Sr. Product Owner, Hardware - Defend

Tactacam•Billings, MT

7d•Remote

About The Position

We are seeking an accomplished Product Owner to lead complex, cross-functional hardware and development programs from concept through launch. This role involves close collaboration with engineering, software development, operations, marketing, customer support, and external JDM/ODM/OEM partners to lead complex, cross-functional physical consumer electronics and hardware development programs from concept through retail launch. While this role ensures hardware integrates smoothly with companion software, this is a deeply hardware-centric role focused on physical product delivery and manufacturing execution. The successful candidate will drive product execution with rigor, clarity, and consistency, ensuring technical milestones are achieved and strategic business objectives are met. Ideal candidates are agile-oriented leaders with extensive experience in consumer hardware, embedded systems, or smart connected devices. They excel in fast-paced, high-growth environments, demonstrating proactive leadership, outstanding communication abilities, and the capacity to balance speed with precision. This specific opening is within our Defend product line, focusing exclusively on the end-to-end New Product Introduction, lifecycle management, and international manufacturing coordination for our cutting-edge cellular and IoT security cameras and smart sensors. You will run parallel with our other hardware POs to expand our footprint beyond the traditional hunting market.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, Computer Science, a STEM discipline, or a related technical field.
Minimum of 3 years in a Product Management, Product Ownership or Technical Program Management role, with direct involvement in:
Consumer electronics or smart hardware product development.
Embedded systems or mobile/IoT application integration.
Cross-functional program delivery spanning hardware, software, and related domains.
Demonstrated success managing full-lifecycle product development projects with international JDM/OEM/ODM partners.
Expert proficiency with program management and collaboration tools, including the Atlassian Suite (Jira, Confluence), Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical concepts for varied audiences.
Proven leadership through influence, fostering trust and collaboration across departments and geographies.
Strong systems-thinking approach, superior organizational capabilities, and sound judgment in high-pressure situations.
Flexibility to work non-standard hours for global coordination and willingness to travel internationally to ODM partner facilities as needed.

Nice To Haves

Technical background in engineering, embedded systems, or product design.
Enthusiasm for creating customer-focused, innovative products.
Experience with subscription-based software services and mobile applications.
Knowledge of regulatory compliance, product certification processes, and associated documentation.
PMP, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), PMI-ACP, SAFe Agilist, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end technical program lifecycle for multiple concurrent initiatives for new product introductions (NPI).
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders—including project management, software ownership, engineering, firmware, software development, marketing, operations, sales, and support—to define technical requirements, deliverables, schedules, and interdependencies.
Lead Agile/Scrum practices, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, technical reviews, and program increment planning, in partnership with internal teams and external JDM/ODM/OEMs.
Facilitate technical decision-making, risk identification, and mitigation, promptly escalating and resolving impediments.
Develop and maintain comprehensive plans, schedules, and accountability mechanisms to align on critical milestones, phase gates, and release targets.
Coordinate effectively with international engineering, manufacturing, and vendor partners, adapting work hours to accommodate global time zones as required.
Oversee Engineering Validation Testing (EVT), Design Validation Testing (DVT), and Product Validation Testing (PVT) phases, managing hardware, firmware, and software release planning, validation, documentation, and communications.
Ensure seamless integration and alignment between hardware development and companion mobile application timelines.
Maintain and present program health dashboards, key metrics, and status reports to stakeholders at all levels, including executive leadership.
Drive continuous improvement by refining tools, templates, and delivery methodologies within the Product Ownership Team.
Support go-to-market activities, including launch readiness assessments, sales enablement, and review of retail and e-commerce content.
Lead special strategic initiatives, conducting research, preparing executive presentations, and fostering cross-functional consensus.