Product - Technology/Analyzer Platform

Head of Product – Technology/Analyzer Platform

Location:  Santa Clara, CA or Remote

Reports To:  Chief Product/Strategy Officer

Department:  Product Management

The Opportunity:

Picarro's analyzer is the one piece of technology every product line depends on — Fenceline, Workplace Monitoring, CEMS, AMLD, Natural Gas, and Analytical Instruments all run on the same CRDS core. As Picarro scales its Compliance-as-a-Service model across more verticals, that core needs a single accountable owner: someone who sets one roadmap, defends it against one-off forks, and turns next-generation programs like Loki and compact-cavity CRDS into shipped platform improvements.

We're looking for a Head of Product to own that roadmap end-to-end. You'll sit at the intersection of optics, firmware, and the commercial needs of every Systems and Solution PM building on top of the platform — turning competing requests into a prioritized roadmap that makes the whole portfolio better, not just one product. This is a build role: define what “platform” means at Picarro, then prove it by shipping the modernization work already underway.

A subject matter expertise in optics is not required. Still, a strong technical background and experience with hardware or instrumentation platforms are essential. This role earns credibility with engineering first, then translates that into a roadmap the rest of the business can build on.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the single technology/analyzer platform roadmap (CRDS and BB-CRDS engine, firmware, common APIs) that underpins every Picarro product line, from Fenceline and Workplace Monitoring to CEMS, AMLD, Natural Gas, and Analytical Instruments.
• Translate roadmap requests from Systems and Solution PMs into prioritized platform investments, and hold the line against forks that fragment the core.
• Drive major platform programs (Loki/next-gen analyzer modernization, compact-cavity CRDS, optical feedback) with clear specs, milestones, and exit criteria from concept through commercial release.
• Partner with Engineering leadership on architecture decisions governing modularity, serviceability, and manufacturability across the analyzer family.
• Set and defend platform performance, cost, and reliability targets, balancing what's technically possible against what verticals need to win deals.
• Represent the platform roadmap in the Quarterly Portfolio Review and other cross-functional planning forums, translating technical trade-offs for sales and executive audiences.
• Work directly with R&D, manufacturing, and select strategic customers to validate platform direction before it's locked into the roadmap.
• Some travel to manufacturing, R&D, and customer sites is required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (engineering, physics, chemistry, or related) is required; MS or PhD is preferred.
• 10+ years in product management or engineering leadership for hardware or instrumentation platforms, ideally with optical, spectroscopy, or analytical instrumentation experience.
• Track record of owning a shared technology platform across multiple product lines or business units, not just a single product.
• Equally comfortable going deep with engineering on architecture trade-offs and translating those trade-offs for sales, customers, and executives.
• Experience managing roadmaps from concept through NPI to commercial launch, including cost and manufacturability discipline.
• Strong technical credibility — able to engage R&D and engineering as a peer, not just a requirements-taker.
• Results-oriented and comfortable being the final call when vertical priorities conflict, with the data to defend that call.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills; able to brief engineers and executives on the same roadmap.

• Opportunity to impact the future of industrial emissions monitoring and workplace safety.
• Collaborative, mission-driven culture that values innovation and results.
• Competitive salary, bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits.
• Flexible hybrid work environment with HQ in Santa Clara, CA.

Salary & Benefits:

The base salary range for this full-time position is $150k-$190k,  plus bonus and equity.  All salaries are commensurate with experience, qualifications, and location.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) plans
• Life, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Vacation Policy and Paid Holidays
• Employee Referral Program
• 401K
• Social events (summer picnic, holiday party, team lunches, etc.)
• On-site Health & Wellness programs (fitness challenges, outdoor bootcamp, flu-shots, etc.)

About Picarro:

We are the global leader in delivering timely, trusted, and actionable data through enhanced optical spectroscopy. Our solutions serve diverse applications, including natural gas leak detection, ethylene oxide emissions monitoring, semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, atmospheric science, air quality, greenhouse gas measurements, food safety, hydrology, and ecology. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, our products are trusted in over 90 countries and supported by over 65 patents related to cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technology.

Picarro, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a diverse workforce.