Director, Hardware & Deployment Operations

Presto is the leading Voice AI company for restaurant drive-thrus, operating at scale in complex, noisy, customer-facing environments. As the AI partner to more than a dozen of the most iconic American restaurant brands, Presto is building one of the most impactful real-world applications of AI that directly impacts revenue, labor efficiency, and a magical guest experience for millions of people.

AI is not a feature at Presto—it is the foundation of how we build, evaluate, and evolve our products. We operate at lightning speed iteration cycles and are solving some of the hardest problems in Voice AI. We are backed by Remus Capital, were a Y Combinator company, and are headquartered in Silicon Valley.

This may not be the right fit for you, if you are looking for a traditional 9-to-5 environment. We move at the pace of AI. Change is constant, and roadmaps evolve quickly. Presto is for builders, experimenters, and problem-solvers who thrive in ambiguity, learn continuously, and are excited to shape the future of real-world AI alongside a high-performance team.

The Role

We're looking for a Director of Hardware & Deployment Operations to lead our Dallas-based deployment team on-site and drive the rollout of Presto's Voice AI systems nationwide. You'll directly manage the Hardware & Deployment Operations team, and own the schedule, install vendor relationships, hardware procurement, install troubleshooting, and budgeting for the group.

The right person is highly organized and comfortable in the details of a hardware and field-install operation, but doesn't stop there. You build the structure (schedules, trackers, meeting rhythms, escalation paths) that lets the team see problems early, and you hold direct reports accountable for owning their projects end-to-end, rather than relaying information up the chain for someone else to solve.

This role will be full-time on-site and will need to report to our Dallas warehouse located in Addison, TX five (5) days a week.

What You'll Do

Drive Thru Hardware & Tech Stack Subject Matter Expertise

• Expertise in analog and digital Drive Thru base stations - example: HME, 3M, Par - vehicle detection systems and other QSR Drive Thru equipment. Certification and installation experience with these specific systems preferred.
• Understanding of networking, POS systems, and server functionality.

Team Leadership & Accountability

• Own team performance. Directly manage the Deployment team; hold each person accountable for outcomes, not just activity.
• Drive ownership, not pass-through. Expect a diagnosis and recommended path forward on every issue, from yourself and your team, not information relayed without judgment.
• Run structured reviews. Lead every sync with a prepared summary (success rate, key themes, top risks); own the agenda instead of fielding every detail yourself.
• Escalate proactively. Enforce clear escalation triggers and surface your own concerns in real time, without waiting to be asked.
• Coach for independent ownership. Build the team's ability to run projects start to finish, and give direct feedback when work slides back into a reactive pattern.
• Maintain program visibility. Keep a live project and status dashboard so you, your team, and leadership always have an accurate, current view of program health without needing to ask.
• Own the master install and revisit schedule across the technician network; track milestones in JIRA, Zoho, or similar tools.
• Catch scheduling risks early and resolve them directly, rather than waiting for a status meeting to surface them.
• Hold install vendors accountable to SLAs (response time, arrival windows, revisit turnaround); run regular performance reviews.
• Vet and approve new field technicians before they're assigned to live installs.

Hardware Procurement, Assembly & RMA Oversight

• Own current hardware procurement end-to-end: vendor and parts sourcing, purchasing approvals, and budget tracking.
• Oversee in-house assembly, kitting, and QC workflows, and manage the RMA pipeline (intake, diagnostics, repair or replace, tracking) to keep failure rates and turnaround moving in the right direction.
• Build enough depth in today's procurement, assembly, and RMA processes to help evaluate and, over time, transition hardware to the right outsourced manufacturing partner; own that transition once it's underway.

Process & Documentation

• Maintain SOPs and ownership frameworks so the team has a shared, clear definition of what “owning” a project means; refine them continuously based on field feedback and lessons learned.

What We're Looking For

• Hardware / Engineering Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience leading hardware operations, deployment, installation, or field engineering for connected devices, IoT, retail technology, telecom, or comparable environments. Strong working knowledge of electrical and analog/digital systems, hardware failure modes, testing and validation, and field troubleshooting. Able to translate technical complexity into scalable processes for installation, service, RMA, logistics, and quality control.
• 2+ years formally managing people, not just projects: hiring, coaching, and performance-managing direct reports, with specific examples of holding a team accountable for results. Project leadership or informal management alone does not meet this bar.
• Experience owning hardware programs in a fast-moving startup environment, including building operational processes from scratch and working across hardware, software, vendors, and field teams.
• Experience managing vendors and holding them accountable to SLAs.
• Experience with scheduling, project coordination, and budget or cost tracking.
• Strong technical troubleshooting comfort (hardware, cabling, networking, audio and DT base station systems).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to run a clear, well-structured meeting.
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., JIRA) and CRM platforms (e.g., Zoho).
• Experience managing a hybrid team of technicians and project coordinators.

Why Presto

We move at the speed of AI. Change is rapid, experimentation is expected, and roles evolve alongside the technology. This is not a highly prescriptive environment—success requires curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to continuously learn and push boundaries.

You will work on real-world AI deployments at scale, directly impacting restaurant operations and customer experiences across the country.

This role offers meaningful ownership and visibility. Every installation matters. Every successful rollout impacts revenue and operational efficiency for our customers.

If you are a hands-on operator who enjoys solving real-world technical challenges and ensuring things get done correctly the first time, this role offers both responsibility and impact.

The U.S. base salary range for this position is approximately $120,000– $180,000 annually , plus equity and benefits. Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and individual experience. Presto’s compensation philosophy rewards high performers and aligns incentives with long-term value creation.

Benefits for U.S.-based employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) program, and paid time off (PTO). Learn more at .

Our Commitment

We value people from all walks of life and are committed to building an inclusive, equitable work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Presto Phoenix, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

If you need an accommodation to access the application or interview process, please contact .