Hardware Technical Program Manager (TPM)

About Tacit We are an early‑stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human‑computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting‑edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life. About the role Our core sensing technology has been validated, and we are now transitioning from research prototypes to a consumer‑ready product. We are hiring a Hardware Technical Program Manager (TPM) to be the backbone of hardware execution across electrical, mechanical, RF, firmware, manufacturing, and operations. This person will own the integrated program plan end‑to‑end, keep teams aligned on milestones and tradeoffs, and ensure we ship hardware that is reliable, testable, and manufacturable. What you'll do Own the end-to-end hardware program plan from concept through prototype builds, EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp, and launch. Build and maintain the integrated master schedule across hardware, firmware, manufacturing test, supply chain, and ops. Drive crisp execution rhythms: weekly cross‑functional syncs, milestone reviews, and decision logs. Manage cross‑team dependencies, identify critical paths, and ensure work is appropriately sequenced to de‑risk the program. Run program management fundamentals: Risk register, issue tracking, mitigations, and escalation paths. Build readiness reviews and phase‑gate checklists. Change control for requirements, scope, and schedule. Partner with engineering leads to translate product intent into clear requirements, interfaces, and acceptance criteria . Coordinate contract manufacturers, ODMs, and key suppliers through design, build, test, and yield improvement. Communicate status to leadership with clarity: progress, tradeoffs, risks, and resourcing needs. Raise the bar on documentation quality so knowledge is shared and decisions are durable. Requirements 5+ years of experience leading cross‑functional hardware programs , ideally for consumer electronics. Demonstrated experience owning and reporting a master schedule for hardware builds, prototyping, validation, and manufacturing readiness. Strong systems intuition across multiple domains (EE, ME, firmware, DFM/DFA, manufacturing/test, validation and reliability), with the ability to represent disciplines outside of your own. Experience working with external partners (CM/ODM/suppliers), including coordinating design, build, and test activities across time zones. Excellent written and verbal communication. You are known for clarity, concision, and follow‑through. High ownership and comfort operating in ambiguity. You can create structure without becoming bureaucratic. Strong candidates may have Experience building or scaling a phase‑gate hardware development process. Experience with wearables, audio products, RF‑constrained systems, or power‑constrained products . Experience standing up manufacturing test and reliability processes in partnership with test/NPI teams. Familiarity with tools like Jira/Linear/Asana, Confluence/Notion, and schedule management tooling. Compensation Range $160,000 - $180,000 plus significant equity. Benefits Competitive equity package Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance Company size: 20-30 people Unlimited PTO Visa sponsorship 3% 401k matching #J-18808-Ljbffr Tacit