Product Manager - Devices

Safetrust•Fremont, CA

About The Position

The Product Manager - Devices is responsible for transitioning Safetrust hardware products from prototype through production and ensuring the Production team receives reliable designs that can be scaled predictably into volume manufacturing. The role coordinates requirements, deliverables, technical dependencies, and open issues across executive leadership, Engineering, Procurement, Production, Quality, and external manufacturing partners. Executive leadership sets product strategy and direction; this position ensures hardware activities are coordinated and details are followed through, including ongoing product improvement. The position oversees productization and production readiness, including pre-production builds, manufacturing documentation, tooling and case development, testing, configuration management, supplier coordination, compliance, and support for production ramp-up. It also coordinates product samples for internal teams and selected customers and helps resolve manufacturing and product issues. Success includes transitioning five or more hardware products from pre-production into production release in the first 6–12 months and refining the NPI process over the longer term.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in hardware product management, NPI, manufacturing engineering, or related technical hardware roles.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.
Ownership or significant involvement in at least two successful projects bringing electronic hardware products into volume production.
Strong understanding of electronic assemblies, PCB-based products, manufacturing processes, plastics development and manufacturing, and supply chain operations.
Experience managing BOMs and other manufacturing documentation.
Ability to read and understand engineering drawings, schematics, and technical specifications.
Familiarity with NPI processes, including EVT, DVT, PVT, and production readiness.
Strong project management and organizational skills.
Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership abilities.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Clear written and verbal communication skills in English.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment.
Ability to identify gaps, anticipate issues, and drive accountability and follow-through without direct management authority.

Nice To Haves

Experience with physical access control systems, electronic security devices, RFID readers and cards, or related security hardware.
Experience working with contract manufacturers and hardware suppliers outside the United States, especially in Asia.
Experience supporting hardware product improvements, lifecycle changes, and manufacturing issue resolution.

Responsibilities

Direct and align pre-production prototype builds with contract manufacturers for engineering validation, internal testing, and customer evaluation.
Collaborate with Production to develop work instructions for assembling PCBAs into pre-production products.
Use industrial design resources to develop prototype cases and transition them to production-ready cases that meet industry certification requirements.
Refine enclosure, faceplate, and connector designs for manufacturability, durability, and aesthetics.
Manage tooling and mold development with Procurement in preparation for scalable, high-volume production.
Maintain process documentation under SOPs for compliance during ISO 9001 audits.
Organize third-party penetration security evaluations when required.
Identify gaps in product design, documentation, testing, or manufacturing requirements and coordinate their resolution before production release.
Oversee the transition of hardware offerings from pre-production into volume manufacturing.
Ensure manufacturing-release deliverables are complete, accurate, and approved, including BOMs, assembly documentation, test procedures, personalization procedures, packaging requirements, and labeling, traceability, and serialization requirements.
Identify and resolve issues affecting manufacturability, yield, quality, cost, or schedule.
Align Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and Production to verify readiness before manufacturing release.
Track production-readiness milestones, deliverables, and dependencies, escalating risks and delays as needed.
Support NPI activities, including EVT, DVT, PVT, and initial production ramp-up.
Develop, validate, and maintain manufacturing documentation, configuration controls, and production support assets with Engineering and Production.
Support production ramp-up, stable manufacturing performance, product quality, and operational handoff.
Coordinate root-cause investigations and corrective actions for product and manufacturing issues during ramp-up.
Support product improvements and hardware changes to maintain reliability and manufacturing consistency.
Collaborate with Test Engineering to establish test software and fixtures.
Coordinate ECOs, product revisions, and configuration updates so affected teams have accurate information.
Partner with Product Management and Engineering to establish standardized product-configuration SOPs.
Identify missing or inconsistent technical documentation and ensure owners address outstanding requirements.
Coordinate hardware and device initiatives across executive leadership, Engineering, Procurement, Production, Quality, and external partners.
Maintain visibility into milestones, responsibilities, decisions, and dependencies across hardware development and production.
Identify gaps, unresolved issues, and unclear ownership, and ensure follow-through and resolution.
Coordinate hardware product improvements, revisions, and lifecycle activities after production release.
Support Procurement and contract manufacturers in ensuring reliable component sources.
Assist with alternate-component qualification and lifecycle risk management.
Manage EVT, DVT, and PVT stages and direct pre-production build execution.
Partner with Certification and Engineering to manage testing, requirement documentation, and corrective action plans.
Identify compliance and certification prerequisites and integrate them into hardware development timelines and manufacturing roadmaps.
Plan and deliver small quantities of pre-production samples with Product, Sales Engineering, and Sales for internal and selected-customer evaluation.
Coordinate feedback from internal and customer evaluations with technical teams to support product improvements and production readiness.
Transition five or more hardware products from pre-production into production release within the first 6–12 months, and refine the NPI process over the longer term.