Chief Program Engineer (IoT)

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of accountability for all technical aspects of the ECD product line: Blue Light Tower, Blue Light Emergency Phone, Call Box, and Retrofit Kit.
• Lead new product development for the next generation Retrofit Kit – from concept through validation, regulatory approvals, and production ramp – including integration with the Knightscope Signals platform.
• Lead cross-disciplinary engineering efforts to deliver program milestones.
• Own product quality, reliability, and field performance across deployed units nationwide – including installation standards, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and permanent corrective action.
• Manage program schedules, build complexity, technical risks, design reviews, BOM cost targets, and technical program documentation.
• Work closely with supply chain and manufacturing teams to ensure cost, quality, reliability, cybersecurity, and scalability targets are met.
• Serve as the technical resource for marketing, sales, and service – site requirements, specification reviews, proposal support, and technical escalations.
• Interface with executive leadership for program status updates, major decision reviews, growth plans, and risk mitigation.
• Drive continuous innovation to improve ECD product capabilities, manufacturability, installations, and field performance.
• Mentor and develop junior engineering talent as the program and company scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience leading product development or engineering programs across emergency communications, life-safety systems, telecommunications, IoT platforms, smart city infrastructure, or large-scale electromechanical systems.
• Hands-on experience building and validating integrated hardware platforms from prototype through production.
• Familiarity with relevant codes and standards (UL, FCC, ADA, NFPA, and campus life-safety requirements) is a strong plus.
• Exceptional organizational and leadership skills, with proven ability to manage multidisciplinary teams in a startup environment.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, analytical thinking, and decision-making under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, start-up-like environment with minimal supervision.