Senior Technical Project Manager (ML)

Senior Technical Project Manager – Austin, TX (ML)

Salary range: $140k to $160k

We are looking for a Senior Technical Project Manager with 5+ years of experience to own the end-to-end manufacturing process scaling for the client's proprietary AR waveguides. You'll be the person who takes proven R&D processes and drives them from small-batch validation to high-volume production at scale — working across process engineering, equipment teams, and manufacturing operations at one of the most innovative AR companies in the world.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end NPI process for scaling waveguide manufacturing from 25-wafer proof points to hundreds of thousands of wafers
• Drive output metrics, yield targets, and product quality across the entire manufacturing line — not just a single process step
• Owned a tool or piece of equipment end to end — design through build, validation, deployment
• Comfortable owning 4–5 concurrent tool programs at $7M–$10M scale
• Coordinate across R&D, process development, equipment engineering, and high-volume manufacturing teams to keep scaling programs on track
• Hold technical teams accountable for deliverables, dig into the details, and push engineers to determine when a problem is "solved enough" to move forward
• Manage 4–5 concurrent programs simultaneously, bridging the gap between process invention and factory-ready production

• If from a large company where they own a single module: must demonstrate awareness of how that module fits the full system and how the system is deployed and accepted

Key Requirements

• 5+ years in technical program/project management in semiconductor, optics, or precision manufacturing — must have owned end-to-end process scaling, not just a single module
• Deep sense of ownership and accountability: you own the delivery of the project, not just the status report — no "the project failed because engineering didn't deliver" mindset
• Technical curiosity and fluency to challenge process and equipment engineers on details and make informed judgment calls
• Experience scaling manufacturing processes from development/NPI into high-volume production (fab, cleanroom, or similar environments)
• AI-forward: actively uses AI tools to produce usable work artifacts — not just dabbling, but integrated into daily workflow

• Custom capital-​equipment development:​ has built/developed a tool,​ not just scheduled one
• FAT/SAT ownership plus Tier-​1 equipment vendor and contract-​manufacturer management
• Technical fluency to challenge mechanical,​ electrical,​ software, and process engineers on high-​precision automated systems
• Working understanding of the software/controls side of equipment
• Must be able to work onsite in Texas.

Miscellaneous

• Willing to spend frequent time on the manufacturing floor / in cleanrooms,​ occasional PPE
• Target start:​ November 1,​ 2026, or sooner