Senior Product Manager

Senior Product Manager 

Parallel Systems is looking for a Product Manager to lead the development and execution of the product roadmap across both our enterprise software and hardware platforms. This is the first product hire at the company — a unique opportunity to take full ownership of a complex, system-level product in an industry ripe for transformation. 

You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams — including engineering, design, operations, and customers — to define and deliver products that modernize rail freight. On the software side, that means building enterprise systems that integrate with existing rail platforms (TMS, yard management systems, terminal operating systems, etc.). On the hardware side, you’ll ensure alignment across our vehicles, embedded software, and enterprise stack. 

This role demands autonomy, grit, and a systems-thinking mindset. You’ll need to thrive in ambiguity, balance long-term vision with short-term impact, and drive clarity across a fast-moving organization. 

Responsibilities:

• Work with leadership to define and own the end-to-end product roadmap across hardware and software systems 
• Collaborate with engineering and design to deliver high-impact, technically sound product releases 
• Ensure enterprise software integrates effectively with existing rail industry platforms  
• Translate industry, customer, and operational needs into clear product requirements 
• Partner with business development, engineering, and operations teams to understand customer workflows and use cases 
• Align hardware and software feature sets and long-term platform goals 
• Set and track product KPIs that reflect real-world performance and customer value 
• Drive prioritization, tradeoff discussions, and product decision-making across teams

What Success Looks Like:

• After 30 days: You’ve built context across our software and hardware systems, taken ownership over the requirements of a core product, and delivered a forward-looking project schedule. 
• After 60 days: You’ve defined an initial roadmap for core product areas, translated customer input into clear requirements, and are driving alignment between hardware, vehicle software, and enterprise teams for initial customer integration. 
• After 90 days: You’ve led the planning and kickoff of cross-functional product workstreams, set delivery expectations with stakeholders, and are seen as the go-to owner of the product direction. 

Basic Requirements: 

• 5+ years of product management experience, with ownership of complex systems or platforms 
• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced, high-ambiguity environment 
• Demonstrated experience shipping enterprise software 
• Exposure to hardware development or hardware/software integrated products 
• Strong technical fluency — able to converse with engineers and synthesize technical constraints into product tradeoffs 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience working in both software and hardware product environments 
• Background in freight, logistics, transportation, or industrial systems 
• Experience working with legacy enterprise platforms and modern APIs 
• Familiarity with embedded systems and hardware/software integration 
• Prior role as a founding or early product hire