Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

As the first dedicated project manager, you will own the work breakdown structure and integrated schedule. You will manage the weekly coordination rhythm, track all tasks and decisions, and proactively identify and mitigate risks to hardware schedules, such as part lead times, manpower shortages, and equipment needs. Your role is crucial in ensuring leadership has accurate information for decision-making and that the team understands their responsibilities and timelines. This position requires a process-oriented individual who can establish lightweight, high-impact project management practices within a startup environment.

Responsibilities

Build and own the work breakdown structure across product lines, decomposing work into tasks with owners, durations, dependencies, and dates.
Build and maintain the integrated master schedule using a Gantt-based tool, ensuring it is current and trusted as the single source of truth.
Identify and track the critical path, flagging slips early and quantifying their impact.
Translate customer commitments, demo dates, and test events into backward-planned schedules with explicit margin.
Maintain a living risk register for common hardware program derailers.
Chase dependencies across engineering, purchasing, and the shop floor to identify and resolve issues proactively.
Coordinate with buyers on long-lead procurement timing and with leadership on staffing gaps.
Run the weekly coordination meeting, setting the agenda, driving decisions, and recording action items.
Capture tasks and decisions from all communications into a tracked system.
Follow up on open actions between meetings to ensure progress.
Provide leadership with clear, current status updates, risks, and upcoming decisions.
Establish the company's project management practices, including task tracking, schedule reviews, and action-item discipline.
Select and administer scheduling and task-tracking tools suitable for a lean team.
Establish processes that bring order without slowing down the R&D team.

Requirements

5+ years of project management experience on complex hardware/electromechanical development programs in robotics, defense, aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, or similar.
Technical background: an engineering degree or hands-on engineering experience on hardware products.
Demonstrated ownership of a WBS and integrated schedule on a multi-disciplinary program.
Expert fluency in Gantt-based scheduling tools (Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar).
Proven risk management on hardware programs, with a track record of catching critical issues before they impact the schedule.
Strong meeting facilitation and action-tracking discipline.
Comfortable leading through influence rather than authority.
Self-sufficient in a low-process environment.
US person (citizen or lawful permanent resident) for ITAR compliance.

Skills

Project Management
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Integrated Master Schedule
Gantt Charts
Critical Path Analysis
Risk Management
Dependency Management
Meeting Facilitation
Action Item Tracking
Hardware Development
Electromechanical Systems
Robotics
Defense Technology
Aerospace
Automotive
Industrial Equipment
Microsoft Project
Smartsheet

Location

Onsite - Austin, TX

Work Type

Direct Hire
Full-Time
Onsite

Experience Level

5+ years of project management experience

Education Level

Engineering degree or hands-on engineering experience

Benefits

Meaningful Early Equity
Direct Roadmap Influence
Mission-Critical Work
State-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facility
100% Employer-Paid Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Premiums
50% Employer Contribution to Dependent Healthcare Premiums
Unlimited PTO
Autonomy and Zero Red Tape
Austin-Based Culture
Relocation Assistance

About the Company

9 Mothers is developing AI-powered counter-drone systems to intercept and neutralize Group 1/sUAS threats in real-time. Backed by top-tier investors, their flagship product is a low-power, counter-drone system designed for edge deployment. The company values field-ready capability and rapid deployment over long-term research, attracting a team of mission-driven builders who want to see their work in the field quickly. They are building the shield against the evolving modern battlefield threats posed by autonomous drones.