Staff Product Manager, Applied AI

About the role

At Apptronik, we are dedicated to creating robots that enhance human capabilities across diverse sectors, such as logistics and manufacturing. In this pivotal role, you will spearhead the product strategy for our humanoid robot, Apollo, with a primary focus on incorporating advanced AI models into our hardware systems. Your leadership will be crucial in ensuring that our products not only meet customer expectations but also set new standards in the industry.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead the development and management of the product roadmap, vision, and release cycles for our core AI model stack.
• Integrate foundational AI models into our autonomy framework, ensuring a balance between safety, reliability, and rapid development.
• Translate customer needs into actionable model capabilities and acceptance criteria that guide product development.
• Collaborate closely with evaluation and data teams to define benchmarks and success metrics for real-world applications of our technology.
• Oversee the data strategy, which includes identifying data collection requirements, setting quality standards, and defining target behaviors for our robots.
• Work in tandem with data operations and technology teams to enhance tooling and refine data collection methodologies.
• Assess and prioritize use cases based on their feasibility, potential business impact, and alignment with customer needs.
• Gather and synthesize feedback from sales teams, user research, and usage analytics to inform and refine product strategy.
• Partner with engineering, industrial design, and UX teams to develop engaging and interactive features for our robots.
• Document and articulate technical requirements clearly to engineering teams to facilitate smooth execution of product development.
• Support product marketing initiatives and foster partner relationships to drive product adoption and market penetration.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in robotics, systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 10 years of overall experience in product management or engineering roles.
• At least 7 years of dedicated experience in product management.
• A proven track record of leading product management teams for a minimum of 5 years, particularly in shipping complex hardware solutions.
• Familiarity with contemporary robot learning methodologies, including reinforcement learning and imitation learning techniques.
• Experience in model fine-tuning or integration processes.
• Understanding of the technical challenges associated with deploying large neural networks on edge devices.
• Strong decision-making capabilities, especially in uncertain environments, with an emphasis on prioritizing speed.
• Excellent analytical skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Physical capability to lift up to 15 pounds and work on manufacturing or lab floors as needed.
• Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites and supplier locations as part of the role.

Nice to have

• An advanced degree or MBA would be advantageous.
• Previous experience working with autonomous vehicles or robotic systems.
• Familiarity with simulation tools aimed at enhancing user experience.
• Hands-on experience in training foundation models.
• Experience managing data collection operations, including annotation pipelines or teleoperation fleets.
• A background in working with industrial clients in both heavy and light-duty environments.
• Knowledge of robotics and functional safety standards, such as RIA 15.08, ISO 13482, ISO/TS 15066, and ISO 10218.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency in product roadmap management.
• Expertise in robot learning techniques.
• Strong understanding of data strategy and evaluation processes.
• Ability to document technical requirements effectively.
• Experience in cross-functional leadership and collaboration.

Practical notes

This position is a direct hire opportunity, and we do not accept solicitations from outside agencies. Apptronik is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who are eager to contribute to our mission of building innovative human-centered robots.

About the company

Apptronik is a robotics company based in Austin, Texas that designs and builds general-purpose humanoid robots. The company develops Apollo, a humanoid robot designed for real-world commercial applications.