Hardware Product Management Intern

About the role

You will drive definition and execution for portions of Skydio's current and next-generation hardware products, including drones, controllers, cameras, and accessories, directly influencing the products shipped to customers. You will engage with customers, prospects, and internal stakeholders to uncover core business problems and translate them into actionable product requirements. You will draw upon direct customer experiences and ride-alongs as well as usage analytics to inform execution on projects and ensure alignment with real-world needs. You will develop, own, and publish detailed product requirement documents for specified vehicle hardware, controllers, cameras, sensors, and embedded software components. You will partner with designers and engineering leaders spanning hardware, firmware, computer vision, AI, and machine learning to execute on self-contained projects expected to ship during the internship or shortly after. You will capture, document, and distill feedback from customers and prospects to steer product development in the right direction. You will collaborate closely with sales and customer success to build and maintain close customer relationships and ensure their success. You will partner with product marketing to develop launch plans, product positioning, and messaging to effectively bring new products to market.

Location

This position is based onsite 5 days/week at our HQ in San Mateo, CA.

What you'll do

• Drive definition on portions of our existing and next-generation hardware products, including drones, controllers, cameras, and accessories, translating insights into impact on actual products shipped.
• Engage with customers, prospects, and internal stakeholders to understand core business problems and inform execution on projects.
• Draw upon direct customer experiences and ride-alongs as well as usage analytics to shape project execution and validate assumptions.
• Develop, own, and publish product requirement documents for portions of Skydio's vehicle hardware, controllers, cameras, sensors, and embedded software.
• Partner with designers and engineering leaders spanning hardware, firmware, computer vision, AI, and machine learning to execute on self-contained projects expected to ship during the internship or shortly after.
• Capture, document, and distill feedback from customers and prospects to steer product development and prioritize key initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with sales and customer success to build and maintain close customer relationships and ensure their success.
• Partner with product marketing to develop launch plans, product positioning, and messaging to bring our products to market effectively.
• Collaborate closely with our Go To Market Strategy team to forecast demand and price products using data-driven methods.

Requirements

• You are currently pursuing a degree in a relevant field such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science.
• You have a strong academic background with a demonstrated track record of success in fast-paced environments.
• You are a clear and effective communicator in both technical and storytelling contexts, able to tailor your message to diverse audiences.
• You are an exceptional critical thinker who loves to learn and can process and leverage new information very rapidly.
• You are a team player who is willing to take on any task, big or small, to get the job done and support the team.
• You have strong spatial and mechanical reasoning ability to understand complex hardware systems and interactions.
• You love to get out "in the field" in order to learn first-hand how products are used in real-world scenarios.
• You have a great sense for risk management and are very comfortable forming strong opinions with partial or incomplete information.
• You have strong business acumen and can approach problems either from a top-down business perspective or a bottom-up technical perspective.
• Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.

Nice to have

• An advanced degree, or degree in progress, such as an MBA.
• Aviation or drone experience in operational environments.
• Experience with IOT or networked devices.
• Experience working in one of our core verticals such as Law Enforcement, National Security, or Electrical Utilities.
• Experience with enterprise or professional robotics or drones.
• Direct or indirect experience with engineering that allows you to actively participate in deep discussions with engineers on complex technical architecture challenges and tradeoffs.

Practical notes

Compensation for this internship is $47 per hour for undergraduate students, $53 per hour for graduate students, and $58 per hour for PhD students. This role is based onsite at our headquarters in San Mateo, California, requiring availability 5 days per week. While this internship does not explicitly list visa sponsorship, Skydio operates as a US-based company and roles are contingent on eligibility for employment in the United States. Applicants must meet all requirements outlined in the job description. This internship is scheduled for a fixed duration, and start dates are contingent on business needs and team availability.