Product Manager - Drone Stack

About the role

Applied Intuition's DroneStack team builds autonomous software and hardware that enables swarms of unmanned aircraft to find, fix, track, target, and engage in contested and denied environments. Our technology — from the Acuity ISR+Strike autonomy stack to the Axle edge compute hardware — is deployed on real platforms with real operators, across multiple airframe vendors and mission sets. 

The team has proven the technology through successful field demonstrations and live deployments. Now the challenge shifts: we need to move from delivering bespoke solutions for individual programs to building products that scale across customers, platforms, and theaters. That's where you come in.

We're hiring a Product Manager to own strategy, research, and execution for DroneStack. You won't need to arrive as a drone or defense expert — what matters is that you're a fast, rigorous learner who can immerse yourself in a complex technical domain and emerge with clarity about what to build and why. You'll conduct primary research with military operators in the US and abroad, translate what you learn into product strategy, and work with a strong engineering team to ship products that give warfighters a decisive edge.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Own product strategy for DroneStack. Define the roadmap that transitions the team from program-driven deliveries to a scalable, multi-customer product line. Make hard prioritization calls across ISR, strike, hardware, and tooling.

• Become the voice of the operator. Conduct primary user research — in the field, at bases, and with international partners — to deeply understand how operators plan, execute, and debrief autonomous missions. Travel up to 20% of the time, including internationally.

• Drive the programs-to-products transition. Identify the patterns across current customer engagements and define the abstractions, configurations, and interfaces that turn one-off solutions into repeatable products.

• Shape product design and experience. Work with engineering to design operator interfaces (mission control, mission planning, mission review) that are intuitive enough for non-technical users to operate without engineering support in the field.

• Set the technical direction with engineering. Partner with the engineering manager and technical leads to balance near-term delivery commitments with long-term product architecture. You don't need to write the code, but you need to understand the system well enough to make informed tradeoffs.

• Build and communicate a market thesis. Develop a point of view on where the autonomous drone market is heading — across DoD service branches, allied nations, and commercial applications — and position Applied Intuition to capture it.

• Represent the product internally and externally. Be the connective tissue between DroneStack engineering, Applied Intuition's defense business development team, and customers. Present at demos, program reviews, and industry events.

We're looking for someone who has:

• 5–7 years of product management experience across at least two meaningfully different environments (different industries, product types, company stages, or customer segments). We value breadth and adaptability over narrow specialization.

• A track record of shipping products, not just features. You've owned a product end-to-end — from research and strategy through design, build, launch, and iteration. You've made the hard calls about what not to build.

• Exceptional research instincts. You know how to learn a market from scratch: talking to users, studying workflows, reading doctrine, attending field exercises, and synthesizing what you find into actionable product direction. You've done this at least once in a domain that was new to you.

• Comfort with deep technical systems. You don't need a background in autonomy, robotics, or aerospace — but you should have experience working on technically complex products (hardware + software, real-time systems, developer tools, infrastructure, etc.) and be energized by learning how things work at a systems level.

• Strong design sensibility. You care about how products feel to use, not just what they do. You've collaborated closely with designers or driven UX decisions yourself, particularly for workflow-heavy or operations-focused tools.

• Clear, structured communication. You can write a crisp product brief, present a strategy to senior leadership, and run a productive design review with engineers. You tailor your communication to the audience — whether that's a general officer or a software engineer.

• BS/BA degree in a technical or analytical field (Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, or similar). Advanced degrees are welcome but not required.

Nice to have:

• Experience with defense or government customers, even outside of autonomy (understanding of acquisition cycles, program structures, or operational environments)

• Experience working on products that span hardware and software

• Prior work at an early-stage or high-growth company where you wore multiple hats

• Exposure to international markets or customers

• Experience founding a company or leading a 0-to-1 product initiative

Security Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen

• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

For more information about U.S. security clearances: click here.

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.