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David T Phung → FieldAI

Technical Program Manager - Robotics & Autonomy

I've spent 7 years delivering construction projects. Now I want to deploy the robots that are transforming how those projects get built.

Los Angeles, CA B.Arch, Woodbury U.S. Citizen Ability to Travel Available Now
Background

I know what happens on a construction site.

I studied architecture. My B.Arch trained me to read MEP drawings, evaluate constructability, and think in systems. That foundation is why I understand what it means to deploy technology where steel, concrete, and trades converge, and why robots on active jobsites need someone who speaks both languages.

At Gruen Associates, I spent 5 years managing 4 commercial construction projects totaling over $25M. Luxury retail tenant improvements across Southern California, coordinating 20+ consultants, 4 general contractors, and 3 government agencies. I held the line at a 3% change order rate against an industry average of 8-12%, with zero litigation and a 95% on-time delivery rate.

Then I built something from scratch. Happy Friday Coffee was a commercial kitchen I took from permit to production: Type I hoods, Ansul fire suppression, walk-in coolers, heavy electrical. I didn't just build it, I operated it, scaling throughput from 250 to 1,400 units per week, a 460% increase, while managing food safety compliance and a growing team.

At Entertainment Partners, I led a 10-engineer product release train for a platform serving 1 million+ users. We maintained 99.98% uptime, consolidated 12 APIs, and ran a 7-region portfolio with 40+ stakeholders. I brought construction rigor to software delivery.

The TPM role at FieldAI sits at the exact intersection of everything I've done: construction delivery, field operations, cross-functional program management, and customer-facing technical execution.

Thesis

Why FieldAI needs a construction PM as TPM.

FieldAI deploys robots on active construction sites. Your customers are GCs, superintendents, and project teams. They speak in submittals, RFIs, schedule float, and punchlist. A TPM who managed those projects from the other side understands the customer natively.

I've run four of those projects simultaneously. I know what happens when a concrete pour slips, when an RFI stalls the MEP rough-in, when the inspector red-tags a fire suppression install. I've lived the problems your robots are solving.

The DPR case study shows FieldAI's system lets teams focus on detailed, critical tasks. That's exactly what I've spent my career optimizing: removing friction so teams can do their best work, whether that's a GC managing a $10M buildout or a field crew deploying autonomous equipment.

Translation

My experience → FieldAI's world.

What I've Done
FieldAI Equivalent
Managed 4 simultaneous construction projects through design to closeout
Lead customer-focused robotics programs from inception through deployment
Coordinated 20+ consultants across structural, MEP, civil, fire protection
Drive cross-functional execution across autonomy software, systems, hardware, data, ops
Filed permits with 3 government agencies in parallel, saved 7 weeks
Manage project risks, dependencies, and tradeoffs for customer outcomes
1.8-day RFI turnaround vs 7-14 day industry average
Communicate project status, challenges, and mitigation plans to stakeholders
Built facility, operated it, scaled 250 to 1,400 units/week
Oversee operational readiness and field deployments
Led 10-engineer product release train, 99.98% uptime
Translate customer requirements into clear technical plans and milestones
7-region portfolio, 40+ stakeholder summit, standardized frameworks
Support on-site customer engagements (up to 30% travel)
$340K in change orders evaluated, $155K rejected with documentation
Act as trusted technical partner in high-stakes real-world deployments
Proof

Proof of execution.

$25M+
Commercial construction managed
95%
On-time delivery, zero litigation
3%
CO rate vs 8-12% industry avg
460%
Throughput scaling, facility I built
1.8 days
Average RFI turnaround
99.98%
Uptime on 1M-user platform
Requirements

Every line in the job description. Matched.

What FieldAI Needs
What I Bring
Own customer-focused technical programs end to end
Managed 4 construction projects from design through closeout, each with distinct stakeholder groups and delivery timelines
Drive cross-functional execution across engineering, ops, and product
Coordinated 20+ consultants (structural, MEP, civil, fire) and led a 10-engineer release train at Entertainment Partners
Manage risks, dependencies, and tradeoffs
Evaluated $340K in change orders, rejected $155K with documentation. Filed permits across 3 agencies in parallel, saving 7 weeks
Communicate status and mitigation plans to stakeholders
1.8-day RFI turnaround (industry avg: 7-14 days). Ran 40+ stakeholder summits across 7-region portfolio
Translate customer requirements into technical plans
Converted owner requirements into construction documents, shop drawings, and execution sequences across $25M+ in projects
Oversee field deployments and operational readiness
Built a commercial kitchen from permit to production, then operated it, scaling 250 to 1,400 units/week
Support on-site customer engagements, up to 30% travel
Based in LA (FieldAI HQ region), managed jobsites across Southern California, available for travel
BS/MS in engineering, CS, or related field
B.Arch from Woodbury University, a 5-year professional degree covering structures, systems, and project delivery
5+ years in technical program management
7+ years across construction PM, facility operations, and software program management
Experience in robotics, autonomy, or construction tech
Deep construction domain expertise, the deployment vertical FieldAI serves. I am the customer persona.
Conviction

Why this company. Why now.

  1. Construction is the deployment vertical I know cold. I've managed the jobsites, the GCs, the submittals, the inspections. FieldAI's customer is my peer.
  2. Field Foundation Models represent a paradigm shift. Risk-aware, physics-first, no GPS or prior maps required. This is autonomy built for the real world, not lab conditions.
  3. DPR validated the model. When one of the industry's top GCs deploys your robots and reports that teams can focus on critical tasks, the product-market fit is proven.
  4. $400M+ raised, doubling headcount. This is the scale-up inflection point where program management separates companies that ship from companies that stall.
  5. Southern California HQ, global deployments. I'm based in LA, ready for onsite work and travel. The geography aligns.
Tools & Credentials

Ready to operate.

Procore Bluebeam Revu MS Project PlanGrid AutoCAD GIS Jira Confluence Google Suite Excel

B.Arch Woodbury / U.S. Citizen / Los Angeles / Available 5 days/week onsite + travel

Let's Talk

I've delivered the construction.
Let me deploy the robots.

Ready to discuss how construction PM experience translates to robotics program management.

Email David →