---
title: 'Technical Program Manager / RF Systems at Quartermaster'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-rf-systems-quartermaster-arlington-hsbht8sjs2k8'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-14'
---

# Technical Program Manager / RF Systems at Quartermaster

- **Company:** Quartermaster
- **Location:** Arlington, VA
- **Compensation:** $220k–$240k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-14
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster/0103b132-be2e-48dd-969b-8cb7be350485

## Job description

## About Us

Quartermaster is building the world's most comprehensive maritime intelligence platform. Our SmartMast™ system transforms commercial and civilian vessels into a persistent, distributed sensing network—combining HD video, AI, radar, RF sensing, and AIS to deliver real-time maritime domain awareness at global scale. With 600+ sensors deployed across 25+ countries and more than 400,000 vessels identified outside of AIS, we are setting a new standard for what ocean surveillance and safety can look like. We are a mission-driven, high-velocity team building dual-use technology for defense agencies, coast guards, and commercial maritime operators.

Job Description Quartermaster is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Technical Program Manager (TPM) to drive execution across complex, multi-disciplinary RF engineering programs. In this role, you will coordinate efforts across hardware, software, manufacturing, and operations teams to ensure the ruggedized RF sensing systems that will define Quartermaster’s future capabilities are delivered on time, on spec, and ready for deployment.

You’ll serve as the connective tissue between technical contributors, strategic milestones, and customers while tracking progress, identifying risks and requirements, and enabling decision-making at all levels. You'll contribute technical judgment in engineering discussions, own relationships with contract manufacturers and key suppliers, and connect engineering with customers, growth, operations, and other engineering teams. The role has a direct line to leadership and broad ownership of how the RF capability grows.

Key Responsibilities:

- Build the strategic roadmap and execution plan for the RF sensing capability with the lead engineers, turning customer needs and leadership goals into programs, milestones, and resourcing decisions.
- Lead multiple RF product lines from prototype through production ramp and fielding, including integrated schedules, critical path, and risk across hardware, embedded systems, and software tracks.
- Manage contract manufacturers, design partners, and component suppliers: builds, quotes, first articles, test and acceptance, long-lead and single-source procurement, and scaling capacity to volume.
- Coordinate a blended team of employees and contractors, defining scope and statements of work, track deliverables, and hold partners accountable.
- Participate in technical design and test discussions with enough technical depth to spot risks, challenge assumptions, and turn trade-offs into decisions for leadership.
- Build and grow the team: define roles, write job descriptions, run hiring loops, and onboard new engineers and partners.
- Build connections with customers, growth, operations, finance, and other engineering teams, making sure commitments to customers match what engineering can deliver.
- Drive production readiness: manufacturing test, calibration and provisioning throughput, compliance and certification planning, and field support.

Qualifications (Preferred):

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field, or equivalent hands-on RF/hardware engineering experience.
- 5+ years in technical program management, systems engineering, or hardware engineering on RF, wireless, or embedded hardware products.
- A record of delivering in ambiguous, low-requirement environments, creating the plan, structure, and ownership rather than waiting for them.
- Proven track record managing complex, multi-phase programs with hardware/software integration.
- Technical fluency across RF, digital hardware, and embedded software
- A strong cross-functional network builder who gets results through influence across teams they don't manage.
- Exceptional communication and organizational skills, with the ability to translate between technical and executive audiences.
- Proven track record managing complex, multi-phase programs with hardware/software integration.
- Strong familiarity with agile, hybrid, and milestone-driven development methodologies
- Exceptional communication and organizational skills, with the ability to translate between technical and executive audiences.
- Experience with tools like Jira, Confluence, Gantt software, or other collaboration platforms
- Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.
- Bonus: background in maritime, aerospace, defense, or field-deployed sensing systems.

Work Environment:

- Hybrid, with regular time at our Arlington, VA office and occasional local travel to lab facilities in Maryland.
- Periodic travel to contract manufacturers, partners, and customers.
- Flexible working hours with occasional deadlines requiring high availability.

## About Quartermaster

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Quartermaster builds a real-time, distributed maritime awareness network by equipping vessels with AI-powered sensor packages (SmartMast) and an analytics platform.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Arlington, Virginia, United States
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Neil Sobin (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Maritime intelligence, defense technology, AI/robotics, ocean sensing
- **Target customers**: Governments (navies, coast guards), commercial shipping operators, insurers, and maritime researchers (B2G, B2B)
- **Mission**: “Connect every vessel on the water to create a comprehensive, real-time picture of our oceans, unlocking critical data insights that underpin a prosperous global maritime ecosystem.” [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/about)

## Products & Services
- **SmartMast**: A weather-hardened hardware package (cameras, radios, sensors) mounted on a ship’s mast that continuously collects and relays maritime data. Combined with an AI analytics platform, it provides real-time vessel identification, anomaly detection, and environmental monitoring. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Quartermaster Analytics Platform**: Cloud-based software that ingests SmartMast data and applies computer vision and machine learning to generate actionable intelligence for fleet operators, insurers, and government agencies.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $43 million in Series A funding (announced May 20, 2026) [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Co-led by First Round Capital and Quiet Capital, with participation from TMV, Steel Atlas, BoxGroup, Operator Partners, Shorewind Capital, and David (surname not specified). Key hires from Anduril (Steve Ribaudo as CGO) and Scale AI (Matt Beck as COO). [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/about) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 625% year-over-year to 40 employees (as of mid-2026). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
  - Over 600 ships equipped with SmartMast, covering 10 million square miles of ocean. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
  - Assisted in “over 20 rescues of mariners at sea.” [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
  - Operates in 7 countries (Panama, Colombia, South Korea, UAE, Brazil, Taiwan, United States). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary hardware edge**: SmartMast is far more advanced than the standard AIS (Automatic Identification System), which is opt-in and easily spoofed. Quartermaster’s sensors provide persistent, verified, real-time data that is less susceptible to fraud. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Pro-mariner incentive model**: Rather than selling sensors to fleet operators (a tough sell in a low-margin industry), Quartermaster creates value for mariners (e.g., rescue support, safety data) to encourage voluntary adoption, locking in network effects. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **First-mover in distributed ocean sensing**: No other company has deployed a real-time, AI-powered sensor constellation at this scale, giving Quartermaster a data moat and early relationships with governments and commercial fleets.

## Strategic Focus
- **Engineering hiring**: A large portion of the $43M Series A is earmarked for hiring engineers (RF, software, AI, systems) to accelerate product development. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Fleet expansion**: Continue equipping more vessels with SmartMast, especially in key maritime corridors, to densify the network.
- **New applications**: Developing uses for government intelligence, marine autonomy training data, environmental monitoring, and insurance risk assessment.
- **Global presence**: Scaling operations in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East (already in 7 countries). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)

## Why Work Here
- **High-impact mission**: Directly contribute to ocean safety, security, and sustainability – work that has tangible real-world results (e.g., rescues at sea).
- **Fast-growing startup**: 625% YoY headcount growth; employees have significant ownership and influence over product direction.
- **Engineering culture**: “A single engineer can make a significant impact in relatively short periods of time” because the ocean space is largely untapped. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Remote-friendly**: Some roles (e.g., “Opportunity Hire”) are listed as remote, though the HQ in Arlington, VA likely expects hybrid for core engineering teams. [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
- **Diverse, inclusive environment**: Equal opportunity employer that encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply. [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
- **Notable perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company emphasizes pro-mariner values and a collaborative, mission-driven culture.

## Sources
1. [quartermaster.us/about](https://www.quartermaster.us/about)
2. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
3. [linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
4. [quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster)

## Other roles at Quartermaster

- [Security Engineer, Application Security](https://feeny.ai/job/security-engineer-application-security-quartermaster-united-states-jv69v1vj0h7m) — United States
- [Office Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-quartermaster-arlington-xd5zf85jpj3b) — Arlington, VA
- [Associate Human Resources Generalist](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-human-resources-generalist-quartermaster-arlington-m3pqyw5c1qb2) — Arlington, VA
- [Senior Software Engineer / RF Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-rf-systems-quartermaster-arlington-fmg80br2zt9z) — Arlington, VA
- [VP of Supply-Fleet Recruitment](https://feeny.ai/job/vp-of-supply-fleet-recruitment-quartermaster-new-york-jx7vs2ppd95y) — New York, NY
- [Contracts Manager, Government Programs](https://feeny.ai/job/contracts-manager-government-programs-quartermaster-arlington-h3x56j223gc0) — Arlington, VA
- [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-quartermaster-arlington-mn55sdzt8jmb) — Arlington, VA
- [Senior Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-quartermaster-arlington-q6xgwr7w4v39) — Arlington, VA
- [Applied Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/applied-machine-learning-engineer-quartermaster-arlington-8gxjb58ahjjf) — Arlington, VA
- [Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiter-quartermaster-arlington-3sdcz2zcyhe3) — Arlington, VA