Bright Machines · 13 hours ago
Senior Technical Program Manager - Software & Controls (Robotic Platform)
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expBright Machines is an innovator in manufacturing, focused on creating a new category of manufacturing through software and data. As a Senior Technical Program Manager, you will lead the development of robotics and hardware capabilities within the next-generation manufacturing platform, driving complex systems integration and program management to enhance production efficiency.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)ElectronicsSoftwareRoboticsInformation TechnologyComputerMachine Learning
Responsibilities
Lead end-to-end execution of software and controls programs that power Bright Machines’ next-generation manufacturing platform. Integrate robotics, perception, motion control, and AI-driven quality systems into scalable, production-ready solutions
Partner with robotics software, controls, perception/ML, hardware, cloud, and manufacturing teams to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance systems
Drive program planning for major platform releases, define scope, system requirements, integration milestones, validation strategy, and deployment readiness
Operate at the intersection of software and physical systems. Identify dependencies across motion planning, real-time controls, machine vision, ML pipelines, embedded systems, and hardware interfaces. Surface and mitigate integration risks early
Lead execution across: Controls architecture and design milestones, Robotics software releases, Perception and ML integration, Hardware-software interface validation, System-level testing and reliability validation
Release management and deployment readiness
Provide clear visibility into program health, including technical risks, integration bottlenecks, performance trade-offs, and schedule alignment
Deliver high-quality releases on time with production-grade reliability. Escalate issues quickly, drive decisions, and maintain momentum in fast-moving environments
Help build scalable program frameworks that support modular platform growth, faster customer deployments, and continuous software-driven improvement
Bring structure and urgency without creating unnecessary process overhead
Travel: Up to 25%, primarily during late-stage builds, supplier work, and customer validation phases
Qualification
Required
BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
5+ years leading complex software and/or controls programs in robotics, automation, or intelligent systems
Strong systems-level understanding of: Robotics software stacks, Real-time controls and motion systems, Machine vision and perception pipelines, ML-enabled quality systems, Hardware/software integration, Release and deployment management
Experience delivering production-grade robotics or automation software — not just prototypes
Demonstrated success driving cross-functional alignment across robotics, firmware, hardware, and cloud teams
Ability to translate architectural trade-offs into executable program plans
Experience operating in fast-paced, high-growth environments with strong engineering cultures
Preferred
Experience building modular, software-defined automation platforms
Exposure to ML/AI systems deployed in real-time production environments
Experience supporting customer deployments and resolving field integration issues
Background in robotics startups or advanced mobility/automation companies in the Bay Area
Company
Bright Machines
Bright Machines brings together flexible factory robots with intelligent software, production data and machine learning.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Bright Machines has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (7)
2024 (7)
2023 (10)
2022 (5)
2021 (1)
2020 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$437MKey Investors
BlackRockJP Morgan ChaseHercules Capital,SVB Financial Group
2024-06-25Series C· $106M
2024-06-25Debt Financing· $20M
2022-10-30Debt Financing· $32M
Leadership Team
Paolo Avagliano
Chief Executive Officer
Recent News
2025-08-03
2025-05-17
Company data provided by crunchbase