Staff Product Manager, Core Primitives

Temporal is an open source programming model that can simplify code, make applications more reliable, and help developers focus on important things like delivering features faster. We are on a mission to be the reliable foundation of every developer’s toolbox, and are building the team that will make that happen. Our values guide us – they are present in how we show up, make decisions, and work together to make an impact. We’re curious, driven, collaborative, genuine and humble. Temporal is growing and we are looking for those who share our values, challenge standard thinking, and want to influence our future. If you have a passion for improving the developer experience, building world‑class open‑source software and communities, and want to be a part of our amazing team, we’d love to hear from you! About the role Temporal is the durable execution platform that lets developers write code that survives any failure. Thousands of companies run mission‑critical applications on Temporal – from payment processing to AI agent orchestration. We’re hiring a Staff Product Manager to own the core primitives: the building blocks developers use to express durable patterns. You’ll own Workflows, Activities, Timers, Signals & Updates, Child Workflows, Schedules, Batch, and Nexus connectivity. Over time the scope expands to include Solutions implementation. Jessica (portfolio lead) provides portfolio direction. You frame problems and generate strategy for your area – deciding what expands, what stays maintenance‑mode, and how primitives connect into a coherent platform story. What you’ll do Generate the area strategy that connects primitives, connectivity, and composition into a coherent thesis – what expands, why, and how investments compound Frame the problem space and make bets – which primitives need investment, which are mature, and where the next leverage point is Drive 1‑pagers and PRDs for primitive improvements and new capabilities Own cross‑SDK delivery for each primitive – coordinate with SDK teams to ensure consistent behavior across Go, Java, TypeScript, Python, and .NET Run customer validation – identify who’s hitting primitive gaps, gather evidence, and use it to prioritize Drive primitive correctness – defaults, error messages, silent failures, cancellation, timeouts Act as domain lead for the primitives area; could take on Senior PMs as the area matures Partner with engineering leadership to shape technical direction, not just product requirements Represent the primitives perspective in product‑staff reviews and company‑level planning What you’ll own Primitives: Workflows, Activities (standalone, local), Timers, Signals & Updates, Child Workflows, Schedules, Batch (new), Nexus What we’re looking for 8+ years of product management experience, with significant time on platform, infrastructure, or developer‑facing products Track record of generating area‑level strategy – framing the problem space, making bets, connecting investments into a thesis. Strong execution on individual features is not sufficient. Defined what a platform area becomes, not just shipped what was on the roadmap Ability to hold a coherent vision across multiple primitives that ship on different timelines to different language ecosystems Driven complex cross‑team delivery – shipping features across multiple SDKs or client libraries, coordinating without direct authority Deep technical understanding – you understand the difference between a timeout and a cancellation, and why it matters for the developer Rigorous about customer evidence – you don’t prioritize based on intuition when data exists Partnered with engineering leadership – influence technical direction, not just product requirements Nice to have Experience with workflow engines, orchestration platforms, or durable execution Worked on cross‑language or cross‑platform products Familiarity with the competitive landscape: Restate, Inngest, Durable Objects, Step Functions Personally built or contributed to distributed systems Compensation The estimated salary range for this role is $185,000 – $260,000, based on experience and location. Additionally, this role is eligible to participate in Temporal’s equity plan. Benefits Unlimited PTO, 12 Holidays + 2 Floating Holidays 100% Premiums Coverage for Medical, Dental, and Vision AD&D, LT & ST Disability, and Life Insurance (Standard & Supplemental Available) Empower 401K Plan Additional perks for Learning & Development, Lifestyle Spending, In‑Home Office Setup, Professional Memberships, WFH Meals, Internet Stipend and more! International benefit components – paid PTO, learning & career development perks, lifestyle spending account, in‑home office setup, professional memberships, work‑from‑home meals, and access to the Calm app for mental wellness. Travel – occasional travel may be required for company events, team off‑sites, and other meaningful moments. Temporal Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Temporal Technologies does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We embrace and celebrate differences and diversity. Temporal is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you need to request a reasonable accommodation, please let your recruiter know so we can assist. #J-18808-Ljbffr