Hardware Operations Program Manager

Gritt Robotics Hardware Operations Program Manager On-site • Full-time • Mid-level (3–6 years) ABOUT GRITT ROBOTICS Our mission is to help civilization build infrastructure faster — by building intelligence that works in unstructured environments. Our systems are not just tools. They both perform physical work and act as decision-making entities on the job site. ABOUT THE WORK Our mechanical team builds the physical layer the AI runs on — the platform that puts intelligence on a machine and sends it to work. We integrate perception, industrial sensors, compute, and robotic actuators onto proven construction equipment to create autonomous field systems that can perceive, decide, and act on a real jobsite. In practice, that means the role lives at the intersection of mechanical assembly, sensor and compute integration, and OEM-equipment compatibility. The right person is comfortable sourcing brackets, fasteners, and structural parts one hour, chasing down a LiDAR lead time the next, and walking the floor to confirm a finished system is properly integrated and field-ready before it ships. THE ROLE We’re looking for a Hardware Operations Program Manager — think of it as chief of staff to the hardware org. Your job is to make the team and its leads as efficient as possible: clear priorities, unblocked engineers, honest schedules, a tight cadence, and the right parts on the floor when they’re needed. You will also own procurement end-to-end: sourcing components, managing vendors, tracking purchase orders, and making sure the right parts show up in the right place at the right time. And you will be the person who closes the loop — ensuring every Gritt Robotics system is properly assembled, tested, and field-ready before it leaves our facility. This is a hands-on, on-site role for someone who is prompt, organized, and energized by working at the intersection of program management, supply chain, and hardware execution. WHAT YOU’LL DO PROGRAM MANAGEMENT — HARDWARE TEAM - Make the leads more effective. Act as a force multiplier for the hardware leads. Take work off their plate — meeting prep, follow-ups, status rollups, cross-functional coordination — so they can spend their time on engineering decisions. - Run the day-to-day. Keep the team on track with clear task lists, weekly priorities, and sprint-level plans. Know what every engineer is working on and what they need next. - Own the schedule. Build and maintain realistic timelines for each system from design freeze through field deployment. Flag slippage early and drive the team to recover. - Run the cadence. Lead standups, reviews, and planning meetings. Take notes, track action items, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. - Unblock the team. Be the person engineers come to when they’re stuck on a part, a vendor, a tool, or a dependency — and get it resolved fast. - Communicate up and across. Give leadership a clear, honest read on status, risks, and what needs a decision. PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN - Source off-the-shelf parts. Procure mechanical components — brackets, mounts, fasteners, structural and machined parts — plus the LiDAR units, cameras, compute modules, cabling, and connectors that go into each system. - Manage vendors. Build and maintain relationships with mechanical suppliers, sensor and compute distributors, and local machine shops. Negotiate price, lead time, and quality. - Track POs and inventory. Own purchase orders end-to-end, track shipments, and keep an accurate picture of what we have, what we need, and when it arrives. Maintain BOMs per system configuration. - De-risk long-lead items. LiDARs, industrial cameras, and compute modules often have multi-week lead times — anticipate them, place orders early, and qualify alternates before a delay becomes a blocker. - Control cost. Keep spend visible per system, push back on inflated quotes, and help the team make cost-aware sourcing decisions. SYSTEM READINESS, ASSEMBLY & FIELD DEPLOYMENT - Own ‘ready to