Product Manager - Autonomous Mag-Lev Vehicles

About skyTran 

At skyTran, we are an ambitious team who hate traffic. We are building a breakthrough magnetic levitation transportation technology to reduce commute times by 4x. We are a Series B company backed by great investors including Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors and Reliance Industries, India’s largest private corporation. Our mission is to build mobility that delights riders, connects communities and develops beautiful and livable cities. 

Why this role exists
We need a Product Manager that will own product planning and management for vehicles that utilize skYtran proprietary Magnetic Levitation and Propulsion systems.  We are seeking a seasoned professional with demonstrated success in the product planning of an entire vehicle and the systems contained within it.  In this role, you will get to define and steer the development of “new to the world” class of autonomous vehicle(s) to be deployed globally within the Personal Rapid Transit networks of the future.  skyTran is focused on implementing a system that elevates the mass transit experience; accordingly, every aspect of the vehicle must be carefully conceived, analyzed, designed, and executed to remain faithful to that vision.  The selected individual must not only be able to address functional requirements such as bogey interconnection, communications, HVAC, ADA/accessibility, ingress/egress, safety and regulatory requirements, but also matters such as comfort, styling, maintainability. The ability to organize, execute, and internalize end-customer and transit operator feedback is essential to success in this role.

Required

• 7+ years of experience in  product planning and management, with at least 2 years in a product ownership role
• Vehicle Product Management experience is a must -  For example, small aircraft, automobiles, RV’s, cable car/gondolas, commercial trucks, or passenger rail/transit vehicles are directly applicable. 
• Knowledge of major vehicle systems: structural, styling, exterior, interior, HVAC, doors, safety, infotainment/communication, passenger controls (Note: Powertrain, suspensions, and autonomous sensors/navigation systems experience not required)      
• Background in engineering  (Mechanical preferred but not required)  
• Proven communication skills enabling effective external communication with customers, third-party suppliers, and infrastructure construction partners.
• Strong background in PDP / NPI / Stage Gate other structured product processes
• *Transit industry experience desired but not required

Outcomes

• You will own product planning and product management for skyTran vehicles. 
• You will engage with engineering, external suppliers, customers, and partners to define requirements for our world-class transportation system. 
• You will ensure that vehicles are fully aligned with the overall system capabilities,skyTran vision, and customer needs.  
• You will work directly with Engineering and Program Management to balance marketing inputs with solid business decision-making. 
• You will ensure functional requirements are effectively captured, planned, and delivered by Engineering. 
• You will identify opportunities to innovate in the planning and deployment of disruptive infrastructure. 
• You will communicate effectively with all external skyTran stakeholders. 
• You will support Marketing, Business Development, and Sales throughout commercialization.

Skills

• Extensive experience playing a critical role in a high-growth environment 
• Vehicle product development programs experience 
• Proven success in product management for a complex technology start-up 
• Understands a vehicle in its entirety, all the applicable subsystems within it, and have previously stewarded a vehicle from concept through to realization 
• Very strong interpersonal skills, driving alignment between customer needs, engineering, marketing, and program management
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, especially in conveying technical content to general audiences.

Qualities 

• Is excited to travel in pursuit of building a globally-transformational product 
• Enjoys breaking down complex problems into fundamentals, and building a focused strategy and plan
• Bias towards data-based decision-making for product definition that incorporates customer needs research data, market analysis, and ROI/financial considerations

In the first 90-days on the job, you will

• Decompose the technology system and synthesize key value propositions by talking to employees across the company and reviewing existing technical and marketing documentation.
• Articulate detailed vehicle requirements from overall system requirements, user and stakeholder needs

In the first year, you will

• Be performing the functions of your role fully
• Launch vehicles that fully reflect the skyTran product vision, delight transit users because the design has been based on their feedback, and meet the needs of all stakeholders.