Principal Product Manager II, Location Platform & Quality

About the role

In this pivotal position, you will shape the strategic direction of Life360's foundational platform, ensuring it remains fast, reliable, and observable as the user base expands to hundreds of millions. Your responsibilities will include setting performance benchmarks for a leading consumer platform, defining key performance indicators, and collaborating closely with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to meet these objectives.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Identify potential limitations within the platform proactively, implementing measures for fault tolerance and capacity to avert issues before they occur.
• Ensure that performance and reliability are integral requirements throughout the entire product development lifecycle.
• Improve system visibility by utilizing advanced telemetry and monitoring tools, offering all teams clear insights into the health of the system.
• Establish company-wide key performance indicators for the platform, guiding product and engineering teams in delivering high-quality, rapid releases.
• Work alongside engineering leaders to identify and mitigate systemic risks that could hinder growth, including challenges related to location accuracy and performance bottlenecks.
• Convert complex platform data and infrastructure limitations into actionable insights, highlighting areas of slowdown, future scaling requirements, and strategic investment priorities.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders to comprehend user growth demands and formulate a forward-looking strategy to support future scalability.
• Lead cross-functional teams in the development of innovative solutions that enhance platform capabilities and user experience.
• Monitor industry trends and competitor strategies to ensure Life360 remains at the forefront of location-based technology.
• Advocate for user-centric design principles, ensuring that both internal developers and end consumers are considered in product decisions.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and iterative development practices across teams.
• Prepare and present strategic updates to senior leadership, articulating progress against key objectives and identifying areas for further investment.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in product management, with significant experience at a principal or staff level that includes extensive cross-functional responsibilities.
• Proven track record in managing platform, infrastructure, or developer-focused products within a rapidly growing consumer technology environment, ideally serving a user base in the hundreds of millions.
• Strong expertise in performance and reliability engineering, along with observability methodologies; experience in digital mapping and location services is a significant advantage.
• Deep understanding of back-end systems paired with a strong empathy for both internal developers and end users.
• Experience in building alignment within large, complex engineering organizations.
• Exceptional analytical capabilities, leveraging both quantitative data and qualitative feedback to uphold high standards.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical information into clear business objectives for varied audiences.
• A high level of ownership and a proactive mindset towards problem-solving, effectively mobilizing relevant parties to tackle challenges.
• Well-articulated views on the intersection of consumer technology with security, privacy, trust, and compliance considerations.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with agile methodologies and experience in leading agile teams.
• Experience with cloud-based infrastructure and services, particularly in relation to scalability and performance.
• Knowledge of user experience (UX) design principles and methodologies.
• Previous experience in a startup environment, demonstrating adaptability and innovative thinking.
• Understanding of regulatory frameworks affecting location-based services.

Skills & tools

• Product Management
• Platform Strategy
• Performance Engineering
• Reliability Engineering
• Observability
• Digital Mapping
• Location Services
• Back-end Systems
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Data Analysis
• Communication

Practical notes

• The salary range for this position in the United States is between $178,500 and $261,500. The final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and location.
• Life360 offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, financial, and equity options.
• As an AI-native company, Life360 may utilize AI tools during the interview process, with specific guidance provided to candidates based on the role.
• The company promotes a remote-first culture, allowing employees to work from anywhere in the United States.