Aviation Product Manager

Pittsburgh, PA
Full Time
Mid Level

Company Overview

Near Earth Autonomy is integrating autonomy with rotorcraft and powered-lift aircraft for defense and civilian markets. We are addressing use cases where safe autonomous operations are central to the economics, certification, and scaling of these new aircraft and applications. Visit nearearth.aero to learn more about creating the future of autonomous aviation.

Aviation Product Manager

Responsibilities and Duties

Our Responsive Uncrewed Capability (RUC) products deliver safe, mission-critical autonomous capabilities for aircraft with a Gross Take-Off Weight (GTOW) greater than 1,325 lbs (Group 4 or 5). We combine advanced autonomy technologies, safety-critical embedded systems, and existing aviation hardware to safely operate within stringent regulatory environments. This pilot-replacing autonomy reaches across aircraft control, certification, operations, airspace integration, ground support, and human interaction, making it an architectural layer in both the aircraft and the operation, rather than a conventional subsystem. Embedded in certification artifacts, safety arguments, operating procedures, and mission constructs, our autonomy solutions must satisfy airworthiness and operational demands. 

We are looking for an experienced aviation Product Manager with a background in aviation product development and systems integration. You will join a dynamic and fast-paced environment working with cross-functional teams to build, deliver, and support RUC products. This includes working with the RUC Integrated Product Team (RUC IPT) and engineering development leads to refine and fulfill the vision for our products. This position is responsible for planning and support throughout the product lifecycle, supporting customer engagement and product implementation from definition and development through manufacturing and sustainment. This role develops product roadmaps, coordinates with airworthiness qualification and regulatory compliance (DOD/FAA/EASA), and ensures products meet the market demand for defense and commercial applications. 

Key Responsibilities

  • Support market, customer, and end-user engagements to understand product needs and opportunities.
  • Identify, develop, and maintain customer personas, user stories, use case descriptions, concepts of operations, and product workflows.
  • Derive product requirements addressing market needs; assess value to the market.
  • Develop and maintain product roadmaps that enable the whole enterprise to be aligned on the product development strategy. 
  • Work with internal stakeholders - including Certification/Safety Critical Systems, Engineering, Program Development, Marketing, Business Development, Production, and Flight Operations - to execute, communicate, and refine product development plans and success criteria.
  • Assist in identifying, proposing, and aligning internal development projects to further product development.
  • Lead product competitive intelligence by systematically tracking customer needs and competing products, and synthesizing those insights into clear recommendations that inform product strategy and roadmap prioritization.
  • Support the product vision and product strategy in alignment with Near Earth Autonomy’s business strategy and differentiators.
    • Work closely with the RUC IPT domains (i.e. Customers & Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Business Strategy, Org & Infrastructure) to realize the product vision.
    • Contribute to building the company’s commercialization strategy and sales engine.
    • Contribute to the evaluation of business opportunities and prioritization of what and when capabilities and features get upgraded, included, and delivered to customers.
    • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to refine pricing models, product messaging, marketing, sales strategy, certification agendas, and other elements critical to addressing the market. 

Preferred Skills

  • Proven experience (5+ years) as a product manager or similar aviation program manager role defining and delivering value-driven products to avionics customers.
  • Demonstrated success defining, launching, and supporting products for aviation markets.
  • Technical background in aviation, aerospace engineering, robotics, and/or computer science and software development.  
  • Ability to work in a high-tech organization with rapid development cycles.
  • A desire to interact and communicate with external and internal stakeholders.
  • Excellent teamwork skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills that enable alignment of cross-functional team members  to a focused product vision.
  • Ability to follow and participate in engineering-focused discussions.
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills. 
  • Able to travel up to 25% of the time.
  • Well-organized and detail-oriented.
  • U.S. Person with the ability to obtain US Secret Clearance.

Benefits

  • Compensation consistent with qualification
  • 401(k) plan
  • Health, dental, and vision benefits
  • Life insurance; long-term and short-term disability benefits
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