Who we are:

Arena Physica is building electromagnetic superintelligence. Our name is inspired by Theodore Roosevelt's 'Citizenship in a Republic' speech. To us, entering the Arena means committing fully and accepting the risk of failure in pursuit of an audacious, worthy cause. We believe the future belongs to those brave enough to build it.

Our team of 50 combines AI engineering and applied physics expertise with deep experience in enterprise deployments. We're headquartered in NYC with presences in San Francisco and Los Angeles, backed by $62M from Initialized, Founders Fund, Goldcrest Capital, Fifth Down Capital, and Shield Capital.

If you're ready to do the most important work of your career, join us in the Arena Physica.

What we do:

Our AI platform Atlas operationalizes physics-grounded intelligence to verify, debug, and optimize hardware across its lifecycle. Atlas is already trusted globally by the world's most advanced hardware companies, including AMD, Anduril, Sivers Semiconductors, and Bausch & Lomb, for applications across R&D, integration testing, production assembly, and field repair.

About the role:

As the founding Technical Program Manager, you will sit at the center of Arena's electrical engineering organization, driving execution across customer accounts and lab operations in close partnership with our Chief Scientist and Chief Operating Officer. This role is for someone who can speak the language of electrical engineers, drive highly strategic initiatives from 0 to 1, and run customer accounts with deep operational rigor and speed.

How you will contribute:

Own customer accounts - Serve as the accountable project manager for customer engagements, owning scope, timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder relationships from kickoff through sign-off.

Drive our electromagnetics and RF lab - own day-to-day operations of our hardware lab including equipment management, product demos, and expansion strategy.

Build operational foundation - implement repeatable systems and processes to enable EE team to scale

Travel domestically and internationally (up to 20% of your time).

Work in person at Arena's NYC HQ when not traveling

You Have:

• 4+ years of professional experience, with at least 2 years in an electrical engineering or hardware engineering role
• Technical program management chops — a track record of driving complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs from kickoff to delivery
• EE fluency — you have deep domain expertise and can speak in-depth with details about the nuances of technical implementation
• Exceptional communication — you can explain complex technical topics clearly, write structured documents, and align teams around a common direction
• High agency — you operate with minimal direction, figure out what needs to happen, and make it happen
• Comfort with ambiguity and startup pace — you thrive when the path isn't fully defined

Benefits & Perks Include:

• 100% of the monthly premium for Aetna medical insurance, plus vision and dental coverage
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Unlimited PTO
• Lunch every day from local restaurants via Sharebite
• Relocation support provided

The base salary range for this position is $150,000 - $225,000 yr. However, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to base salary, we also offer competitive equity and benefits packages.

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.