What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President and General Manager, Stretch Business Unit position at Boston Dynamics?
Boston Dynamics' goal is to revolutionize the logistics and manufacturing industries by introducing highly capable and intelligent mobile manipulation platforms. Stretch is the first mobile robot for truck unloading that will also address any box-handling job in the warehouse. Your job as General Manager is to navigate this nascent market's successful creation and domination by creating great products with leading technology guided by customer feedback.
We are looking for a seasoned business and product development professional with a proven track record of growing a business unit from first sales to profitability. In this mission-critical role, you will have direct accountability for the Stretch Product Management team and Stretch Research and Development team and will be expected to partner closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales, Deployment, Customer Service, Finance and Human Resources.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
- Accountable for Profit & Loss (P&L) of the Stretch Business Unit. Key metrics include gross profit, net profit, market share, revenue and return on investment
- Own the product roadmap and communicate clearly with your team, as well as adjacent teams, regarding sales, deployment, service, manufacturing, supply chain, and financial matters
- Build, maintain, and grow a pipeline of products and projects and can constantly feed the growth of the Business Unit
- Own R&D roadmap, priority setting and allocation, New Product Introduction, and product evolution required to stay competitive and profitable
- Develop and communicate a clear product vision and strategy that corresponds with market needs
- Create detailed product roadmaps, specifications, and timelines to guide development efforts
- Prioritize product features and requirements based on customer feedback, business objectives, and technical viability
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Sales, Customer Support, Customer Success, and others, to ensure that the applications meet their needs and improve the business
- Evaluate monthly Sales forecast and any sales forecast changes; enforce responsibility for the implication of changes to the plan (e.g. inventory, or any other cost element adversely impacting P&L)
- Drive cost reductions by collaborating with Supply Chain and Operations colleagues
- Create and maintain tactical and strategic plans for short-term budgeting and a 10-year plan in collaboration with FP&A
Education & Experience
- BS in related field, MS preferred
- 10 years of industry experience
- Experience leading/interacting with customers of engineering companies
- 10 years of people management experience in an engineering, development, or technology role
- Demonstrated experience building ecosystems of products and executing projects
Skills
- Proven business leader with prior P&L ownership and superior analytical abilities, particularly in strategic business and financial analysis
- Experience with managing SW (perception, behaviors, controls, platform) teams and HW teams - prior direct experience desired
- Proven track record of creating Product roadmaps that delivered profitability over time
- Strong communication skills (both verbal and written), business acumen, and sense of judgment
- Strong planning and leadership ability to get tasks accomplished through non-direct reports
- Ability to persuade and motivate others
- Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization. Ability, flexibility, versatility, and comfort level for working with multiple individuals and personalities
- Ability to work on many projects simultaneously and strong execution orientation
- Ability to train, coach, and mentor others
Boston Dynamics is a world leader in mobile robots, tackling some of the toughest robotics challenges. For years, our awe-inspiring
viral videos on YouTube
have shown the world what remarkably capable robots can do. Now we are quickly becoming a recognized leader in automation solutions for industrial applications, logistics and warehouses.
