied-intuition-poway-m79j0j5274gn' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-11' --- # Technical Program Manager at Applied Intuition - **Company:** [Applied Intuition](https://feeny.ai/companies/applied-intuition) - **Location:** Poway, CA - **Compensation:** $160k–$200k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-11 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/applied/5cf4594e-9c85-4396-9385-f91335971aa7 ## Job description Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at [applied.co](http://applied.co). We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions ## About the role We're looking for a Technical Program Manager in the greater San Diego area (relocation offered) to own and drive complex programs for our maritime customers. You'll work side by side with Applied Intuition's subject matter experts and our defense customers to turn real operational pain points into shipped solutions. This is a high-ownership seat with direct customer exposure from day one, and you'll be backed by senior leaders who invest in your growth, sharing their experience in program strategy, customer engagement, and defense acquisition. If you are early in your career, with relevant TPM experience, you are urged to apply! At Applied Intuition, you will: - Own programs end to end as the single point of contact, driving milestones, metrics, and final deliverables to successful completion - Build trusted relationships with customers, uncovering new pain points and opportunities for follow-on engagements - Be the voice of the customer internally, surfacing use cases and workflows our current products don't yet address - Scope timelines with customers and align resourcing to their needs and feedback - Lead pursuits from RFQ release through a detailed technical proposal, rallying experts across the company - Grow your scope and influence over time with mentorship from senior program and technical leaders We're looking for someone who has: - US citizenship and the ability to obtain a security clearance - 2-3 years of experience in technical program or project management supporting software and hardware programs - A track record of leading complex, cross-functional projects from kickoff to delivery - Experience coordinating and scheduling diverse teams and resources against demanding technical goals - Experience launching new programs, workstreams, or processes, and the drive to build more - A Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electronics, Data Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field - A hunger to grow, an appetite for feedback, and the initiative to take on bigger challenges - A Bachelor's degree is required, in Mechanical, Electronics, Data Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field - Ability to travel to customer sites (25%) Nice to have: - Active Secret or Top Secret clearance - Experience working with DoD customers on software use cases - Familiarity with data management and simulation providers and their tradeoffs - Hands-on experience with data or simulation software used for autonomy - Exposure to both software and hardware development and testing, such as high-performance computing and real-time test systems Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment. Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position. Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws. FOR US-BASED ROLES: Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available, requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way, and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request. If you require an accommodation please contact careers@applied.co. We will work with you! ## About Applied Intuition ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Applied Intuition builds software and digital infrastructure to bring physical AI — autonomous driving and robotics — to every moving machine on the planet. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C; $1.5B total funding raised) - **Headquarters**: Sunnyvale, California, United States - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: Qasar Younis (CEO) and Peter Ludwig (CTO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Autonomous driving, robotics, defense technology, simulation and validation software for ADAS/AD systems. - **Target customers**: B2B — automotive OEMs (18 of top 20 global automakers), trucking, construction, mining, agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies. - **Mission or purpose statement**: “To build physical AI that creates a safer, more prosperous world.” ## Products & Services - **Tools for Vehicle Intelligence**: Simulation, validation, and data management platforms for ADAS and autonomous vehicle development. SaaS and software tools for engineers building intelligent machines. - **Vehicle OS**: An operating system for vehicles that manages over-the-air updates, data pipelines, and in-vehicle software, enabling automakers to deploy and maintain software-defined vehicles at scale. - **Self-Driving Systems / Autonomy Stack**: End-to-end autonomous driving solutions, including perception, planning, and control, designed for cars, trucks, and off-road machinery. - **NextGen OS & Infrastructure**: Platforms for defense, robotics, and next-generation physical AI applications, including solutions used by the U.S. military. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: ~$15 billion (as of 2024/2025, per LinkedIn profile) - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $1.5 billion; 1,153 employees (+55% YoY); 396 active job postings - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Floodgate, NVIDIA, Databricks; partners include 18 of top 20 global automakers and U.S. defense agencies. - **Growth Signals**: - Acquired EpiSci (Feb 2025), Caliber Data Labs, and entities in Germany/UK. - Headcount grew 55% YoY; 1,000+ engineers. - Office expansion to 12 countries (US, UK, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, India, etc.). - Active hiring — job postings up 117.6% YoY. ## Competitive Advantages - **Deep domain expertise**: Founded by YC alum/former GM engineer (Qasar Younis) and ex-Google Maps/Android Automotive engineer (Peter Ludwig). - **Talent density**: 1,000+ engineers, 40+ ex-CTOs, and 30+ former founders on staff — a unique concentration of senior, founder-level talent. - **Breadth of industry coverage**: Serves automotive, defense, trucking, mining, agriculture, and construction — rare diversification in physical AI. - **Trusted by government and top OEMs**: U.S. military and 18 of top 20 global automakers rely on their stack, creating high switching costs and deep moats. - **End-to-end platform**: Covers simulation, validation, OS, and full autonomy stack — not just a point solution. ## Strategic Focus - **Expansion into defense**: Heavy investment in defense AI, including acquisitions and dedicated government offices in Washington D.C., San Diego, and Ft. Walton Beach. - **Scaling physical AI beyond automotive**: Driving autonomy into mining, agriculture, construction, drones, and satellites. - **Growing global footprint**: Opening offices in Europe and Asia to serve local OEM and defense clients. - **Deepening the research lab**: Building a world-class AI research team focused on real-world intelligence. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: “1,000 engineers, 40 ex-CTOs, and 30 former founders” — a high-agency, high-trust environment where engineers take ownership of hard problems from day one. - **Impact**: Work on technology that goes from sports cars to fighter jets to mining trucks — real-world physical AI that saves lives and reshapes industries. - **Benefits**: - 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance - 50% 401(k) matching - Up to 12 weeks fully paid parental leave - Learning stipend for education and training - Fitness and wellness stipend - 25 free Lyra coaching/therapy sessions per year - Catered lunches and expensed dinners, snacks, and drinks at offices - Alumni network for long-term professional connections - **Work model**: Office-first culture with global hubs (12 offices across US, Europe, and Asia). Not fully remote — roles are generally tied to a specific office location. ## Sources 1. [appliedintuition.com — About](https://www.appliedintuition.com/about) 2. [appliedintuition.com — Homepage](https://www.appliedintuition.com/) 3. [linkedin.com — Applied Intuition Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/applied-intuition-inc) 4. [appliedintuition.com — Careers](https://www.appliedintuition.com/careers) 5. [appliedintuition.com — Jobs](https://www.appliedintuition.com/jobs) ## Other roles at Applied Intuition - [Global Account Manager - North America Automotive](https://feeny.ai/job/global-account-manager-north-america-automotive-applied-intuition-ann-arbor-ptf8xyshfdvx) — Ann Arbor, MI - [Senior C++ Software Engineer - Drone Stack](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-c-software-engineer-drone-stack-applied-intuition-fort-walton-beach-nqfcdjnvwm2b) — Fort Walton Beach, FL - [Senior C++ Software Engineer - Drone Stack](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-c-software-engineer-drone-stack-applied-intuition-washington-w01651y6fg07) — Washington, DC - [Product Manager - Cabin Intelligence](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-cabin-intelligence-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-jevsf84p9r18) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Hardware Validation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-validation-engineer-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-b5cx5nptj1pt) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Hardware Reliability Engineer Technical Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-reliability-engineer-technical-lead-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-3a01s1bymx0z) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Hardware Operations Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-operations-program-manager-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-dhznkck79tha) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Hardware Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-manufacturing-engineer-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-pg8xswbej868) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Legal Counsel, Government and Defense](https://feeny.ai/job/legal-counsel-government-and-defense-applied-intuition-washington-jmbd13vaq6az) — Washington, DC - [Field Test Engineer - Autonomous Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/field-test-engineer-autonomous-systems-applied-intuition-san-diego-q78rwp3e49c8) — San Diego, CA