Senior Program Manager, Hardware Issue Management

Who we are Atoms is building the machines that power the next era of progress. Over the last decade, software has transformed the digital world. But the physical world, where food is made, minerals are mined, goods are moved, and industries are run, remains far less intelligent, far less efficient, and far more constrained. We’re changing that. Atoms builds Physical AI— real-world robots for the industries that move civilization forward, starting with food, mining, and transport. Our systems are designed to understand, predict, and control the real world with precision, turning complex physical operations into something more reliable, more scalable, and more productive. This work requires more than robotics. It requires deep integration across hardware, software, AI, operations, manufacturing, and real estate. We don’t just build machines in a lab. We deploy them into real environments, operate them, learn from them, and improve them until they work at scale. We are roboticists, engineers, operators, and builders. We believe the next great technology companies will not only transform information, but the physical systems that shape everyday life. If you want to work on hard problems with real-world impact, join us. About the role We are seeking a Senior Program Manager to own hardware issue management for anomalies found during lab testing, on the production floor, and in the field, from intake through verified closure. You’ll run the intake and triage process, own hardware issue tracking in Linear, and keep the record accurate as work progresses. This is a hands-on role based in the garage and test sites, in daily contact with the technicians, test operators, and field engineers who find problems and the engineers who resolve them. What you’ll do • Issue Intake: Own all the paths by which a hardware issue reaches engineering, covering the garage, the lab and test benches, vehicles in service, and supplier and incoming inspection findings. • Issue Tracking in Linear: Own the structure and administration of hardware issue tracking in Linear, including teams and projects, workflow states, label groups, issue templates, intake forms and routing, sub-issue and blocking relationships, and saved views for each audience. • Triage: Run the daily recurring triage on incoming issues. Set severity and priority, distinguish a one-off issue from potential trends, and assign a named owner, a next action, and a committed date to every open issue. • Closure: Drive issues through to verified closure with the responsible engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and field teams. Define what evidence closure requires, and reopen an issue as needed. • Process: Maintain the operating process behind the tracker, including severity and priority definitions, escalation paths, and service levels for triage and closure. • Reporting: Publish hardware issue status on a fixed cadence, covering open volume and aging, closure rate against inflow, top issues by severity and by frequency, and blocked items with named owners, escalated with a recommendation. • Automation and Integration: Use Linear's GraphQL API, integrations, and automation rules to reduce manual entry and keep the record current, including Slack intake, status sync, and reporting generated from the tracker. What we’re looking for • Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical field is required, with 6+ years in program management, engineering program management, or a comparable role. Equivalent hands-on experience will be considered in place of the degree. • Demonstrated ownership of an issue or defect management process end to end, from intake through triage to verified closure, in a hardware or physical product environment. • Experience administering an issue tracker, including workflow design, taxonomy and label structure, permissions, templates, and reporting views. Linear, Jira, or equivalent. • Experience migrating a team or organization onto a tracker or internal system, including data migration, cutover, and driving adoption. • Track record of driving cross-functional issues to closure against committed dates. • Working knowledge of structured problem solving, including 8D, 5-Why, fishbone, and root cause and corrective action, sufficient to judge whether an investigation is complete. • Experience working directly with technicians, test operators, or field service teams. • Demonstrated experience designing an operational process and measuring adherence to it. • Data fluency sufficient to report on tracker and fleet data directly, in SQL against fleet data and GraphQL or scripting against a tracker API. • Strong written communication across process documentation, escalations, and status reporting, for technical and executive audiences. • Ability to work onsite five days a week in San Francisco, with regular time in the garage and some travel to test and deployment sites. Nice to have • Hands-on experience configuring and administering Linear, including its API and automation rules. • Experience in autonomous vehicles, automotive, EV, robotics, aerospace, heavy equipment, or industrial machinery. • Prior work as an engineer, technician, or operator. Why join us At Atoms, you’ll work on one of the defining challenges of our time—bringing automation into the physical world to drive real, lasting impact. We exist to uncover valuable unknown truths and turn them into progress, which means constantly pushing beyond what’s known and building what doesn’t yet exist. The work is ambitious and often challenging, but it’s grounded in a shared sense of purpose and a team committed to seeing it through together. Our work only matters if it serves others, and we know that meaningful progress depends on the trust of the people we serve and the strength of our team—so we invest in both, creating an environment where you can do your best work and grow. What else you need to know This role is based in our San Francisco office. Atoms is a company driven by invention and continuous change - we are constantly reimagining our industries, building new products, and refining how we operate. We do our best work together. That’s why all of our office-based teams work onsite, five days a week. The base salary range for this role is $140,000-$170,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for equity awards. Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees): • Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance • Flexible Spending Account / Health Savings Account Options • 401(k) • Equity • Sick Time, Unlimited Flexible Time Off, and Paid Holidays • Paid Parental Leave • Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit Plan • Team lunch in our SoMa office every Tuesday and Thursday Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion. Atoms accepts applications on an ongoing basis. Ready to join us as we serve those who serve others? #LI-Onsite