Hardware Technical Program Manager

Who we are:

Glydways is reimagining what public transit can be. We believe that mobility is the gateway to opportunity—connecting people to housing, education, employment, commerce, and care. By making transportation more accessible, affordable, and sustainable, we empower communities to thrive and unlock economic and social prosperity. Our mission is to revolutionize transit with a solution that delivers high capacity, exceptional user experiences, unmatched affordability, and minimal environmental impact. The Glydways system is a groundbreaking network of carbon-neutral, interconnected transit pathways powered by standardized autonomous vehicles on dedicated roadways. Operating 24/7 with on-demand access, it offers personalized and efficient mobility—without the burden of heavy upfront infrastructure costs or ongoing taxpayer subsidies. With Glydways, we’re building more than a transportation system; we’re creating a future where everyone, everywhere, has the freedom to move. Role Overview We are seeking an experienced Hardware Technical Program Manager with a strong background in automotive vehicle development and the full hardware product lifecycle; from concept and prototyping through production launch and scaling. In this role, you will lead cross-functional program execution for complex vehicle and hardware systems, ensuring that engineering deliverables, supply chain readiness, testing, and manufacturing, and safety align to cost, schedule, and quality targets. What You’ll Do Program Strategy, Planning & Execution Technical Direction & Strategy Define and own the advanced development strategy and roadmap aligned to company and product objectives. Define and track KPIs such as time-to-first-prototype, iteration velocity, TRL progression, and conversion rate to product. Stay current on emerging technologies and prototyping methods to expand organizational capabilities. Program & Resource Management Develop and manage budgets, timelines, dependencies and resource allocation for hardware initiatives. Drive alignment and prioritize competing requests; manage expectations across multiple stakeholders. Partner with supply chain, vendors, and external partners to source specialized components and fabrication support. Partner with Legal to shape IP strategy; drive disclosures, patents, and publications as appropriate.

Hardware Development Lifecycle Management

Manage all phases of hardware development:

• Drive rapid experimentation and learning loops; institutionalize best practices for design of experiments, documentation, and knowledge transfer.
• Provide technical direction and reviews for requirements, design, code and integration of complex hardware systems.
• Collaborate closely with cross functional teams to ensure early prototypes meet functional and performance needs and late-stage systems are ready for transfer into production systems.
• Help source and develop modular hardware and software infrastructure
• Be ready to roll up sleeves and get some hands-on time building and writing code alongside the team.
• Drive design for manufacturability (DFM/DFA), supplier engagement, and hand-off to manufacturing and supply chain teams.
• Manage prototype builds, integration events, and system-level validation and reliability testing.
• Work directly with production, test, and quality to ensure systems meet reliability, qualification, and sustainment requirements
• Support field deployments and test events to gather feedback, debug issues, and identify improvement opportunities.
• Leverage knowledge of automotive standards, safety, and quality requirements.

Coordinate with engineering teams on system integration, testing, and homologation (if applicable). Ensure compliance with applicable automotive and industry regulations.

Concept, requirements definition, design & prototyping Pre-production builds and production launch Supply Chain & Vendor Coordination Partner with supply chain to align lead times, sourcing strategies, and inventory plans with the program schedule. Manage external vendors and partners for component selection, prototyping, materials evaluation, and manufacturing, ensuring adherence to quality and schedule objectives Manage vendor and manufacturing readiness, including prototype and production build planning. Track critical parts, long-lead items, and component delivery risks.

Risk & Change Management Identify and track risks; implement mitigation plans early. Own the hardware change lifecycle from Engineering Change Approval through implementation, ensuring scope, ownership, timelines, and outcomes are clearly defined and aligned. Establish effective governance and operating rhythm, driving cross-functional readiness across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Test, and Planning while surfacing risks and trade-offs early. Define and enforce clear entry/exit criteria for change phases, ensuring smooth handoffs, accountability, and transparent communication across teams. Partner with procurement, production, and planning to develop and execute implementation strategies, including sequencing, build applicability, and retrofit planning. Maintain clear visibility and reporting by consolidating data from multiple systems, tracking key metrics, and escalating issues with actionable options. Continuously improve the process by simplifying templates, introducing automation where valuable, documenting the operating model, and mentoring partner teams to enable scale. Maintain clear communication channels for scope, schedule, and resource changes.

Cross-Functional Leadership Serve as the single point of accountability for overall hardware program delivery. Coordinate design reviews and ensure closure of action items. Ensure cross-functional teams adhere to stage-gate or milestone processes. Facilitate / drive timely decision-making. Ensure alignment between engineering requirements and operational readiness. What You Bring 10+ years of experience in program management or engineering program coordination in the automotive or related industries. Proven track record managing vehicle development programs from concept to launch. Strong understanding of hardware development lifecycle, manufacturing processes, and supply chain operations. Excellent project management skills (Gantt charts, dependency tracking, risk management). Proficiency in tools such as Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, MS Project, or similar. Strong communication, negotiation, and leadership skills — able to influence across functions. Experience with automotive standards (ISO, IATF, FMVSS, etc.) is a plus. Nice to Have Experience in electric or autonomous vehicle programs. Background in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering. Familiarity with APQP, PPAP, and other automotive production readiness processes. Experience with design for manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) principles. Glydways 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.