Lead Product Manager

About the role

Instrumental is seeking a seasoned Product Manager to lead the development and execution of complex software products for manufacturing customers. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hardware manufacturing and NPI, experience working directly with contract manufacturers, and a proven track record of driving impactful projects.

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic thinking and execution for complex software products serving manufacturing customers.
• Build strong relationships with manufacturing stakeholders, from factory floor engineers to executives, to uncover insights and drive product-market fit.
• Own the roadmap and execution for a core product area while coaching Product Managers on best practices in product discovery, delivery, and iteration.
• Partner with engineering, design, and leadership to prioritize initiatives, manage tradeoffs, and deliver high-velocity impact.
• Instill strong product management rituals (backlog grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives, KPI tracking) and coach the team to execute them effectively.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement: ensure we measure success post-launch, iterate to deliver value, and avoid the "ship and move on" trap.
• Advocate for and implement AI and automation where it can accelerate discovery, decision-making, and delivery.

Requirements

• Hardware background (mechanical, electrical, etc), with deep experience on programs that have successfully gone through NPI.
• 5+ years of software product management experience, with a strong foundation of product management best practices.
• Proven ability to take initiative and drive impactful projects to completion quickly with minimal oversight.
• Comfort with ambiguity, pace, and frequent pivots inherent in a startup environment, with a track record of creating clarity for teams.
• Experience introducing and integrating AI tools/processes into product workflows.
• Demonstrated skill in setting, iterating on, and measuring KPIs to ensure ongoing product value.