Hardware Program Manager Jobs in Santa Ana, CA (NOW HIRING)

The marine industry supports recreation, global commerce, and national defense. And yet it runs on technology that hasn't meaningfully changed in fifty years. Until now.

Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry. We're rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs from first principles. And we're already executing. We started with consumers to develop and harden our core technology. We’re now scaling production of our flagship model with new models and sectors on the horizon. Now we’re extending our platform to commercial applications, starting with tugs, ferries, and defense, with years worth of signed contracts and a pipeline that spans every vessel type on the water.

The technology is proven, the momentum is building, and the opportunity is enormous. The marine industry is going electric and Arc is building the platform that powers it

As Arc's Staff Technical Program Manager for Commercial, you will own commercial programs from award through delivery, starting with a $160M contract to deliver a fleet of electric tugboats. That means owning schedule, scope, and risk for commercial programs from design through production and delivery; contributing delivery and performance inputs to proposals led by our Proposal Specialist; owning the working relationship with our shipyard and build partners; and running the operating cadence that turns customer commitments into delivered vessels.

We're looking for someone fired up by the mission and ready to build. You'll thrive here if you move fast, take ownership, and care about the details. This is a full-time, on-site role at our Los Angeles headquarters

• Owning schedule, scope, and risk for commercial powertrain programs from design through production and delivery, starting with the electric tug program
• Partnering with commercial sales leaders to translate won deals into structured, executable programs
• Contributing delivery and performance inputs to bids, supplying the Proposal Specialist with schedule, risk, and execution content on their timeline
• Pressure-testing delivery feasibility and timelines once an opportunity reaches technical qualification, and coordinating the cross-functional engagement that turns an agreed scope into a buildable plan, ensuring commitments made in the deal are captured, resourced, and delivered
• Owning the working relationship with shipyards and build partners and interfacing with Engineering and Supply Chain to align build plans, long-lead items, and production readiness with customer commitments
• Running the internal operating cadence for new deals and active programs, including program kickoffs (post-award, with the customer), milestone reviews, risk registers, change control, and executive updates
• Synthesizing feedback from new deals and active programs to inform product roadmap, pricing, and commercial playbooks
• Building the program-management processes and tooling that Arc's Commercial business will scale on
• Travel to partner companies (shipyards, operators) to coordinate design and build activities.

• 7+ years of experience delivering complex, multi-disciplinary hardware programs
• Background in marine/shipbuilding, EV/battery, aerospace, defense, or hardware technology program management
• Proficiency with program planning at depth: building complex schedules, mapping interdependencies, and running risk and change management
• Experience working across the sales-to-execution boundary, contributing to proposals and then delivering on the commitments made in them
• Ability to communicate and persuade across engineering, manufacturing, sales, executives, and customers
• Experience owning a vendor or build-partner relationship directly
• This position requires access to information controlled under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be a 'U.S. person' as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.62) — i.e., a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual (asylee or refugee).

• Familiarity with government contracting (milestone-based deliverables, FAR/DFARS, ITAR handling)
• Experience in marine classification processes (e.g., ABS) or high-voltage/battery systems
• Experience standing up program-management processes in a scaling organization
• Comfortable pushing at a fast but sustainable pace
• Enthusiasm for boating and the water

At Arc, we encourage diversity and consider all qualified applicants equally for employment, regardless of background, identity, or status. You’re always welcome to reach out even if you don’t meet many of these qualifications. Passion and aptitude make up for a lot.

The base salary for this role is $175,000 annually.

Highly competitive equity grants are included with full time offers. As well as semi-annual bonuses tied to your impact, not just your tenure.

Additionally, Arc offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

• Healthcare benefits — 99% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision
• Parental leave — 14 weeks fully paid for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Generous time off — Highly competitive PTO with an opportunity to earn more time with tenure
• Income protection — Life and disability insurance for all employees
• Retirement savings —Traditional and Roth 401(k) access
• Water fund — $500 for you to spend each year to get out on the water, however you choose
• Professional development — $500 annual reimbursement for professional development and a monthly AI stipend
• Safety Support- Annual reimbursement for PPE, ergonomic equipment and anything that ensures we keep our crew safe
• Captain training — Training and access to take Arc boats out with friends and family
• Office perks — Daily lunches, snacks, and good coffee while onsite
• Relocation assistance — Available depending on role eligibility.

We move with urgency and build with care. We value these five things above all else:

• Ownership over both your work and the company’s success
• Empathy for colleagues and for customers
• Humility in problem solving and collaboration
• Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly
• Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, and perspectives.

We want people who share and embody these values. It is vital that our values align - we’d be happy to elaborate on any or all of these during the interview process.