Principal Product Manager, Drone as First Responder; DFR

Senior Director, Product Management, Drone as First Responder (DFR)

San Mateo, California, United States – Full time

Skydio is the leading U.S. drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best‑in‑class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond.

About the role: As the Senior Director of Product Management for Skydio’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) offering, you will own the end‑to‑end software features that enable Public Safety and Emergency Responder customers to perform scaled remote drone operations. Skydio’s DFR product provides real‑time visibility to those on the frontline of emergencies and public safety scenarios.

Location: This position is based onsite 5 days per week at our HQ in San Mateo, CA, with ~50% travel. We offer relocation assistance if needed.

How you'll make an impact:

• Own the business of the end‑to‑end DFR offering, meeting company financial and market growth goals in partnership with GTM and Engineering.
• Actively meet with customers and internal stakeholders to build expertise in critical DFR use cases and pain points to solve.
• Leverage strong technical understanding of cloud‑connected devices and enterprise‑level management to ideate and deliver high‑value products and features.
• Define the full end‑to‑end DFR customer experience spanning cloud admin management, real‑time drone operations, flight experience, logging, and media offload.
• Collaborate with Platform PMs to prioritize and drive the DFR roadmap, product requirements and key performance metrics.
• Enable GTM and lead successful launches for DFR products, features, and improvements.
• Lead cross‑functional teams to address in‑market issues, ensuring Skydio’s DFR platform is world‑leading in reliability and meeting customer core needs.

What makes you a good fit:

• 10+ years defining and launching complex enterprise‑grade solutions, including backend admin controls and end‑user UI and experiences.
• Engineering or other technical educational background that makes you at home in deep discussions with engineers on complex technical challenges and trade‑offs.
• Customer‑driven with examples of working directly with customers to solve their workflows and problems.
• Excellent communicator, experienced in sharing complex information in an understandable delivery for executive‑level customers, external partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to utilize experience doing market analysis to drive efficient data‑driven decisions.
• Will be driving the development of products for federal government customers; requires U.S. citizenship. Skydio does not currently offer employment‑based visa or permanent residency sponsorship for this role.
• Ability to obtain FAA Part 107 certification within 60 days of employment start.
• Professional background in drones, flight interfaces, Drone Management and/or DFR software offerings.
• Professional background in real‑time crime center (RTCCs) or real‑time operations software solutions.
• Professional background in Public Safety as a career, or deep expertise working closely with them as customers.
• Professional background in using drones for ISR for federal agencies, or equivalent experience working closely with them as customers.
• Expertise in the enterprise drone market and DFR offerings specifically.
• Experience flying drones professionally or in crewed flight.

Compensation Range: At Skydio, the compensation package for this position includes a competitive base salary, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits. The annual base salary range is $226,000 - $300,000. Additional benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, holiday pay, 401(k) savings plan, and eligibility for the company’s group health insurance plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti‑discrimination laws. Skydio is a federal contractor or subcontractor subject to certain governmental record‑keeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil right laws and regulations.