Principal Product Manager

Summary

Join FORT, a company focused on safe and secure human-machine collaboration, as a Principal Product Manager. Lead foundational product initiatives, defining what and why we build, translating customer needs, industry standards, and strategic vision into executable product requirements. Work at the intersection of hardware and software, collaborating with engineering, safety, sales, and leadership. This role requires thriving in ambiguity, understanding safety-critical systems, and having a builder's mindset. You will establish a scalable product function at FORT, shaping the future of autonomy and human-machine interaction. Success in the first 6-12 months includes creating a company-wide roadmap and PRDs, defining a strategy for platform expansion, articulating customer pain points, improving cross-functional alignment, and building a foundation for a scalable product function.

Requirements

• Have 5–10+ years in product management, systems engineering, or technical program roles in robotics, automation, or safety-critical industries
• Have experience writing or co-owning PRDs, use cases, or systems requirements
• Understand functional safety (e.g., IEC 61508, ISO 13849) and can work alongside safety engineers
• Can speak the language of engineering, understand constraints, and engage in technical problem-solving
• Have a proven ability to synthesize customer input, competitive data, and technical insights into a clear strategy
• Are highly self-directed and comfortable working without an existing product org or tightly defined processes
• Thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments and aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions or pivot

Responsibilities

• Own the development of FORT’s product roadmap and product requirements documents (PRDs) with clear business rationale, technical feasibility, and regulatory awareness
• Work closely with engineering and systems teams to translate product strategy into execution-ready plans
• Lead customer discovery and pain-point synthesis across industrial automation, robotics, and safety markets
• Serve as the bridge between engineering, sales, marketing, and leadership, ensuring alignment on roadmap priorities and tradeoffs
• Conduct build vs. buy vs. partner analysis for key components and features
• Integrate industry standards (e.g., ISO 13849/21434, IEC 61508, GDPR) into product development strategy and documentation
• Contribute to go-to-market materials and external communications (roadmap presentations, panels, technical webinars)
• Represent FORT at conferences and industry events, including speaking engagements
• Help define the future product organization by setting standards, templates, and processes

Preferred Qualifications

Have experience at both large industry players and smaller robotics/AI startups