Principal Technical Product Manager (U.S. Air Force)

Skylight

3h•$150,000 - $230,000•Remote

About The Position

Skylight is seeking a Senior/Staff/Principal Technical Product Manager to partner with the U.S. Air Force on legacy modernization efforts. This role involves leading cross-functional teams, defining product strategy, managing product direction, and transferring digital skills to government partners. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of lean product principles, human-centered design, and technical fluency to navigate complex architecture and engineering tradeoffs. This position is contingent on Skylight being awarded the underlying contract.

Requirements

Understand lean product principles and how to apply them (e.g., minimum viable product) at various stages of the product life cycle in order to mitigate risk, validate assumptions, and amplify learning
Can develop a product strategy that is informed by an understanding of the problem to be solved, prioritizes outcomes over feature sets, and establishes the direction of the product over time (e.g., product roadmap), including success criteria
Ability to execute the product strategy by breaking down the product’s scope into usable chunks of value that can be realized sooner rather than later, creating and maintaining a prioritized backlog with validated user stories, and facilitating team ceremonies over the course of the product’s iterations
Understand how to engage in the process of human-centered design in order to better inform product direction
Ability to manage clients and stakeholders in a way that builds trust, alignment, and healthy environments for individuals and teams
Understand the merits of different software development methodologies (e.g., agile, lean) and how to put them into practice
Enough technical fluency to weigh architecture and engineering tradeoffs with engineers and explain them to non-technical stakeholders
Interest in mentoring, coaching, and pairing with government partners so they can carry the work forward
Experience working on cross-functional teams (product, design, engineering, ops) in iterative delivery
A mindset and work approach that aligns with our core values
All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories.
This contract requires U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Common Access Card (CAC), which requires a favorable background check.
Must complete a company background check successfully.

Nice To Haves

Military or government experience
Experience leading legacy modernization efforts
Experience delivering technology in government, regulated industries, or other public-benefit settings
A track record of staying aligned and accountable on remote teams

Responsibilities

Lead a cross-functional team of researchers, designers, engineers, and subject matter experts to build and ship high-impact products and services
Translate needs from users and government partners into a product strategy, including vision, objectives, measures of success, product roadmap, and product backlog
Manage the direction, scope, and priorities of the modernization effort, weighing architecture, integration, and migration tradeoffs alongside user needs
Write user stories, prioritize stories, and build release plans
Work in close partnership with government teams to transfer digital skills and product knowledge throughout the course of the project
Creatively navigate bureaucratic challenges, paving the way for more intuitive processes in the future

Benefits

Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance
Life and AD&D insurance
Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account
Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period
Flexible paid-time-off policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays
Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents
Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options
Business development / sales bonuses
Referral bonuses
Annual $2000 allowance for professional development
Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases
Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more)
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment
An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good