What's the salary range?

Kodiak Robotics lists $195,000–$260,000 for this role.

How much experience is required?

At least 10 years of relevant experience for this Head of Hardware TPM role.

What's the tech stack?

Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace, Automotive, Robotics.

What seniority level is this role?

Kodiak Robotics targets director candidates for this position.

Is this full-time or contract?

Full-time for this Head of Hardware TPM role at Kodiak Robotics.

Head of Hardware TPM at Kodiak Robotics

Joblaze summary

The Head of Hardware Technical Program Management at Kodiak Robotics oversees the execution of hardware programs, ensuring that projects from concept to deployment are managed effectively. This role requires extensive experience in technical program management within hardware-intensive industries, particularly in robotics or automotive, along with a strong background in leading teams. Ideal candidates will have a proven ability to navigate complex hardware development lifecycles and communicate effectively with executives. Kodiak's focus on autonomous technology positions this role at the forefront of innovation in the transportation sector.

Joblaze insights

Listed 2 days ago — first seen on Joblaze September 29, 2026. Last confirmed on Kodiak Robotics's careers page October 1, 2026.
Salary band is above the typical range for Management roles (median ~$170,000).
Starts above 46% of 270 comparable director management roles in United States we track (median $199,912 across 122 companies).
Automotive appears in 0.2% of 480 comparable director management roles in United States; Robotics appears in 0.2% of 480 comparable director management roles in United States.

Quick facts

What's the salary range?: Kodiak Robotics lists $195,000–$260,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?: At least 10 years of relevant experience for this Head of Hardware TPM role.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace, Automotive, Robotics.
What seniority level is this role?: Kodiak Robotics targets director candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Head of Hardware TPM role at Kodiak Robotics.

From the original posting

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for commercial trucking and the public sector. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi-truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Head of Hardware Technical Program Management

About the Role
We're looking for a Head of Hardware TPM to lead program management across our hardware organization, spanning sensor systems, compute, electrical/mechanical integration, and vehicle-level hardware platforms. You'll own the end-to-end execution rigor that gets hardware from concept through validation to fleet deployment, and you'll lead a team of 3 TPMs covering these programs. This is a leadership role reporting directly to the Director of Program, with high visibility across Engineering, Operations, and executive leadership.

What You'll Do

Own the hardware program roadmap: schedules, milestones, dependencies, and risk tracking across concurrent hardware programs (sensors, compute, harnessing, vehicle integration, etc.)
Lead and grow a team of 3 TPMs, setting standards for program rigor, reporting, and cross-functional communication, and developing them as they take on increasing scope
Partner closely with Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Safety/Compliance to de-risk programs before they become fire drills
Drive design reviews, gate reviews, and change management processes (ECOs/ECRs) to keep programs moving without sacrificing quality
Own escalation paths: identify blockers early, drive resolution, and know when to pull in leadership
Create and maintain program-level visibility for executives: status reporting, risk registers, and roadmap health
Set the strategic direction for hardware program management processes, tooling, and metrics org-wide (e.g., PLM systems, release processes)
Represent hardware program status in cross-functional, executive, and customer-facing settings as needed
Act as a key partner to hardware engineering leadership on org design, resourcing, and prioritization tradeoffs

What We're Looking For

10+ years in technical program management, with deep experience in hardware (mechanical, electrical, or systems-level), robotics, automotive, aerospace, or similar hardware-intensive industries strongly preferred
4+ years managing TPMs or program managers directly, with experience developing senior ICs
Deep familiarity with hardware development lifecycles: DFM/DFA, EVT/DVT/PVT-style validation gates, ECO/PLM processes
Proven track record shipping complex hardware systems on schedule at scale, with a bias toward identifying and killing risk early
Excellent executive communication: able to distill complex, multi-workstream programs into clear risk/status narratives for leadership
Comfortable owning ambiguous, high-stakes problems with no clean home
Bonus: experience with autonomous vehicle systems, sensor hardware (lidar/radar/camera), or safety-critical hardware development

Why This Role Matters
Hardware programs are the backbone of getting real vehicles into the real world. This role will set the direction for how hardware program management scales as the org grows, balancing speed, quality, and risk across a widening portfolio of programs.

The pay range listed below reflects the base salary in our SF/Silicon Valley location, across several internal levels. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors including: work location, experience, relevant training, education, skill level and performance during interview. Total compensation at Kodiak includes base pay, equity, bonus and a competitive benefits package

California Pay Range

$195,000—$260,000 USD

Standard company text repeated across Kodiak Robotics's postings is omitted here.

Head of Hardware TPM

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