R&D Ops Program Manager

Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

Who we are

Axon 911 brings together Prepared and Carbyne under Axon. Together, we are creating the only platform that combines modern 911 infrastructure with an AI intelligence layer-helping public safety agencies move faster, make better decisions, and deliver better outcomes in the moments that matter most.

911 is the backbone of public safety, yet the professionals behind it have long been held back by outdated technology. Axon 911 is here to change that. Joining this team means more than taking a job-it means helping shape the future of emergency response and building a safer, more connected world.

Your Impact

As our R&D Operations Program Manager, you will serve as the operational backbone of the engineering organization. You will drive execution, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment, ensuring the R&D leadership team has the visibility, structure, and processes needed to successfully deliver high-priority business initiatives.

What You’ll Do

• Drive the operational rhythm of the engineering organization, including quarterly planning, sprint demos, leadership meetings, offsites, and engineering communications.
• Own retrospectives and follow-up processes, ensuring action items are tracked and completed while driving accountability across teams.
• Track engineering commitments, proactively surfacing risks, blockers, dependencies, and bottlenecks to leadership.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering processes and eliminate operational friction across Engineering, Research, and Product workflows.
• Partner closely with Engineering Managers to improve planning, scoping, execution, and delivery.
• Own key tooling decisions for project tracking, documentation, and knowledge management.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving Engineering, Product, Operations, Finance, HR, and Legal.
• Manage or co-own R&D operational budgets, including travel, training, and engineering activities.
• Lead or support high-priority strategic initiatives across the engineering organization.
• Build dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide leadership with visibility into engineering health, delivery metrics, and operational performance.
• Drive AI adoption across engineering workflows and promote AI literacy within the organization.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in R&D Operations, Program Management, Technical Program Management, or a similar leadership role.
• Previous hands-on experience in software engineering, quality assurance, product development, or another technical role within an R&D organization.
• Proven experience leading complex cross-functional programs and driving execution across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, sprint planning, release management, and engineering best practices.
• Experience improving engineering processes, delivery efficiency, and organizational execution.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical information into clear executive updates and actionable insights.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience working across Engineering, Product, HR, Finance, Legal, and Operations.
• Experience building dashboards and using tools such as Jira, LinearB, or similar platforms to monitor engineering health and delivery.
• A proactive mindset with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to navigate ambiguity while driving alignment and execution.
• Active use of AI tools to improve productivity, with a passion for helping engineering teams adopt AI-driven ways of working.ֿ

Diversity

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Important Notes

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at [email protected]  or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our  Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We’re committed to hiring the best talent - regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances - and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email [email protected].  Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.

Phishing alert:  Axon will never ask you to pay for any part of the hiring process, including training, equipment, or background checks. We do not make job offers via text message, WhatsApp, or instant messaging platforms without a formal interview process.  All legitimate job openings are listed on our official careers page at https://www.axon.com/careers.  If you receive a suspicious offer or outreach from an email address that is not @axon.com, or if you are asked for sensitive personal information (bank details, Social Security Number) prematurely, please ignore the message and report it to [email protected].