Product Manager (Hardware)

Join Pano AI, a climate tech startup focused on wildfire prevention and environmental protection. As a Hardware Product Manager, you will define and execute new hardware products, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive program milestones. This role requires strong technical fluency, communication skills, and a passion for climate resilience.

• Own the product requirements and hardware specifications for Pano's hardware NPI initiatives, ensuring requirements are precise, complete, and traceable throughout each development lifecycle.
• Partner closely with hardware engineering, quality and manufacturing teams to define, prioritize, and refine product requirements based on cost, performance, reliability, and schedule tradeoffs.
• Drive NPI program milestones in partnership with hardware engineering—tracking EVT, DVT, and PVT build cycles, flagging risks early, and coordinating go/no-go decisions with leadership.
• Strong technical fluency in hardware development—comfortable reviewing schematics, engaging with electrical and mechanical engineers, reading firmware requirements, and interpreting test data
• Strong communication and documentation skills—able to write crisp specs and status updates, and to translate technical hardware details for non-technical stakeholders
• Comfort presenting to and collaborating with executive leadership in a high-stakes, high-visibility environment
• Proven ability to operate with autonomy in a fast-paced, resource-constrained startup environment, managing multiple concurrent workstreams and establishing process where none exists
• Familiarity with BOM cost management, supply chain tradeoffs, and contract manufacturing or ODM/OEM partnerships
• 8+ years of product management experience with at least 3 years focused on hardware products—cameras, sensors, IoT devices, embedded systems, or ruggedized field-deployed devices
• Experience owning PRDs and hardware specifications in a cross-functional environment, including managing requirements changes and version control across design iterations
• A track record of taking multiple hardware products from concept or early development through mass production, including experience with EVT/DVT/PVT build cycles and manufacturing ramp
• Experience with outdoor, ruggedized, or field-deployed hardware—particularly cameras, panoramic imaging systems, or remote sensing devices
• Familiarity with connectivity technologies relevant to remote field deployments, including LTE/5G, LoRa, satellite backhaul, or solar-powered edge devices
• Experience in climate tech, public safety, infrastructure, or government/utility technology products
• Experience standing up or scaling an NPI function, or zero-to-one hardware product initiatives, including founding/scaling a hardware-focused startup
• Background in optical systems, image quality optimization, or computer vision hardware
• A passion for climate resilience, wildfire prevention, environmental protection, or public safety