Product Leader (Fractional)

DropGenie — Product Leader (Fractional), North America Role Summary DropGenie is seeking a Project Manager or Senior Product Leader to help drive launch readiness for its first commercial product. DropGenie's digital microfluidics platform miniaturizes and automates low-volume workflows for high-dimensional biological data generation — and we are now in the critical phase of translating a working prototype into a field-deployable, commercially ready instrument. This role is primarily internally focused, working closely with the engineering and science teams to bring structure, visibility, and momentum to product development and launch execution. The ideal candidate is organized, technically literate, and experienced operating in early-stage hardware or instrumentation environments where processes are still being built. Location: United States or Canada Engagement: Fractional Work style: High-autonomy, execution-focused, cross-functional. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, science, and operations Reporting: Reports directly to the CEO, with a dotted line to the Director of Engineering. Responsibilities - A ct as a core leader in the GTM launch team, helping shape launch strategy, timing, and cross-functional execution

• Own and maintain the integrated launch plan across engineering, science, operations, manufacturing, and commercial workstreams
• Track milestones, dependencies, owners, risks, and critical path items for hardware, firmware, application software, and/or cloud through launch
• Run regular cross-functional standups, sprint reviews, and milestone check-ins to keep the team aligned and unblocked
• Define and track launch readiness criteria across hardware, software, consumables, documentation, and manufacturing; coordinate internal teams and external vendors to keep dependencies on track
• Drive risk and contingency planning by proactively identifying what could go wrong and ensuring mitigation plans are in place
• Support design freeze, design verification, and validation as the product moves toward commercialization
• Establish lightweight engineering and product development processes for an early-stage team, including issue tracking, change management, and release documentation
• Document key engineering decisions, design rationale, and test results so they are accessible to the broader team
• Serve as the operational connective tissue between engineering, science, commercial, and operations teams, plus external partners including contract manufacturers and component suppliers
• Support procurement and inventory management for development and early production builds.
• Help build repeatable engineering execution processes that scale as the team and product line grow

Qualifications BS required in engineering, computer science, bioengineering, physics, or another relevant technical field; MS preferred 7+ years of experience in technical program management, product operations, or hardware program management, including programs that span both hardware and software Experience leading end-to-end delivery for complex products that include: Hardware: electronic/mechanical systems, instrumentation, robotics, medical devices, or diagnostics Software: embedded/firmware, application software, and/or cloud services Strong track record managing schedules, dependencies, risks, and release readiness across both hardware and software teams, and external partners like contract manufacturers and software vendors Comfortable operating in early-stage environments with limited structure and evolving processes Technically literate in both hardware and software domains, able to understand tradeoffs and integration challenges without needing to be the primary technical owner Experience with Jira, Asana, Smartsheet, or other AI tools for issue tracking and program management, with experience managing both hardware issues and software bugs/features Preferred Experience with scientific instrumentation, lab automation, microfluidics, diagnostics, or biotech tools that combine hardware and software Experience supporting NPI, design verification, validation, transfer to manufacturing, or launch readiness for hardware + software products Experience working with contract manufacturers and hardware supply chains while also managing software release cycles and cloud dependencies PMP, Scrum, or related program management training is helpful but not required What success looks like in the first 100 days Build and socialize a single integrated launch plan with owners, milestones, dependencies, and risk flags across hardware, software, and manufacturing Establish a regular operating cadence for cross-functional reviews, risk management, and escalation Clarify launch readiness criteria and identify the top gaps across product, documentation, manufacturing, and operations for both hardware and software Put lightweight tools and processes in place for issue tracking, change management, and decision logging for both hardware and software Improve visibility for the CEO and leadership team on progress, risks, and critical path items across hardware and software Reduce execution friction across engineering, science, operations, and external partners #J-18808-Ljbffr Socket.dev