Staff Technical Product Manager

Third Wave Automation; Union City (CA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 214,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) matching

Job summary

Third Wave Automation is seeking a Technical Product Manager to drive the tactical execution of its core robotic vehicle platforms. You will manage the product lifecycle across autonomous truck morphologies, bridging hardware and software development through field trials and rapid iteration.

You will shepherd vehicle requirements, facilitate critical trade-offs with engineering, and oversee fleet deployment and uptime.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in technical product management within robotics or hardware-software integrated products.
• Strong ability to manage complex technical trade-offs with engineering teams.
• Execution-focused with backlog grooming and project management excellence.
• Able to adapt quickly in fast-paced environments with changing requirements.
• Excellent communication translating field signals into actionable requirements.

Responsibilities

• Act as shepherd for vehicle morphology requirements and trade-offs during platform development.
• Manage engineering backlog and ensure alignment with the tactical roadmap.
• Lead field trials and translate adopter signals into engineering tickets before final designs.
• Oversee deployed fleet uptime and leverage feedback for new features.

Skills

Technical product management

Robotics

Hardware-software integration

Backlog management

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

Third Wave Automation is a rapidly growing startup that has demonstrated its core technology components, proven its market fit, and just closed its Series C funding. If you are excited about cutting edge machine learning, robotics that affects the real world, and want to join a company where your skills can have a huge impact, you’ll fit right in.

Third Wave Automation is applying modern machine learning to materials handling—delivering site-specific forklift navigation and infrastructure-free pallet handling that continuously adapts to changing floor configuration and warehouse demand.

Job Description

Third Wave Automation (TWA) is seeking a Technical Product Manager to drive the tactical execution of our core robotic vehicle platforms. As we scale our strategic partnerships, you will be the "boots on the ground" responsible for managing the product lifecycle across our primary autonomous truck morphologies.

You will sit at the intersection of hardware and software, shepherding new vehicle requirements through engineering development and field trials. Your focus will be on ensuring our autonomous warehouse solutions meet rigorous market needs while facilitating the technical trade-offs necessary to hit our long‑term scaling targets.

How You Can Make an Impact

• Vehicle Morphology & Requirements: Act as the "Shepherd" for living requirements for core trucks, facilitating critical trade‑offs between engineering findings and initial product drafts during platform development.
• Tactical Roadmap Execution: Manage the backlog for the engineering team, utilizing technical project management tools to ensure high‑velocity execution and alignment with the product roadmap.
• Field Trial Leadership: Lead vehicles through field trials, translating early adopter signals into actionable engineering tickets before product designs are finalized for mass production.
• Deployed Fleet Management: Oversee production uptime and resolve critical field issues for existing deployments while leveraging them as critical feedback sources for new features.

Qualifications

• Experience: 8+ years of experience in technical product management, specifically withinrobotics, autonomous vehicles, or complex hardware-software integrated products.
• Technical Proficiency: Strong background in managing complex technical trade‑off discussions and working directly with engineering teams to resolve hardware/software integration challenges.
• Execution Focus: Exceptional skills in backlog grooming and project management; you should excel at translating high-­level strategy into tactical "boots on the ground" execution.
• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment where engineering findings frequently require rapid pivots in product requirements.
• Communication: Strong ability to translate field signals and customer feedback into clear, prioritized technical requirements for development teams.

The pay range for this position is $142,000 - $214,000/yr+ benefits+equity; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Base pay information is based on market location.

More About Working Here

Our Core Values:

• Safety. We consider safety in everything we do.
• People. We care about our teammates as people.
• Encouragement. We encourage teaching, asking questions, and sharing opinions.
• Transparency. We are transparent and sincere in our actions.

A robust set of benefits and perks:

• Comprehensive benefits. Health, Dental, Vision, and a 401k matching program, to boot!
• Flexible working schedule. Be productive when you work best.
• Show & Tell. We love to learn from one another, and see the cool stuff everyone is working on!
• Meals are covered. Lunch is provided every day, and dinner for those evenings that run long.
• Stacks of snacks. Donuts are a main food group, and the snack shelf is always stocked with a wide variety of items.
• Great teammates. One of the best parts of working here!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.

We value each person's expertise and experiences.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

All qualified applicants able to work in the United States are encouraged to apply.

We are unable to sponsor H-1 visas subject to fees required by the ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ Presidential Proclamation dated September 21, 2025.