APO - Material science and Nano Technology

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Domain research & scientific intelligence Conduct secondary research with materials scientists, application engineers, and end-users to surface unmet needs across our target verticals – polymer engineering, nanomaterials & chemical engineering Track developments in academic literature, patent filings, and industry consortia to maintain a current view of the nanotechnology and advanced materials landscape Synthesize findings from lab evaluations, pilot programs, and customer discovery sessions into clear opportunity assessments Build and maintain relationships with key research institutions, university labs, and technical advisors as ongoing intelligence sources Map the competitive landscape across material platforms, synthesis methods, and application-specific solutions Product vision & direction-setting Demonstrate technical credibility to engage the research and engineering team as a peer and build alignment on product direction. Define the product vision for target application areas, balancing scientific feasibility with commercial impact Translate research insights into prioritized product opportunities, with clear hypotheses, success criteria, and go/no-go thresholds Own and maintain the product roadmap, sequencing initiatives across long development cycles with clear milestones Identify and articulate the product bets the team should take — and those it should not — with supporting evidence Set measurable outcomes for each initiative and track progress against them through development and pilot stages Engineering & R&D team enablement Write detailed product requirements and specifications that bridge scientific concepts and engineering deliverables Work through project managers to track execution progress and proactively push against schedule and scope drift Participate in sprint and R&D review cycles, maintaining alignment between discovery-stage work and product goals Make rapid, well-reasoned decisions on scope, trade-offs, and pivot points to keep the team unblocked Facilitate structured knowledge transfer between research scientists and product engineers to minimize translation loss Define acceptance criteria for technical milestones that connect lab outputs to real-world performance requirements Apply sufficient financial understanding to guide project managers in monitoring spend against plan, flagging budget risks early, and projecting resource requirements across the project lifetime Stakeholder communication Communicate product direction and research rationale clearly to executive leadership, investors, and technical boards Align commercial, regulatory, and operations stakeholders on product positioning and development timelines Manage relationships with external pilot partners and research collaborators, translating feedback into actionable product inputs Produce roadmap updates and milestone reports that give non-technical stakeholders accurate visibility into progress and risk WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU Required qualifications 2+ years of experience in product management, product ownership, technical program management, or research commercialization Strong foundation in material science, chemistry, nanotechnology, or a closely related scientific discipline (degree or equivalent professional experience) Demonstrated ability to conduct structured research — literature reviews, expert interviews, application analysis — and synthesize findings into product decisions Experience collaborating with research or engineering teams, with a track record of translating technical work into defined product goals Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex scientific topics to non-specialist audiences Comfort managing ambiguity across long development cycles where requirements evolve as science matures Preferred qualifications Direct experience with nanomaterials, thin films, surface engineering, or materials characterization techniques Familiarity with technology readiness levels (TRL) and the commercialization pathway from lab-scale to production Prior experience in chemical and/or pharmaceutical production environments Understanding of relevant regulatory and safety frameworks (REACH, OSHA nano-material guidance, ISO/TC 229) Exposure to IP strategy and patent landscapes as inputs to product decision-making CORE COMPETENCIES Scientific literacy — reads primary research and engages credibly with domain experts without needing everything simplified Research rigor — applies structured methods to generate reliable, actionable insights in a complex, evolving landscape Long-horizon thinking — operates effectively across multi-year development cycles without losing sight of near-term milestones Decisive under ambiguity — makes clear product calls even when the science is not fully settled Technical credibility — earns the trust of researchers and engineers by engaging genuinely with constraints and trade-offs Clear communication — translates dense scientific findings into compelling narratives for commercial and executive audiences Ownership mindset — treats the product area as their own and proactively identifies risks, gaps, and opportunities