Programme Manager (Physical AI/Robotics)

Location: Metzingen, Germany (hybrid); partial remote work available

Company

hirify.global is a fast-growing robotics company developing cognitive service robots and Physical AI capabilities for Health Care, Retail and Hospitality.

What you will do

• Own funded research projects end to end, acting as the single point of contact for external project leads and internal NEURA teams.
• Run project kick-offs and establish cooperation agreements, milestones and reporting cycles with Legal and Finance.
• Track portfolio progress, budgets and deliverables; identify risks, create mitigation plans and ensure corrective actions.
• Coordinate NEURA contributions, including MiPA robots, robotic hands, Gym access and Neuraverse access, including scheduling and technical onboarding.
• Operate weekly execution reviews, monthly management reviews and reporting for the NEURA Research Board.
• Connect project results with product and engineering teams, manage IP and publication topics, build the programme community and improve processes for future calls.

Requirements

• University degree in engineering, computer science, natural sciences or business, or a comparable qualification.
• At least 8 years of experience managing research, funding or innovation programmes with several partners, ideally in robotics, AI or another technology field.
• Hands-on experience with project controlling, including milestones, budgets, reporting and risk management across a project portfolio.
• Good technical understanding of robotics and AI sufficient to discuss work plans and results with researchers and engineers as an equal.
• Confident communication skills, with the ability to align universities, startups and corporate teams and keep commitments on track.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.

Nice to have

• Experience with public funding schemes such as Horizon Europe, BMBF/BMFTR or state programmes, or with industry–academia cooperation.
• Knowledge of cooperation agreements, IP and publication rules in research projects.
• Background in Health Care, Retail or Hospitality.
• German language skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Visible key role in an industry-funded Physical AI research programme with access to universities, research institutes and startups.
• Close cooperation with management and the NEURA Research Board, with short decision paths.
• Hands-on work with MiPA, the Neuraverse and the NEURA Gym, connecting research with products.
• Flexible working hours and partial remote work.
• Full-time, permanent contract in an international robotics team.
• Start as soon as possible, ideally before the first projects begin in December 2026.

Hiring process

• Submit a CV and short cover letter through the careers page.
• Include salary expectations and the earliest possible start date.