NPI Program Manager

At Serve Robotics, we’re reimagining how things move in cities. Our personable sidewalk robot is our vision for the future. It’s designed to take deliveries away from congested streets, make deliveries available to more people, and benefit local businesses.

The Serve fleet has been delighting merchants, customers, and pedestrians along the way in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago while doing commercial deliveries. We’re looking for talented individuals who will grow robotic deliveries from surprising novelty to efficient ubiquity.

We are tech industry veterans in software, hardware, and design who are pooling our skills to build the future we want to live in. We are solving real-world problems leveraging robotics, machine learning and computer vision, among other disciplines, with a mindful eye towards the end-to-end user experience. Our team is agile, diverse, and driven. We believe that the best way to solve complicated dynamic problems is collaboratively and respectfully.

As a New Product Introduction (NPI) Program Manager based in Asia, you will lead the end-to-end lifecycle of next-generation electrical and electromechanical components, ensuring seamless transition from design to high-volume manufacturing. You will manage a strategic regional supply base specializing in electric vehicle (EV) battery powertrain systems, advanced sensors, and connected devices to meet the defined quality and performance requirements. By aligning supplier capabilities with the long-term product roadmap, you will mitigate technical risks and drive the successful launch of innovative hardware solutions.

Responsibilities

• Upstream Supply Chain Management: Identify, vet, and manage regional electrical and electromechanical suppliers, ensuring their capabilities align with the technical requirements of Serve’s future device roadmaps.

• US-Asia Liaison: Serve as the primary communication bridge between US-based Engineering/Design teams and Asia-based suppliers to ensure design intent is preserved through the manufacturing transition.

• Master Schedule Ownership: Develop and maintain detailed NPI schedules, tracking key milestones from Proto and EVT (Engineering Validation) through to MP (Mass Production).

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead weekly technical and operational meetings with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve bottlenecks and ensure departmental alignment.

• Engineering Change Management: Track all Engineering Change Requests (ECR) and Engineering Change Orders (ECO), ensuring strict revision control and that updated specifications are implemented on the factory floor.

• Risk Mitigation & Timeline Fidelity: Proactively identify supply chain risks, such as long-lead-time electrical components to ensure development timelines and product launch dates are met.

• Quality & Reliability Support: Partner with Quality teams to oversee supplier validation processes, ensuring components meet rigorous reliability requirements that adhere to automotive standards.

• Capacity & Scalability Planning: Monitor supplier manufacturing capacity and tooling readiness to ensure the supply base can scale from low-volume samples to high-volume production.

• Cost & BOM Management: Monitor Bill of Materials (BOM) health, tracking component costs and assisting in negotiations to meet target margins without compromising technical specifications.

• On-site Supplier Audits: Conduct regular site visits to Asia-based facilities to audit production lines, verify progress, and troubleshoot electromechanical assembly issues in real-time.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field.

• Hardware Lifecycle Expertise: Proven track record of managing at least 2–3 full hardware development cycles (from Proto/EVT through to Mass Production/MP).

• Complex Systems: Minimum of 8 years of experience in program management, specifically within complex electromechanical systems (e.g., automotive, robotics, or high-end consumer electronics).

• Asia Manufacturing Presence: Extensive experience working directly with Asia-based suppliers and a deep understanding of regional manufacturing ecosystems and business cultures.

• Program Management Tools: Proficiency in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software (e.g., Arenal) and project tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Smartsheet).

• Communication: Exceptional English verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical updates into executive-level summaries.

What makes you stand out

• Advanced Degree: Master’s degree in Engineering or an MBA with a focus on Operations or Supply Chain.

• Domain Expertise: Specific experience in EV battery powertrain systems, high-voltage safety standards, or sensor technology stack experience, including GMSL cameras, Lidar systems, and radar.

• Technical Literacy: Ability to interpret 2D/3D CAD drawings, Schematics, and Bill of Materials (BOM) to discuss technical blockers with US Engineering teams.

• Linguistic Ability: Professional fluency in Mandarin Chinese (verbal and written) to facilitate real-time technical troubleshooting with our partners.