Applications Product Lead

Vector Recruitment Ltd; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Vector Recruitment Ltd is supporting a Bristol-based hybrid opportunity for an Applications Product Lead in robotics, drones, and autonomous systems. The role bridges engineering and market needs, shaping how technology is applied in real-world contexts.

You’ll work with engineers and customers to develop proofs-of-concepts, demonstrations, and validate opportunities. This is a non-traditional PM role focused on turning tech insight into commercial value.

Qualifications

• Engineer or scientist background with credibility to converse with engineers and researchers.
• Experience engaging with customers to translate technology into commercial solutions.
• Track record of developing proofs-of-concept and demonstrations.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with customers to understand technical challenges and application requirements.
• Identify opportunities where advanced sensing technologies solve real-world problems.
• Develop proofs-of-concepts and technical demonstrations.
• Evaluate commercial and technical viability of new applications.
• Support customer trials and technology evaluations.
• Translate customer requirements into engineering activities.
• Validate ideas with technical teams and represent the company at events.

Job description

Applications Product Lead – Robotics, Drones & Autonomous Systems

Bristol / Hybrid - Equity | Salary Negotiable | Significant Growth Opportunity

Robotics, Autonomous Systems, Sensor Fusion & Advanced Navigation

A growing deep-tech company developing advanced sensing technologies is looking for an engineer who enjoys understanding complex technical problems, working with customers and helping turn innovative technology into commercially valuable solutions.

This is not a traditional Product Manager role.

We're looking for somebody who is technically credible enough to work alongside engineers and researchers, but who also enjoys engaging with customers, exploring applications and identifying where new technology can create genuine value.

The successful person will help bridge the gap between engineering and the market, working with customers to understand challenges, developing proof-of-concepts and demonstrations, and helping shape how the technology is applied across real-world applications.

Applications Product Lead - What You'll Actually Be Doing

Typical responsibilities will include:

• Working directly with customers to understand technical challenges and application requirements.
• Identifying opportunities where advanced sensing technologies can solve real-world problems.
• Developing proof-of-concepts and technical demonstrations.
• Evaluating the commercial and technical viability of new applications.
• Supporting customer trials and technology evaluations.
• Helping translate customer requirements into engineering activities.
• Working closely with technical teams to validate ideas and concepts.
• Representing the company at customer meetings, industry events and conferences.
• Identifying emerging opportunities within target markets.

Some weeks you'll be discussing autonomy architectures with robotics teams. Other weeks you'll be benchmarking sensors, defining test methodologies or proving whether a competitor's performance claims are actually true.

Application Product Lead - The Sort Of Person We're Looking For

You started your career as an engineer or scientist and have built credibility through designing, testing, developing or commercialising technology.

Today you are working in applications engineering, systems engineering, robotics, autonomous systems, advanced sensing, technical consultancy or product development.

You have direct experience working with customers, identifying technical problems, developing proof-of-concepts and helping translate technology into commercially valuable solutions.

Your background sits within one or more of the following sectors:

• Robotics & Autonomous Systems
• Sensor Fusion & Advanced Sensing
• Aerospace & Defence Technology

You enjoy understanding how complex systems work and when somebody makes a technical claim, your instinct is to ask: "How do we prove it?"

You are comfortable speaking to customers, but you're equally comfortable building demonstrations, designing experiments, analysing results and working alongside engineers.

You can discuss technical architecture with engineers, develop proof-of-concepts, validate performance claims and identify where technology creates genuine value.

You have a genuine interest in robotics, autonomy, navigation or drones. That interest is visible through the things you build, the communities you participate in, the conferences you attend, the projects you pursue or the technologies you choose to spend your time around.

Applications Product Lead - Why This Opportunity Is Different

Most product roles start with a product.

This one starts with a platform technology that has the potential to transform how autonomous systems, robots, drones and next-generation navigation systems understand motion and position.

Your role is to determine where that technology creates the greatest value.

You'll work directly with customers to understand challenges, validate opportunities and develop applications that solve real engineering problems.

You'll help determine:

• Which markets matter.
• Which applications deserve investment.
• Which technical claims can genuinely be defended.
• Which proof-of-concepts should be developed.
• Which opportunities should be accelerated.
• Which should be abandoned.

This is not a role for somebody who wants to manage roadmaps from a distance.

This is a role for somebody who wants to understand technology, engage with customers, build demonstrations, validate ideas and influence the future direction of a business.

You'll be joining at a stage where your judgement can materially influence the future direction of the company.