Operations / Program Manager

About the Role

We’re running pilots in real facilities with real constraints: access windows, network/security approvals, shipping lead times, calibration cycles, and “someone mounted it differently than the diagram.” Success depends less on heroics and more on execution discipline.

The Operations / Program Manager owns the machinery that makes pilots repeatable: schedules, dependencies, vendors, runbooks, documentation receipts, and the cadence that keeps engineering, field, and customers aligned.

What You’ll Do

• Pilot program orchestration: plan and run pilot timelines end-to-end (site survey → install → commissioning → baseline → readouts → expansion decision).
• Cross-functional coordination: keep engineering, solutions/field, product, and customers aligned on deliverables, blockers, and decision gates.
• Vendor & procurement management: manage sensors, cabling, installers, calibration services, shipping/fulfillment; track lead times and alternates.
• Documentation discipline (“receipts”): enforce consistent records for every deployment: device IDs, firmware versions, calibration constants, placement diagrams, network settings, acceptance tests, outcomes.
• Operational playbooks: build and maintain SOPs and checklists for installs, commissioning, troubleshooting, returns/RMA.
• Risk & change management: identify schedule risks early (access windows, security approvals, change freezes), maintain mitigations, communicate clearly.
• Metrics & reporting: track pilot KPIs (time-to-install, commissioning pass rate, validity uptime, alert quality) and publish weekly status.
• Continuous improvement: convert pilot learnings into better templates, fewer repeat mistakes, and lower friction for the next deployment.

Concrete Deliverables

• A pilot master schedule template with standard phases, gates, and required artifacts.
• A vendor roster + BOM playbook: preferred suppliers, lead times, alternates, pricing, reorder triggers.
• A deployment receipt packet standard (what must be captured every time) + a storage/filing convention.
• A commissioning + acceptance checklist that results in a clear pass/fail sign-off.
• A weekly pilot operating rhythm: status notes, risk register, decision log, owner tracking.

Required Qualifications

• Program/project management experience in technical environments (hardware/software, IoT, industrial, facilities, or similar).
• Proven ability to manage schedules with real dependencies and external stakeholders.
• Vendor management experience: procurement coordination, lead times, SOWs, quality expectations.
• Excellent written communication and documentation habits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience running pilots in facilities/data center contexts (access control, security reviews, change windows).
• Familiarity with instrumentation deployments (calibration cycles, sensor placement variability, field constraints).
• Experience building SOPs and operational playbooks that scale from 1 pilot to 50 sites.
• Comfort using tooling like Jira/Linear, Notion/Confluence, Google Workspace, Airtable, and basic dashboards.

How You’ll Be Measured (First 60–90 Days)

• Pilots run on a predictable cadence with clear gates and fewer surprise blockers.
• Vendor delays and missing parts drop because procurement and lead times are managed proactively.
• Documentation quality improves: every pilot has complete receipts and reproducible installation context.
• The team wastes less time re-learning the same lessons because SOPs and templates exist and are used.

Working Style

• You love checklists, but only the kind that reduce real chaos.
• You keep a decision log so the team doesn’t argue with history.
• You are calm under ambiguity and relentless about closure.

Title & Level

Operations / Program Manager (mid-to-senior; can scale to Program Director as pilots scale), partnering with solutions/field, product, and engineering.