Your New Role and Team
Sanctuary 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 Sanctuary’s 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 program’s 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 Sanctuary’s 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 Criteria
Serve as the single point of accountability for one of Sanctuary’s most complex and strategically significant programsDefine the program’s 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 Sanctuary’s technical and commercial vision
Your Experience and Qualifications
7+ 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 organizationsBachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical discipline
Skills
Exceptional 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 platforms
