Principal Product Manager, Drone as First Responder (DFR)

Senior Director, Product Management, Drone as First Responder (DFR) San Mateo, California, United States - Full-time Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best‑in‑class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond. About the role As the Senior Director of Product Management for Skydio’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) offering, you will own the end‑to‑end software features spanning Skydio’s vehicle, controller and cloud platforms, that enable Public Safety and Emergency Responder customers to perform scaled remote drone operations. Skydio's DFR product provides real‑time visibility to those on the frontline of emergencies and public safety scenarios. Imagine if every police patrol car had a smart drone in the trunk; every city had drones docked in strategic locations to respond to emergencies anywhere within seconds; and every command center had operators ready to fly drones remotely. Skydio's DFR product team is leading the way to make this a reality. Location This position is based onsite 5 days/week at our HQ in San Mateo, CA, with ~50% travel. We offer relocation assistance if needed. How you'll make an impact Own the business of our end‑to‑end DFR offering, meeting company financial and market growth goals in partnership with GTM and Engineering. Actively meet with customers and internal stakeholders to build expertise in critical DFR use cases and pain points to solve. Leverage strong technical understanding of cloud connected devices and enterprise‑level management to ideate and deliver high‑value products and features. Define the full end‑to‑end DFR customer experience spanning cloud admin management, real‑time drone operations, flight experience, logging and media offload. Collaborate with Platform PMs to prioritize and drive the DFR roadmap, product requirements and key performance metrics. Enable GTM and lead successful launches for DFR products, features, and improvements. Lead cross‑functional teams to address in‑market issues, to ensure Skydio’s DFR platform is world‑leading in reliability and meeting customer core needs. What makes you a good fit 10+ years defining and launching complex enterprise‑grade solutions, with backend admin controls as well as end‑user UI and experiences. Engineering or other technical educational background that makes you at home in deep discussions with engineers on complex technical challenges and tradeoffs. Customer‑driven with examples leaning in and working directly with customers to solve for their workflows and problems. Excellent communicator, experienced in sharing out complex information in an understandable delivery for executive‑level customers, external partners and internal stakeholders. Ability to utilize experience doing market analysis to drive efficient data‑driven decisions. This role will be driving the development of products for federal government customers, and is subject to government contracts that require Skydio to limit this position to candidates with US Citizenship. We welcome every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States to apply. However, at this time, Skydio does not currently offer employment‑based visa or permanent residency sponsorship for this role. Ability to obtain FAA Part 107 certification within 60 days of employment start. Professional background in drones, flight interfaces, Drone Management and/or DFR software offerings. Professional background in real‑time crime center (RTCCs) or Real‑Time Operations software solutions. Professional background in Public Safety as a career, or developed deep expertise working closely with them as customers. Professional background in using drones for ISR for Federal agencies, or equivalent experience working closely with them as customers. Expertise in the enterprise drone market and DFR offerings specifically. Experience flying drones professionally or in crewed flight. Compensation and Benefits At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full‑time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $226,000 – $300,000. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the company’s policies and eligibility criteria. Regular, full‑time employees are eligible to enroll in the company’s group health insurance plans, receive paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and a 401(k) savings plan. Equal Employment Opportunity Skydio provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local anti‑discrimination laws. Skydio is a federal contractor or subcontractor subject to certain governmental record‑keeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil rights laws and regulations. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job‑related criteria without regard to protected classifications. #J-18808-Ljbffr