{"id":3155071,"url":"https://alion.io/job/sportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems","title":"Project Manager (Hardware & Embedded Systems)","company":{"id":3788806,"name":"Sportable","domain":"sportable.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/sportable","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"BambooHR","truth_index":null},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Cape Town, South Africa"],"countries":["ZA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":22000,"max_usd":54000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":66},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Agile","optional":false},{"name":"Confluence","optional":false},{"name":"FMEA","optional":false},{"name":"Kanban","optional":false},{"name":"Scrum","optional":false},{"name":"SharePoint","optional":false},{"name":"Verification & Validation","optional":false},{"name":"Waterfall","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T14:13:30Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-23","last_verified_at":"2026-10-25T13:16:53Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"Job Description: Project Manager - Hardware & Embedded Systems\nAt Sportable, we’re not just redefining the future of sports technology, we are creating it. As a leading sports data provider, we’ve pioneered world-first innovations such as our range of Smart Balls, and we continue to expand into new sports and new markets. Our products combine custom electronics, precision mechanical design, embedded firmware, and wireless technology, built at scale with our manufacturing partners.\nWe are now seeking a Project Manager(Hardware & Embedded Systems)with strong hardware engineering experience, a track record of taking physical products through stage-gated development into mass production, and a working understanding of Agile to join our dynamic team.\nThis role brings project management leadership to hardware product development, ensuring it meets business goals and quality standards. You will lead the electronics, mechanical, and embedded firmware teams from concept to mass production and product release, working hand in hand with QA and manufacturing. You will own scope and schedules, track risks, and manage stakeholder communication across each programme, handling the project management aspects of design, prototyping, verification and validation testing, certification, and manufacturing. Where firmware is developed iteratively, you will keep sprint delivery aligned with hardware build milestones and drive continuous improvement in how the teams work together.\nIf you thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment and bring strong project leadership with a good understanding of hardware development, we’d love to hear from you.\nRequired skills / Experience:\n5+ years’ experience in hardware product development, including at least 3 years managing complex hardware projects from concept through to mass production, coordinating electronics (PCB/PCBA), mechanical, and embedded firmware teams through EVT, DVT, and PVT builds.\nExperience running stage-gated or hybrid Waterfall/Agile programmes, aligning iterative firmware delivery (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) with hardware design freezes, tooling releases, and build gates.\nSkilled in project planning, resource coordination, and risk and budget tracking, with proficiency in tools such as MS Project, JIRA, Confluence, and SharePoint, and familiarity with PLM and BOM management.\nAbility to engage technically with electronics, mechanical, and firmware engineers and understand challenges such as component lead times, tooling, tolerances, and hardware/firmware integration.\nExperience working closely with QA and manufacturing teams, including contract manufacturers where required, to move products smoothly from development into volume production.\nExperience coordinating product certification and compliance (e.g., CE/UKCA, FCC, RED, EMC, RoHS/REACH).\nAble to adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment and comfortably switch between strategic planning and operational delivery.\nAdvantageous:\nProject management qualifications or professional memberships (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, APM (MAPM), or PMSA (PM/Sr.PM) designations).\nA degree in engineering or a related technical discipline.\nQuality and manufacturing training such as Lean Six Sigma, APQP, or FMEA.\nAgile certification (e.g., Scrum Master).\nProject Planning & Management\nManage the full new product development (NPD) lifecycle - from initial concept through design, prototyping, EVT/DVT/PVT builds, certification, mass production, and launch.\nSupport sustaining work on current and previous-generation products, including maintenance releases, engineering changes, and their schedules.\nDevelop and maintain project plans covering scope, objectives, timelines, budgets, and resource requirements.\nOwn the integrated project schedules for both new product development and sustaining work, including prototype builds and test windows.\nDefine project milestones and deliverables in partnership with electronics, mechanical, firmware, QA, and manufacturing teams, including stage-gate design reviews and build-readiness checks.\nMonitor progress, track risks, and ensure alignment with product and organisational goals.\nWhere teams work in sprints (primarily firmware), support sprint planning and stand-ups and work with Product Owners so that firmware scope and releases stay aligned with hardware builds.\nApply hybrid Agile/Waterfall approaches where appropriate, aligning iterative firmware cycles with structured hardware milestones such as design freeze, tooling release, and build gates, to ensure smooth end-to-end delivery.\nCollaborate with the Head of Project Management to shape project management processes, tools, and overall delivery schedules.\nWork with engineering teams to maintain accurate estimates, monitor performance, and track issues, risks, and opportunities.\nCross-Functional Collaboration\nEnsure strong communication across electronics, mechanical, firmware, QA, procurement, operations, and manufacturing to support smooth product integration and successful launches.\nWork with QA to plan design verification, validation, and reliability testing, and drive defect tracking and corrective actions through to closure.\nPartner with manufacturing and contract manufacturers on new product introduction, DFM/DFA reviews, production test, and a smooth handover to volume production.\nCoordinate with software and data platform teams on interfaces, integration testing, and release timing, so that hardware, firmware, and software deliver as one system.\nTechnical Oversight\nFollow the progress of electronics and mechanical design, prototyping, and testing activities against the plan, and escalate issues that affect schedule, scope, or cost.\nHelp remove technical roadblocks and facilitate problem-solving throughout the Product Lifecycle.\nLiaise with relevant engineers and external test houses to schedule and coordinate certification and compliance testing.\nStay informed on hardware development and quality KPIs (e.g., build yield, test pass rates, defect closure), working with QA to understand their impact on schedules and deliverables.\nBudget Tracking & Resources\nTrack project budgets and expenditure against plan, and flag variances early.\nCoordinate human, material, and technology resources to meet project demands.\nRisk Tracking\nMaintain the project risk register, tracking risks and dependencies such as component supply, obsolescence, tooling, and certification.\nFollow up with risk owners on mitigation plans and reflect agreed changes in project plans.\nStakeholder Communication\nProvide clear, timely updates on project status, risks, performance metrics, and scope changes.\nManage stakeholder expectations through professional and transparent communication.\nProcess Improvement\nDrive continuous improvement in project management practices, capturing lessons learned from each build.\nEnsure adherence to internal policies, quality management processes, industry standards, and regulatory requirements.\nLeadership & Team Development\nLead and motivate cross-functional teams to deliver effectively.\nMentor team members and support their professional development.\nPersonal qualities:\nStrong time management and organisational skills.\nExcellent verbal and written communication abilities.\nConfident presenter with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.\nAnalytical, technically minded, and adept at problem-solving.\nAble to work independently as well as part of a team with a hands-on, sleeves rolled-up approach that thrives in a fast-paced environment\nReporting directly to:\nHead of Project Management\nWorking closely with:\nNPD teams, notably Electronics, Mechanical, and Embedded Firmware\nQA and Manufacturing/Operations teams, including contract manufacturers\nSoftware and Data Platform teams\nProduct Management\nHeads of department and the senior management team\nPerks and benefits:\nHybrid work environment \nGenerous annual leave - 21 working days per year, plus South African public holidays\nPension Salary contribution \nOpportunity for global collaboration \nDiversity statement:\nSportable is a committed equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from disabled candidates, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.\nPlease Note: If you have not received a response from us within two weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8341,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Hybrid work","Professional development"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Electrical & Electronic Engineering","Sports Analytics","Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-23T14:13:30Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":49,"reasons":["conf:0","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-25T05:49:26Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/sportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/sportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-25T16:05:10Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":23127,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-26T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3788806},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3788806"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fsportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fsportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fsportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/sportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fsportable-project-manager-hardware-embedded-systems"}]}