Data & AI Product Manager

  DATA & AI PRODUCT MANAGER At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future. Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way. ABOUT US Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges. We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more. Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day. JOB SUMMARY The Data & AI Product Manager will help shape the strategy, roadmap, requirements, adoption, and business value for a defined Data & AI product. This product management role is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys building practical, high-impact products with enterprise scope, multiple stakeholders, or direct revenue impact. In this role, you will help shape what gets built, guide priorities, partner closely with the engineering pod, and support adoption so the product delivers meaningful, measurable value. This is a hands-on product role for someone who enjoys moving between strategy and execution. You may write requirements, participate in refinement, lead demos, work through data quality questions with business partners, and share product progress with leadership or governance groups. REPORTING AND SCOPE This role reports to the Director, Data & AI Product Management. You will work closely with an engineering pod that may include senior, mid-level, and junior Data & AI Product Engineers and interns. The ideal candidate will enjoy collaborating with technical teammates, providing thoughtful product direction, and helping the team build strong product practices together. RESPONSIBILITIES * Shape the product vision and roadmap, keeping both current as business needs and platform capabilities evolve. * Manage and prioritize the backlog, and write clear requirements that help engineering teams deliver high-quality work efficiently. * Make thoughtful prioritization decisions, including what moves forward now, what waits, and what may not be built, while helping stakeholders understand the tradeoffs and rationale. * Guide the delivery cadence with the engineering pod, including refinement, sprint planning, reviews, and follow-through on key action items. * Define success measures early and create practical ways to report adoption, value, and product performance with confidence. * Support product adoption by engaging early users, partnering with the Communications & Education team on enablement, and identifying barriers to use. * Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across business units, including groups with different needs, priorities, or levels of readiness. * Help guide the product through governance and incorporate design controls into the product from the start. * Share product progress, investment considerations, and recommendations with leadership and governance committees in a clear, practical, and business-oriented way. * Provide product direction and team leadership for the engineering pod assigned to the product, including input into hiring, development planning, performance, and day-to-day execution. HOW PRODUCT MANAGEMENT MAKES AN IMPACT HERE At Salas O'Brien, product management is about turning business needs, user insights, and platform capabilities into practical solutions that people can trust and use. You will help shape a clear product direction, bring stakeholders along, and translate ideas into delivery that creates real value. We are looking for someone who is curious, collaborative, and comfortable using data to understand what is working. You will monitor usage, adoption, value delivered, and the quality of the data your product depends on so decisions are grounded in evidence and connected to business needs. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED * Seven or more years of experience in product ownership or product management, including data, analytics, or AI products delivered to production. * Experience creating clear backlogs, requirements, and acceptance criteria that help engineering and business stakeholders stay aligned. * Working SQL skills and practical familiarity with modern data platform concepts, such as lakehouse architecture, layered data models, and data quality management. * Experience defining product success metrics and sharing progress with leadership in a way that connects product performance to business value. * Experience working with stakeholders across independent business units or lines of business where priorities may differ. * Experience supporting an agile delivery cadence with an engineering team. * Bachelor's degree in a technical, quantitative, or business discipline, or equivalent experience. * Strong written and verbal communication skills. * Demonstrated experience leading a product, not just a project, with the ability to explain prioritization decisions and tradeoffs. * Ability to create requirements that are clear and actionable for both technical and business partners. * Comfort working with data, including using SQL, understanding model evaluation concepts, and helping teams distinguish technical defects from unclear or undocumented business rules. * Ability to understand user needs, advocate for product direction with senior stakeholders, and adjust course when stronger evidence supports a change. PREFERRED * Experience in architecture, engineering, construction, or professional services, particularly with systems related to project accounting, resource planning, or design tooling. * Experience leading a product that was commercialized externally or included regulatory or governance obligations. * Hands-on experience with Databricks, Unity Catalog, or a comparable governed data platform. * Experience with generative AI product patterns, including retrieval, evaluation, and human review workflows. * Prior experience as a data engineer, analyst, or software developer. * Experience introducing a product in an organization where adoption depended on user engagement, enablement, and demonstrated value. LOCATION This position is remote within the United States. TRAVEL Travel up to 20% may be required to support business stakeholder engagement, leadership meetings, and team collaboration activities. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The expected base salary range for this role is $145,000 - $165,000 USD per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location. This role is also eligible for a performance-based bonus and a comprehensive U.S.-based benefits package, including: * Medical, dental, and vision insurance * 401(k) with company match * Paid time off and company holidays * Wellness programs and employee assistance resources * Professional development support EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law. THIRD-PARTY AGENCY NOTICE Salas O’Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.