Sr Product Manager, Large Ag Autonomy

We’re Blue River, a team of innovators driven to create intelligent machinery that solves monumental problems for our customers. We empower our customers – farmers, construction crews, and foresters - to implement safer and more sustainable solutions, driving increased profitability with less reliance on scarce labor. We believe that focusing on the small stuff, pixel-by-pixel and task-by-task, leads to big gains. 

Blue River Technology works within John Deere’s vision to “innovate on behalf of humanity” by quickly identifying and solving high-value, high-uncertainty challenges in the fields of AI, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics. BRT acts as a research and development flywheel, building not only new products but new platforms that reliably create value for both Deere and its customers. From fully autonomous machines to highly precise farming equipment, BRT & Deere are partnering to create technical breakthroughs across industries like agriculture, construction, and commercial mowing.

Our people are at the heart of what we do. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, this mission-driven team is eager to define the new frontier of robotics. We ask hard questions, iterate quickly, and get our boots in the field to figure it out. We won’t give up until we’ve made a tangible and positive impact on the planet!

Blue River Technology is based in Santa Clara, CA.

 

Summary

Autonomous machines are revolutionizing large-scale agriculture. At John Deere, we’re not starting from scratch; we’re building on proven leadership to scale autonomous machines globally. We are seeking an experienced product manager to define what great autonomous products look like, partner closely with engineering leaders, and work with commercial teams to accelerate growth. To succeed in this role, you’ll need to love making sense out of ambiguous problems, thrive when charting a new course, and possess the cultural athleticism to work effectively in both the worlds of hard iron and Silicon Valley. If you’re excited about building enormous robots that help feed and clothe the world, this role is for you.

• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Work Location: Remote in the United States
• Visa sponsorship: Not available for this position. 

Job Responsibilities

A combination, not necessarily all-inclusive, of the following:

• Build deep customer, business, and market understanding through field research, product/customer feedback, usage data, and quantitative analysis.
• Identify customer needs, friction points, and adoption barriers and craft concepts that shape product direction.
• Drive rapid customer-facing experimentation to validate/invalidate early concepts.
• Translate customer evidence, system performance, and business needs into clear roadmap priorities for cross-functional teams.
• Define core requirements for operational design domain, data collection, safeguarding, guidance and navigation, machine controls, and precision technology.
• Set system performance criteria that align product behavior with customer expectations throughout the adoption curve.
• Partner with cross-functional engineering teams to define and deliver full-stack hardware, digital/embedded software, CVML, and mobile solutions to production.
• Track usage, mission quality, customer confidence, and satisfaction to improve repeat use and product impact.
• Whatever it takes to make this product successful.

Required Experience and Skills

• 8+ years of experience as a product manager in a technology company.
• Strong technical competency, specifically in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) systems.
• The ability to collaboratively solve unstructured, ambiguous problems with curiosity.
• Proven ability to influence, collaborate, and engage with others from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate technical product information clearly, concisely, and creatively.
• The ability to galvanize a team around a mission and make tough trade-off decisions.
• Strong background in data-driven analysis and decision-making.
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• Familiarity with software development methodologies (agile, scrum) and modern product management methodologies.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with or knowledge of the autonomy/robotics space.
• Entrepreneurial experience taking a product from market entry to scale.
• MBA or MSE.

Only individual applicants will be considered. We do not work with unsolicited third-party agencies or proxy interview services. 

At Blue River, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. For this position, the reasonably expected pay range is between $142,000 – $250,000/year for the level at which this job has been scoped. Your base pay will depend on several factors, including your experience, qualifications, education, location, and skills. This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus and a competitive benefits package. During the recruitment process, we may identify an alternative role or level that better suits you. If your ideal role at Blue River differs from the advertised position, we will provide an updated pay range as soon as possible during the hiring process.

We’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing in our programs, including recruiting, mentorship, career development, and learning & development, to ensure they support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. We support each employee in living a full life, enabling a thriving career, and accomplishing a meaningful, challenging mission while collaborating with incredible people. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align completely with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.