Technology Incubation – Early Stage Product Manager

Lenovo CTO Org Tech Incubation Role

This is a remote role; however, international travel is expected to collaborate with global R&D labs, business units, and pilot customers, and may reach ~50% depending on project needs and incubation phase. Bay Area is preferred, but remote candidates will be considered.

Lenovo CTO Org is the cutting-edge R&D and technology incubation organization of Lenovo, dedicated to advancing information technology, smart devices, and services. Our mission is to turn breakthrough innovations into real businesses, powering Lenovo's most advanced products and services and shaping the future of AI, hybrid computing, edge technologies, and beyond.

This role sits at the core of Lenovo CTO Org's Tech Incubation team, driving end-to-end incubation for early-stage product concepts. You will take opportunities that have initial validation and turn them into real products: shaping MVPs, orchestrating pilots with customers and business units, and managing the path from 0 to 1. Our incubation portfolio spans AI-driven products across robotics, smart manufacturing, full-stack AI agent solutions, sports technology, and other emerging domains.

You will own the execution of incubation projects; translating problem statements into product requirements, coordinating R&D and engineering teams, defining success metrics, and driving pilots to clear outcomes that enable scale up.

We seek strategic product thinkers who are also strong operators. People who can combine technology foresight with commercial instincts and then turn that into concrete roadmaps, pilots, and launches. You will work alongside world-class researchers, engineers, and business leaders, bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology development, customer needs, and scalable business outcome.

Market & Commercial Validation:

• Assess market opportunities for emerging technologies and early product ideas, identifying high potential applications, customer segments, and pain points.
• Analyze trends, market size, and growth potential to prioritize where incubation effort will have the highest impact.
• Map the value chain and competitive landscape, including existing and emerging players, investment trends, and potential disruptors.
• Evaluate business models, pricing approaches, and unit economics to test commercial viability early.
• Build clear, concise business cases that link customer value, differentiation, and financial outcomes to support investment and scale-up decisions.

Technology Differentiation & Competitive Analysis:

• Evaluate technology differentiation for incubation projects, articulating why Lenovo's approach can win versus alternatives.
• Identify opportunities for platform leverage, technology partnerships, and ecosystem collaboration (e.g., ISVs, cloud, hardware partners) that accelerate time-to-market.
• Analyze competing and adjacent solutions, providing insights into where we should compete, partner, or integrate.
• Synthesize findings into clear recommendations and narratives for Lenovo Research leadership and corporate executives, influencing R&D investment, partnership, and product strategy.

Incubation & Pilot Execution:

• Translate validated opportunities and problem statements into clear product requirements and MVP definitions.
• Design and drive pilot programs with internal and external customers, from scoping and success-metric definition to execution and post-mortem.
• Build and manage cross-functional execution plans across R&D, engineering, business units, and partners to hit pilot milestones on time.
• Collect qualitative and quantitative feedback from pilots, synthesize insights, and turn them into product decisions (iterate, pivot, or stop)
• Define the path from MVP to scale (productization options, handoff models, resourcing needs) and document clear go/no-go recommendations

• Strategic mindset with a strong background in technology strategy, early-stage product management, or corporate incubations.
• Hands-on experience taking products from concept to MVP/pilot, including customer discovery, requirement definition, and basic go-to-market planning.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, with the ability to assess market viability, competitive positioning, and investment attractiveness.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into simple, actionable narratives and product decisions for executive stakeholders.
• Experience working in fast-paced, innovation-driven environments where ambiguity is high and learning velocity matters.
• Passion for emerging technologies, including AI, ML, computing, and digital transformation, and curiosity about how to turn them into real businesses.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in product management, incubation, venture-building, or technology strategy within innovation-driven industries.
• Proven experience taking products from concept to MVP and pilot, including customer discovery,…