Product Manager

Location: Remote / Hybrid / On-Site Employment Type: Full-Time About the role We’re a well‑funded startup building advanced autonomous aerial (drones) and ground (UGV) platforms. We’re hiring a senior Product Manager to own product strategy and delivery across hardware + software programs, drive cross‑functional execution, and ensure robust, repeatable development and validation processes for autonomy‑enabled platforms. This role is product and program leadership focused on technical coordination, systems integration, and lifecycle processes — not hands‑on engineering or operational guidance. What you’ll own Product vision and multi‑year roadmap for both aerial and ground autonomous platforms, balancing performance, reliability, cost, and time‑to‑market. Translation of stakeholder needs (operators, systems engineers, hardware & software leads, QA) into prioritized product requirements and release plans. Cross‑functional delivery: lead and coordinate engineering, systems engineering, firmware, autonomy/software, test & evaluation, manufacturing/from‑prototype teams, and suppliers to meet milestones. Systems integration strategy: define interface/ integration milestones, integration readiness criteria, and acceptance gates between hardware and software subsystems. Prototyping & iteration cadence: plan and prioritize hardware prototypes, software builds, simulation fidelity improvements, and field test campaigns to derisk development. Test & validation planning: define test objectives, success criteria, and repeatable T&E processes (simulation, lab, closed‑range field tests), and ensure test artifacts and telemetry are captured for analysis. Product lifecycle management: release management, configuration control, build/release pipelines, and product baseline stewardship. Metrics & telemetry: define KPIs (reliability, MTBF/MTTR proxies, autonomy performance metrics, software CI metrics), instrument systems to collect data, and drive data‑informed decisions. Supplier & manufacturing readiness: coordinate with suppliers and manufacturing to ensure design for manufacturability, testability, and supply‑chain visibility for critical components. Risk management: identify technical risks (integration, thermal, mechanical, SW/firmware), prioritize mitigations, and track mitigation progress. Team & process building: establish effective Agile/iterative processes tailored to hardware+software teams, improve cross‑discipline collaboration, and mentor junior PMs. Day‑to‑day / typical activities Run sprint/planning reviews that include both SW and HW cadence; reconcile differing cadences and deliverables. Drive system‑level tradeoffs with engineering leads (performance vs. weight vs. power vs. compute). Oversee integration events and field test readiness reviews; ensure instrumentation and logging are planned. Maintain prioritized backlog and release milestones; negotiate scope with leadership and engineering. Analyze telemetry and test results to inform product decisions and backlog priorities. Coordinate lab, bench, and simulation resources to accelerate validation cycles. Required qualifications 3+ years product or program management experience on complex hardware+software products (robotics, aerospace, automotive, or comparable electromechanical systems). Demonstrated experience delivering systems that combine embedded firmware, software (autonomy/perception/controls), sensors, and mechanical/electrical hardware. Strong systems‑level thinking; proven ability to manage HW/SW integration and tradeoffs. Experience planning and executing integration and test campaigns (including use of simulation and physical testing). Comfortable with data: defining metrics, analyzing logs/telemetry, and using data to prioritize. Excellent communicator: able to drive alignment across engineering, ops, and suppliers. Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, systems engineering, or equivalent practical experience. Preferred Experience with autonomy programs (product/program level), simulation tooling, or robotics platforms (product management vs. engineering). Familiarity with CI/CD for embedded systems, automated test frameworks, and hardware build pipelines. Experience managing supply chain or supplier partnerships for complex subsystems. MS or advanced degree in a technical field. Traits we value Systems thinker who sees both the high‑level roadmap and low‑level integration risks. Pragmatic prioritizer — balances speed, quality, and technical debt. Comfortable navigating uncertainty and bringing structure to complex technical programs. Collaborative leader who earns trust from engineers and partners. Compensation & perks Competitive salary + equity Health benefits, paid time off, professional development Opportunity to shape product direction across multiple platforms q