• Palo Alto, California, California
• IT
• $110-140K
• Full Time regular employee
•  9:00 - 18:00

Job Description

Position
Product Manager

Summary
A Japanese AgriTech company in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking a strategic and hands-on Product Manager with a strong product and UX sense to take our early-stage solution to the next level. This is a rare opportunity to shape not just a product, but the foundation of our product culture.

This position will join at a critical time (their initial product vision and roadmap are already in motion) and will take ownership of refining, repositioning, and executing on that direction. Their products span hardware, software, AI models, and data systems, delivered as IoT-enabled solutions and SaaS platforms. This position will play a central role in integrating these layers into a cohesive, user-centered experience.

This roll lead product and UX direction across cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment between product development, customer needs, and go-to-market strategy. Product work to date has been led primarily by engineers and non-product professionals. This position will bring clarity, structure, and user focus, working closely with technical leads who have strong opinions. Success in this role requires someone who can lead by influence, communicate with precision, and execute with a deep sense of ownership.

While this position will initially own UX direction, external UX expertise will be available when needed, allowing you to stay focused on strategy, prioritization, and outcomes without carrying all execution responsibilities alone.

This position also collaborate with a predominantly Japan-based team, which brings deep industry knowledge and engineering strength. Navigating cross-cultural communication and decision-making will be a key part of the role—presenting both challenges and opportunities to grow as a global product leader.

Essential Duties
- Product Ownership & Strategy: Take over and evolve the current product direction, identifying opportunities to refine or reposition based on real user and market insights.
- User & Market Insights: Conduct field research and user interviews to validate needs and inform product decisions.
- Use Case Development: Translate findings into detailed use cases and define clear, actionable product requirements.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate across engineering (hardware and software), AI/ML teams, business, and marketing to deliver integrated solutions.
- Strategic Integration: Ensure product work aligns with go-to-market and broader business development strategies.
- Lifecycle Management: Manage the full product lifecycle—from roadmap development to launch and continuous iteration.
- UX Leadership: Define the UX strategy and, when appropriate, work with external UX experts to ensure a simple, intuitive, and effective user experience.
- Adaptability: Thrive in a fast-moving environment, navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities across hardware, software, and AI elements.

Working Hours, Working style
9:00-18:00 ​​​​​​​(Hybrid)

Working Location
Palo Alto, San Francisco​​​​​​​

Salary/Benefit
$110-140K
​​​​​​​Insurance(Medical, Dental, Vision)

Holidays
​​​​​​​Saturday, Sunday, Holiday

Qualifications
​​​​​​​Required
- ​​​​​​​3+ of working experience as Product Manager
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Technical background or strong understanding of software development processes and hardware/software integration
- Demonstrated success in early-stage product development and market launches
- Experience working with cross-disciplinary teams (e.g., software, hardware, AI/ML)
- Product Management, Project Management, and Agile development expertise
- Experience gathering and analyzing customer or user requirements
- Native-level proficiency in English

Preferred
- Experience in IoT or AI-driven product environments
- Knowledge of the livestock farming or agriculture industry
- Experience with user-centered design and usability testing
- Bilingual proficiency in Japanese

Ideal Candidate
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Experienced in managing complex product ecosystems (hardware, software, AI)
- Thrives in ambiguity and is motivated by early-stage challenges
- Confident enough to lead, humble enough to listen, and experienced enough to align teams where product ownership is still forming
- Brings a user-first mindset and clear product intuition, especially in real-world, B2B use cases
- Capable of influencing product direction in environments where engineers or non-product stakeholders have previously led decision-making
​​​​​​​- Comfortable working in a cross-cultural environment with a majority of stakeholders based in Japan; able to bridge cultural gaps and foster alignment with empathy and clarity

Apply Now