Senior Technical Program Manager II - AI

About the role

At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other. Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

As a Senior Technical Program Manager II, AI, you will play a pivotal role at the intersection of AI Research, Engineering, Product Management, and hardware ecosystems. You will take ownership of cross-functional AI initiatives from early concept through model development, cloud/edge deployment, and continuous post-launch optimization.

In this role, you will lead high-visibility programs spanning Generative AI workflows (Draft One, Form One), Video Search & Automated Redaction, and On-Device Edge Vision & Guardian Alerts. You will serve as a strategic technical operator—de‑risking complex ML systems, scaling internal delivery mechanisms, and bridging the gap between state‑of‑the‑art research and mission‑critical production environments.

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long‑term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Responsibilities

• Orchestrate complex, multi‑team AI initiatives from design and data collection to model training, deployment, and post‑launch evaluation.
• Partner closely with AI Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, Product Managers, and Executive Leadership to define strategic roadmaps, prioritize opportunity areas, and align delivery milestones.
• Coordinate the technical dependencies between cutting‑edge AI research, cloud microservices (AWS/Azure/GCP), and resource‑constrained IoT/Edge devices.
• Define key success metrics, work breakdown structures, and program roadmaps. Own executive reporting and operational frameworks (MBRs, ZBB, risk reviews).
• Manage end‑to‑end data strategies, including dataset acquisition, annotation pipelines, model evaluation, and third‑party vendor management.
• Elevate overall AI literacy across customer‑facing product pillars. Coach and mentor junior TPMs to drive execution excellence across the broader organization.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related highly technical field.
• 7+ years of hands‑on experience in a software development organization building large‑scale distributed systems as a TPM, Technical Lead, or Product/Engineering Manager.
• 5+ years of dedicated experience managing complex machine learning programs from concept to production delivery.
• Demonstrated expertise with ML platforms and cloud model deployment on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Proven ability to author clear, high‑quality technical specifications and architectural documentation for complex, multi‑tiered systems.
• Proven track record of translating highly ambiguous product requirements into structured delivery plans while managing competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Background as a former ML researcher, engineer, or engineering manager. Ability to write Python scripts to evaluate, benchmark, or triage ML model performance.
• Direct experience deploying ML/CV models on‑device (IoT/Edge) under strict power, compute, memory, and latency constraints.
• Fluency with modern Deep Learning/LLM frameworks, third‑party ML platforms, continuous learning loops, and AutoML systems.
• Deep understanding of AI safety, ethics, and model fairness. Public speaking, publications, or active contributions to the ML community are a strong plus.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• Snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work. To see more details on our benefits offerings please visit https://www.axon.com/careers.

Pay

Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills