Technical Program Manager Jobs in San Diego, CA
Technical Program Manager jobs in San Diego are in strong demand, concentrated in Sorrento Valley, UTC, and the Torrey Pines research corridor across defense technology, biotech, and enterprise software. Employers hiring right now include Shield AI, Intuit, and Tesla. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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As part of the design engineering organization, you will work across the product development and manufacturing lifecycle, shepherding programs from concept and design through prototype development, validation, manufacturing bring-up, and ramp to high-volume production. Your engineering background and experience with semiconductor and/or energy/vehicle products will enable you to understand product and manufacturing requirements, assess technical and operational risks, develop effective validation strategies, and accelerate the transition from engineering development to production.
You will own program execution with a high degree of autonomy, establishing priorities, managing dependencies, resolving cross-functional issues, and ensuring programs meet quality, cost, technical, and schedule objectives. You will communicate program status and key decisions to engineering leadership, proactively identify risks and schedule impacts, and develop recovery plans to keep programs on track.
In addition to managing individual programs, you will help develop and implement tools, processes, and best practices that improve engineering execution, risk management, change management, and organizational productivity.
This role is based in San Diego, with travel to manufacturing facilities in California Bay Area and/or Texas as required by program needs.
What You'll Do
- Own end-to-end program execution for Cell Manufacturing electronics controllers and their PCBAs – from schematic / layout freeze through fabrication, DFM, bring-up, design release, NPI and mass production
- Run a single schedule and risk picture across EE, ME, firmware, integration, test, sourcing, and NPI. Unblock PCBA design release and DFM gates; keep board CMs and internal teams on the same facts
- Serve as the primary interface between the design team and the supply chain and suppliers, ensuring optimal supply chain management and ramp-up plans for all designs, including both prototype and production representative PCBAs
- Take a significant leadership role in the FMEA process for electronics, systems, and integration design areas. Ensure all designs have robust validation and execution plans to achieve quality standards and reduce project risks
- Create and optimize advanced product development and validation processes, making them easily implementable for the team while ensuring maximum value for the business
- Coordinate board builds and trial lots: priorities, material, CM throughput, and issues that would slip the next hardware revision
- Drive alignment between system interfaces (e.g. ME, EE, FW, MFG Process). Turn open questions into owners, dates, and written decisions
- Keep program status, specs, and action trackers current so engineering and leadership can decide the same day
- Oversee and communicate scope, schedule, cost, resources, risks, decisions, and launch changes, ensuring coordination and communication with leadership, stakeholders, and team members, build alignment and accountability across multiple levels of the organization
What You'll Bring
- 2+ years experience of hardware technical project management, including owning PCBA or electronic controller programs. Robotics, automotive, consumer electronics, medical device, or aerospace controller / avionics programs with contract manufacturer experience preferred
- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated experience managing engineering programs for mass-produced electronic products (or semiconductor/ manufacturing equipment related products), from product development and design through validation, manufacturing bring-up, and ramp to mass production
- Knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals is a must and ability to understand sophisticated electronics system design a plus. Examples include low-voltage distribution, power electronics, EMC, or board bring-up. Harness, sensor, or actuator work that interfaces to a controller experience preferred
- Ability to translate complex technical requirements into executable engineering and manufacturing plans. Understanding of the product development lifecycle, including product requirements, design engineering, prototype development, qualification/validation, manufacturing readiness, and production ramp
- Proven ability to identify technical, manufacturing, supply chain, and schedule risks; develop mitigation and recovery plans; and drive programs to meet cost, quality, and schedule objectives
- Organized and detail-oriented, with a strong record of managing complex, cross-functional programs and maintaining clear program documentation and change control. Experience managing product changes, engineering change orders, BOM structures, and product release processes across multiple engineering and manufacturing functions. PCBA design release, DFM, ECO, SMT process, ICT / FCT, or production cut-in with an EMS / board CM experience preferred
- Excellent communication and documentation skills with the ability to understand complex problems and summarize in a simple way to a wide audience. Demonstrated experience creating, maintaining, and communicating integrated engineering and manufacturing schedules to technical teams and executive leadership. Evidence you can run multiple workstreams at once, write a crisp status, and escalate before a date slips
- Must be proficient user in Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word; Experienced with Jira, Confluence, Altium, and Enovia a plus
- Remain engaged, proactive, and positive in tough circumstances, owning assignments and taking full accountability for the team’s overall success
Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
- Tesla Babies program
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
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Who's Hiring
- Shield AI120

- Intuit90

- Tesla60

- Leidos60

- Qualcomm60

Technical Program Manager Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a technical program manager job in San Diego?
San Diego's technical program manager market is driven by defense contractors, biotech companies, and enterprise software firms, with the heaviest concentration of roles in Sorrento Valley, UTC, and Kearny Mesa. Candidates with a background in hardware development cycles, clinical trial coordination, or systems integration stand out because those are the programs these employers actually run. Tailoring your resume to the sector, not just the title, makes a real difference in this market.
Which companies hire technical program managers in San Diego?
Employers hiring technical program managers in San Diego right now include Shield AI, Intuit, and Tesla, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Diego's employer mix leans toward defense primes, medical device companies, and mid-size software firms, many of which run multi-year programs that need dedicated technical program management throughout.
Are there remote technical program manager jobs in San Diego?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the sector. Technical program management is more remote-friendly when the work is coordination-heavy and less tied to physical labs or secure facilities. About 80% of technical program manager openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with the remote options concentrated in software and cloud infrastructure roles rather than defense or biotech, where on-site presence is typically required.
How can I get a technical program manager job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is moving into a technical program manager role from a project coordinator or associate program manager position at a defense contractor or biotech firm, both of which hire entry-level program support staff regularly. Companies in Kearny Mesa and Sorrento Valley often post junior TPM or program analyst roles that develop into full technical program manager tracks. A PMP certification or relevant degree in engineering, computer science, or life sciences helps you compete for those entry points locally.
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