Product Manager

Job description

**Katalyst Description:** Katalyst is an American technology company focused on dynamic space operations. We are building a fleet of dual-use multipurpose robotic space vehicles to create the future where maneuvering, upgrading, refueling, resupply and exploration are as routine as they are on Earth. Getting to space and overcoming the gravity well is only half the story. What you do there is the future. We are not building the trains. We are building the machines that lay down the tracks. By developing the foundational capabilities that make sustained, responsive operations possible, we enable a new era of space exploration that strengthens national security and ensures freedom of action in an increasingly contested domain. **Katalyst Culture:** Working at Katalyst is intense, hands-on, and deeply rewarding. You’ll take real ownership and see your work move from concept to operations in an environment where the problems are hard and the impact is real. We value humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. You’ll work closely with thoughtful, driven teammates who push each other to do their best. Oh, and we're dog friendly! **Benefits:** - Stock options & equity - Medical, dental, and vision coverage - 401(k) - Unlimited PTO - Catered lunches **What You’ll Do** **Product Roadmap & Strategic Planning** 1. Define and maintain product roadmaps aligned with company strategy, customer needs, and market opportunities. 2. Own the product backlog, ensuring features are prioritized, clearly defined, and ready for engineering teams to execute. 3. Provide executives with visibility into product progress, milestones, risks, and key decisions. 4. Translate customer feedback, stakeholder needs, and business opportunities into clear requirements and user stories. 5. Balance competing priorities, customer commitments, technical constraints, and mission requirements to deliver maximum value. **Technical Demonstrations & External Communication** 1. Own and deliver product demonstrations to customers, government stakeholders, and partners with sufficient technical depth to address detailed questions. 2. Prepare and present product briefings that translate complex technical capabilities into clear customer and mission value. 3. Serve as a primary product point of contact for external stakeholders, ensuring communication is accurate, compelling, and aligned with product capabilities. 4. Coordinate with engineering and contribute directly to demonstrations that showcase capabilities relevant to stakeholder priorities. **Internal Product Execution & Cross-Functional Leadership** 1. Lead biweekly product reviews and demonstrations to ensure development progress is visible and aligned with strategic goals. 2. Communicate product priorities, progress, and tradeoffs to executives, maintaining alignment between engineering and company strategy. 3. Lead biannual product strategy workshops to align teams on roadmap priorities, strategic direction, and execution. 4. Partner with engineering, business development, and program teams to define scope, resolve dependencies, and deliver products. 5. Manage external subcontractor relationships as needed, tracking milestones and ensuring deliverables meet schedule and technical requirements. 6. Define and track product success metrics, incorporating customer feedback and performance data into future priorities. **External Stakeholder Management & Business Development** 1. Build and manage relationships with customers, government stakeholders, and partners, serving as a primary representative of the product. 2. Gather customer feedback and validate product needs through regular conversations, demonstrations, and discovery sessions. 3. Partner with business development to evaluate opportunities and align product capabilities with customer needs. 4. Respond quickly to emerging opportunities, adapting roadmaps and priorities as market conditions and customer requirements evolve. **What We’re Looking For** 1. **Technical Fluency** – You can understand complex technical products, engage credibly with engineering teams, and quickly learn unfamiliar domains. 2. **Customer Focus and Presentation Skills** – You uncover customer needs and deliver compelling demonstrations and briefings to technical, operational, and executive audiences. 3. **Comfort with Ambiguity** – You thrive when requirements evolve, priorities shift, and information is incomplete. 4. **Strategic Thinking** – You prioritize for impact with constrained resources and clearly articulate the reasoning behind product decisions. 5. **Ownership and Execution** – You turn broad goals into actionable plans, align teams, and drive work through completion. 6. **Willingness to Travel** – You are willing to travel approximately 25% to maintain stakeholder relationships, support demonstrations, and gather product feedback. **Your Ideal Background** 1. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field. 2. 3–5 years of product management experience with technical products, ideally in aerospace, defense, robotics, software, or another complex engineering environment. 3. Experience taking products or major capabilities from discovery and requirements definition through development, launch, and iteration. 4. Demonstrated ability to learn complex technical domains and translate customer needs into actionable product requirements. 5. Experience working with government or DoD customers is preferred, including familiarity with acquisition processes and operational needs. 6. Startup or fast-paced environment experience, with the ability to move quickly, work across functions, and navigate ambiguity independently. 7. Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and product management tools such as Linear, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar. 8. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to technical and executive audiences. **Additional Requirements**: Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed. **Compensation and Benefits:** Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $120,000 - $170,000 annually. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off. *At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.*