Senior Technical Product Manager Hardware

Overview: Rachio is looking for a Senior Product Manager Hardware to own one of Rachio's hardware lines end to end: the roadmap for that line, the product definition behind each device in it, and the stage gates that take a concept from idea through EVT, DVT, and PVT to a product that ships on time, in full, and at the right cost. Our hardware portfolio spans smart sprinkler controllers, hose timers, outdoor lighting, and the partner and OEM products we build with and for others, along with the tethered software experiences (setup, control, and device features in the Rachio app) that make them work. You will own a subset of these hardware programs from its roadmap, its definition, requirements, and its results - and how it feeds it into the portfolio roadmap. The role is inherently technical and inherently commercial. You are measured on shipping products customers love - on time, at cost, and at quality - and on how your line performs in market: activation, returns, CSAT, and attach to software and subscriptions. Not on the volume of specs written. You work daily with Engineering (firmware, electrical, mechanical, and industrial design), Supply Chain and Operations, Design, Support, Finance, and Sales. You will spend real time with customers - homeowners and professional installers - and real time at the factory. This enables our customer driven approach and how we solve customer pain points in our roadmap. A note on how this role works. Rachio runs a flat organization that maintains high ownership and a fast-paced start-up culture. This is an individual contributor role. Your influence comes from the quality of your product judgment, the clarity of your writing, and your credibility with the engineers, designers, and operators who build what you define. If there is a gap in the organization or resourcing standing between your product and its launch, you are expected to step in and close it. When the same gap shows up a second time, you are expected to fix what produces it. We also expect you to work AI-natively: using AI for the research synthesis, data analysis, and first drafts that used to take days, so your time goes to customers, evaluating trade-offs, and focusing on strategic debates. Responsibilities: Own your line's roadmap and product definition Own the roadmap for your hardware line across new products, line extensions, and lifecycle work on what has already shipped, kept led by data: customer research, product telemetry, support and returns data, channel input, and competitive intelligence. Write the "working backwards" documents for each new product and major feature in your line: the customer problem, the value to customers, partners, and channels, the target price and cost, the success criteria, and the questions we have to answer before we commit. Turn those into detailed, crisp business requirements and user stories that Engineering and Design can build to, spanning hardware, firmware, and the tethered app experience. Manage the trade-offs among customer experience, performance, cost, schedule, and operational support load - and make the call, with a written rationale, when they conflict. Feed the portfolio roadmap: bring the Director of Product the evidence, the sequencing constraints, and the bets you think are worth making in your category. Run the product development process for your line Run your line's stage gates as a mechanism, not a meeting: concept through EVT, DVT, PVT, and ramp, with clear owners and exit criteria at each, and an honest review of what we learned at the end. Contribute to engineering decisions on technology and architecture - radios and protocols, sensors, power, enclosures - with enough fluency to be useful in the room and to recognize when a decision is a one-way door. Know when a problem belongs to Design, hand it over cleanly, and facilitate their design development process rather than direct it. Integrate with Supply Chain and Operations Work with Supply Chain from concept fo…

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