Program Lead

Program LeadYour New Role and TeamSanctuary AI, a world leader in building dexterity-driven Physical AI for general purpose robots, is looking to hire a Program Lead to lead one of Sanctuarys core company programs. Each Sanctuary program represents a major cross-functional effort that integrates software, hardware, and machine learning into cohesive systems designed to push the boundaries of robotics and intelligence.Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Program Lead acts as the accountable owner for the programs success. You will define goals, orchestrate delivery, and manage the resources, tradeoffs, and dependencies required to achieve them. You will partner closely with leaders across engineering, product, operations, and research to ensure that program outcomes directly advance Sanctuarys mission to build human-like intelligence in machines.The ideal candidate combines technical fluency, business judgment, and a strong sense of ownership. You see the program as a business within the business and are motivated by building something enduring and impactful.Success CriteriaServe as the single point of accountability for one of Sanctuarys most complex and strategically significant programsDefine the programs strategic objectives, roadmap, and success metrics in partnership with executive and technical leadershipTranslate high-level goals into executable plans that balance innovation, speed, and qualityManage and prioritize resources, budgets, and timelines to ensure optimal use of both internal and external capabilitiesDrive decision-making across functions and ensure alignment between technical execution and business outcomesIdentify risks, evaluate tradeoffs, and guide cross-functional problem-solving to keep the program on trackCommunicate progress, decisions, and strategic implications to company leadership with clarity and credibilityRepresent the program internally and externally, ensuring consistent alignment with Sanctuarys technical and commercial visionYour Experience and Qualifications7+ years of experience leading complex, multi-disciplinary programs in robotics, AI, or advanced engineering environmentsProven success owning program outcomes that span technical development, operational delivery, and cross-functional alignmentStrong business and technical acumen, with the ability to engage deeply on both strategic direction and detailed executionDemonstrated experience managing budgets, dependencies, and external partnershipsTrack record of influencing senior leaders and driving alignment across large organizationsBachelors degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical disciplineSkillsExceptional ability to connect technical detail to strategic intent and business impactSkilled at building and maintaining alignment across diverse teams with differing prioritiesAdept at resource and schedule management, risk analysis, and tradeoff decision-makingStrong analytical and systems thinking capabilities to manage interdependent technical domainsClear and persuasive communicator, able to tailor messaging for technical and non-technical audiencesProficient in modern program management tools and frameworks such as Jira, Smartsheet, or similar platformsTraitsOperates as a true owner of the program, with strong accountability for outcomes rather than tasksBalances strategic vision with a bias for pragmatic executionCollaborative, grounded, and trusted by peers across disciplinesThrives in high-complexity, high-ambiguity environments where clarity must be created rather than foundDeeply motivated by Sanctuarys mission to create human-like intelligence in machines and bring it to practical use in the worldWorking at Sanctuary AISanctuary AI is an equal opportunity employer; employment with Sanctuary AI is governed based on skills, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any way by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. In 2023, Sanctuary AI moved into a state-of-the-art office facility and has been recognized by as a Top Startup company. Compensation and BenefitsSanctuary offers a market-leading compensation package that includes competitive salaries, equity stakes, and a full suite of benefits for permanent employees, encompassing health coverage, paid time off, cutting-edge work facilities, and worksite flexibility by role. Our commitment to fairness ensures that our total compensation consistently surpasses market standards.About Sanctuary AIFounded in 2018, Sanctuary builds humanoid robots and a novel control system for them that integrates symbolic logic and reasoning with data-driven robot foundation models. We use our robots to collect vision, audio, touch, and proprioception data from the perspective of the robot while they perform real-world work tasks. We use that data to train multimodal robot foundation models. Because our systems are vertically integrated, we can design, deploy, and refine at scale. Our mission is to create the world's first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.Recruiting and Employment Agency Notice:Recruitment and hiring is conducted internally by Sanctuary AI. We are not seeking or soliciting any new agency partnerships or agreements at this time. Any employment agency or professional recruiter (Agency) that provides an unsolicited resume(s) or otherwise presents a prospective job candidate through the Sanctuary AI career site or directly to any Sanctuary AI employee, irrevocably grants to Sanctuary AI the unrestricted right to engage, hire, or contract with that candidate at Sanctuary AI's sole discretion without any compensation to the Agency. We appreciate your interest in working together, and should the need arise our Talent Acquisition team will contact any external firms directly.PI5f22d9ca4e74-30511-38883825