Senior Technical Program Manager II - AI

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. About the Role At Axon, we are building technology that protects life and transforms public safety. As a Senior Technical Program Manager II, AI , you will play a pivotal role at the intersection of AI Research, Engineering, Product Management, and hardware ecosystems. You will take ownership of cross-functional AI initiatives from early concept through model development, cloud/edge deployment, and continuous post-launch optimization. In this role, you will lead high-visibility programs spanning Generative AI workflows (Draft One, Form One), Video Search & Automated Redaction, and On-Device Edge Vision & Guardian Alerts. You will serve as a strategic technical operator—de-risking complex ML systems, scaling internal delivery mechanisms, and bridging the gap between state-of-the-art research and mission-critical production environments. Key Responsibilities • End-to-End Program Ownership: Orchestrate complex, multi-team AI initiatives from design and data collection to model training, deployment, and post-launch evaluation. • Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with AI Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, Product Managers, and Executive Leadership to define strategic roadmaps, prioritize opportunity areas, and align delivery milestones. • Scale Edge & Cloud Systems: Coordinate the technical dependencies between cutting-edge AI research, cloud microservices (AWS/Azure/GCP), and resource-constrained IoT/Edge devices. • Delivery & Executive Governance: Define key success metrics, work breakdown structures, and program roadmaps. Own executive reporting and operational frameworks (MBRs, ZBB, risk reviews). • Data Lifecycle Oversight: Manage end-to-end data strategies, including dataset acquisition, annotation pipelines, model evaluation, and third-party vendor management. • Enablement & Mentorship: Elevate overall AI literacy across customer-facing product pillars. Coach and mentor junior TPMs to drive execution excellence across the broader organization. Basic Qualifications • Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related highly technical field. • Core TPM Experience: 7+ years of hands-on experience in a software development organization building large-scale distributed systems as a TPM, Technical Lead, or Product/Engineering Manager. • Machine Learning Track Record: 5+ years of dedicated experience managing complex machine learning programs from concept to production delivery. • Cloud & Platform Mastery: Demonstrated expertise with ML platforms and cloud model deployment on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. • Technical Communication: Proven ability to author clear, high-quality technical specifications and architectural documentation for complex, multi-tiered systems. • Ambiguity & Execution: Proven track record of translating highly ambiguous product requirements into structured delivery plans while managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Preferred Qualifications • Advanced Degree: Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline. • Hands-on Technical Depth: Background as a former ML researc