Director, Engineering Program Management
Axon · Scottsdale, United States · 14d ago
Join Axon and be a Force for Good.
At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.
Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.
Your Impact
At Axon, we build technology that helps Protect Life and address some of society’s most critical safety challenges. Our products combine complex hardware, software, firmware, and manufacturing technologies and are deployed by customers around the world.
As Director of Engineering Program Management, you will lead the Engineering Program Management organization responsible for driving Axon’s Devices products from early concept through development, validation, and launch.
You will lead and develop a team of high-performing Engineering Program Managers who work at the center of Engineering, Product, Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations. Your organization will create the structure, clarity, and accountability that enables cross-functional teams to execute effectively while navigating the technical complexity, ambiguity, and trade-offs inherent in developing world-class products.
Beyond individual program execution, you will own how Engineering Program Management operates across the Devices portfolio. You will help establish development processes, portfolio governance, planning mechanisms, and decision frameworks that allow Axon to scale while maintaining the speed, agility, and ownership required to innovate.
This role requires a leader who can operate at both the strategic and execution levels—someone who can build an exceptional program management organization, partner effectively with senior Engineering and Product leaders, and dive deeply into a critical program when necessary to help teams work through complex technical or execution challenges.
What You’ll Do
Lead the Engineering Program Management Organization
- Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of Engineering Program Managers responsible for complex hardware and connected-device development programs.
- Establish clear expectations for program leadership, execution rigor, communication, risk management, and cross-functional accountability.
- Build organizational capability through coaching, hiring, talent development, and succession planning.
- Foster a culture of ownership, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Own Portfolio-Level Program Execution
- Oversee execution of the Devices product development portfolio from early concept through product launch.
- Maintain visibility across program schedules, dependencies, risks, budgets, resources, and major development milestones.
- Identify systemic risks and cross-program dependencies early and drive resolution with Engineering, Product, and Operations leadership.
- Establish mechanisms that provide leadership with clear, objective visibility into portfolio health and enable timely decision-making.
- Step into critical programs when necessary to help teams resolve ambiguity, remove roadblocks, and establish a credible path forward.
Drive Product Development Excellence
- Own and continuously evolve the program management processes and operating mechanisms used to develop Axon Devices products.
- Establish scalable development frameworks that provide appropriate rigor and governance without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Drive consistent execution of phase-gate, build-readiness, risk-management, change-control, and launch-readiness processes.
- Partner with Engineering leaders to continually improve how teams plan, make decisions, manage dependencies, and execute complex product development.
Lead Cross-Functional Alignment
- Partner closely with leaders across Hardware Engineering, Firmware, Software, Industrial Design, Product Management, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations.
- Ensure teams are aligned on program objectives, priorities, requirements, development plans, and key trade-offs.
- Create clarity where ownership or priorities are ambiguous and facilitate decisions that allow teams to maintain momentum.
- Build strong relationships across functions and influence outcomes even where direct organizational authority does not exist.
Manage Portfolio Priorities and Resources
- Partner with Engineering and Product leadership to translate product strategy into executable development plans.
- Evaluate resource needs and constraints across the portfolio and help leadership make informed prioritization and investment decisions.
- Identify conflicts between programs and drive decisions around sequencing, resources, schedules, and scope.
- Balance speed, technical risk, customer needs, quality, cost, and organizational capacity when evaluating program trade-offs.
Own Financial and Program Planning
- Oversee program operating and capital budgets across the Devices development portfolio.
- Establish disciplined forecasting and budget-management practices across the EPM organization.
- Partner with Engineering, Finance, and Product leadership on resource planning, investment decisions, and portfolio forecasts.
- Ensure program teams understand both the technical and business implications of development decisions.
Drive Executive Communication and Decision-Making
- Provide clear, concise, and objective communication to senior and executive leadership regarding portfolio health, key risks, decisions, and trade-offs.
- Ensure risks and issues are surfaced early, with clear ownership and actionable paths toward resolution.
- Distill complex technical and cross-functional issues into the information necessary for effective leadership decisions.
- Facilitate difficult decisions where technical, schedule, financial, customer, and business priorities compete.
What You Bring
- 12+ years of relevant experience in engineering program management, technical program management, product development, or related roles, with significant experience developing complex hardware products.
- 5+ years of people leadership experience, including building, developing, and leading high-performing program management teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading multiple complex hardware or connected-device programs from concept through production launch.
- Strong understanding of hardware product development, including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, firmware/software integration, validation, manufacturing, and new product introduction.
- Deep program management expertise across schedule development, risk management, resource planning, budget management, development milestones, and cross-functional execution.
- Experience developing and scaling product development processes, governance models, and operating mechanisms across an organization.
- Demonstrated ability to manage a portfolio of programs and make thoughtful prioritization and resource trade-offs.
- Strong business and financial acumen, including experience managing significant development budgets and capital investments.
- Proven ability to influence across organizational boundaries and align diverse technical and business teams around a common objective.
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, create clarity, and drive decisions in a fast-moving product development environment.
- Ability to understand complex technical issues, ask the right questions, and communicate implications effectively to both engineering teams and executive leadership.
- Exceptional judgment, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance technical, schedule, cost, quality, and customer considerations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated effectiveness communicating with senior and executive leadership.
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing high-volume consumer electronics, connected devices, cameras, communications products, or similarly complex hardware systems.
- Experience working with global manufacturing, CM/JDM, and supply-chain partners.
- Experience operating in a fast-growing organization where product development processes and organizational structures are evolving.
- Experience managing products that combine hardware, firmware, software, cloud connectivity, and manufacturing complexity.
Benefits that Benefit You
- Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
- Discretionary paid time off
- Paid parental leave for all
- Medical, Dental, Vision plans
- Fitness Programs
- Emotional & Mental Wellness support
- Learning & Development programs
- And yes, we have snacks in our offices
Axon and all Axon-affiliated entities are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Important Notes
The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.
Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.
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Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.
We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We’re committed to hiring the best talent — regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances — and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email recruitingops@axon.com. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.
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