Head of Product - Critical Power in Carlsbad, California at Proper Voltage

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

About Proper Voltage

Proper Voltage is unlocking the next generation of battery technology across robotics, data centers, and defense.

We're building intelligent battery systems that make advanced chemistries (sodium-ion, lithium-titanate, lithium-silicon) work in products that were never designed for them. Humanoid robots can upgrade power systems without redesigning their entire platform. Data centers get safer, cheaper backup power. Drones and autonomous vehicles get higher energy density without lengthy integration cycles.

If you want to build the revenue engine for hard technology that matters (power systems that enable humanoid robots, AI infrastructure, and next-gen mobility), this is the place.

Job Overview

As the Head of Product – Critical Power at Proper Voltage you will be the product authority for the development of our UPS, BESS, and other critical power products. You will own the product vision for this portfolio and translate customer and market needs into a clear, executable roadmap that aligns engineering, commercial, and operations teams around a coherent direction.

This role is the single point of product accountability across the critical power portfolio. You will define what we build and why, capture customer-facing product requirements in our requirements tool so engineering can execute against them, own product documentation across the lifecycle, and act as the engineering team lead for customer engagement. To be successful, priorities must be clear, tradeoffs intentional, and the engineering team able to move quickly without losing alignment or rigor.

The seat carries a deliberate product-marketing edge: alongside requirements and labels, you own the customer-facing collateral built from them, with marketing resources to execute your direction. Engineering will own the detailed technical datasheets; you own everything the customer sees before it.

What you'll do

Product Vision & Roadmap

• Own and articulate the product vision for Proper Voltage’s critical power portfolio, including UPS, BESS, and other critical power products
• Map and maintain the multi-year product roadmap, prioritising opportunities against customer needs, market dynamics, and company strategy
• Serve as the trusted product authority for the portfolio in partnership with executive, commercial, and engineering leadership

Product Definition & Requirements

• Define the complete product definition for each product within the critical power roadmap, including features, performance targets, certifications, and target use cases
• Translate customer needs and market requirements into clear, customer-facing product requirements that engineering can build against
• Capture and maintain product requirements in our requirements tool so engineering has a single, traceable source of truth to digest and execute against

Customer Engagement

• Act as the engineering team lead for customer-facing engagement on critical power products
• Represent the engineering team in technical discussions with customers, partners, and field teams
• Bring customer learnings back into product definition and the roadmap, closing the loop between field experience and product evolution

Product Documentation

• Own all customer facing product documentation for the critical power portfolio across the product lifecycle, from datasheets and specifications to internal product references and product content for PowerPoint
• Ensure documentation is accurate, accessible, and kept current as products evolve, supporting customers, partners, and internal teams
• Champion clear, disciplined written communication that captures product intent without creating unnecessary bureaucracy

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with engineering leaders to ensure designs meet product intent and system-level requirements
• Work alongside commercial, operations, and supply chain teams to align product definition with go-to-market and delivery realities
• Balance startup speed with the rigor required for an industrial customer base

Required Qualifications

• Proven success owning product definition for complex electromechanical products from concept through to production
• Deep technical understanding of critical power products such as UPS, BESS, switchgear, or related industrial power systems
• Experience directing UX or digital product work (customer portals, fleet software, or similar) alongside hardware, including managing requirements for outside design partners
• Demonstrated experience operating with high levels of ambiguity
• 10 or more years of experience in product management, systems engineering, or product engineering for industrial power or electromechanical products
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Systems, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Strong technical background with comfort in multidisciplinary environments.
• A portfolio of customer-facing product material you have authored or directed: datasheets, comparison tools, sizing guides, or launch collateral.
• Comfortable operating as the product authority without direct reports, influencing peers through clarity, credibility, and rigour.

Preferred Qualifications

Prior Experience with:

• Lithium ion, sodium ion, and other advanced energy storage technologies.
• DC-to-DC converters and digital controls in power electronics.
• High-voltage battery backup systems and pulsed power systems.
• Analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuit design, simulation, and layout.
• Thermal management for high-power battery systems.
• Experience in startups or high-growth technology companies, demonstrating adaptability and versatility across engineering disciplines.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $195,000 to $235,000 depending on experience and location.
• Equity: Company equity
• Health, dental, vision insurance.
• Flexible PTO with a generous holiday policy.
• Hybrid-friendly work schedule, with travel as required for customer engagement.