Product Manager, Machine Tending

About the team:

The Automation Engineering Team is responsible for delivering robotics-driven automation deployments across a wide range of customer applications. The team partners cross-functionally to translate customer requirements into deployed systems, ensuring solutions are integrated, commissioned, and validated to perform reliably in real manufacturing environments. Automation Engineering works closely with customers, internal technical teams, and external integrators to execute deployments on schedule while maintaining high standards for quality, safety, and repeatability.

About the role:

As Product Manager, Machine Tending, you will own the development, commercialization, and growth of Formic's machine tending offering across both tracks. You will decide which applications we pursue, define standard configurations and pricing, and lead the engineering work that makes them repeatable to deploy.

You will need enough engineering depth to make technical decisions and enough business sense to make commercial ones. You will set direction, get hands-on when needed, and serve as Formic's subject matter expert for the vertical. The goal is an offering Sales can confidently sell, Engineering can consistently deliver, and customers can rely on.

In this role you will:

Own the machine tending product:

Own the strategy, roadmap, and portfolio across third-party and internally developed solutions

Prioritize applications across CNC mills, lathes, machining centers, and press equipment, and define standard configurations and application boundaries

Set requirements for robots, CNC interfaces, workholding, EOAT, controls, software, and safety, favoring compact footprints, quick changeovers, and minimal programming

Develop a robust portfolio of offerings that span the common use cases of our customers. This will include systems to sport a full range of offerings in the High Mix / Low Volume and High Volume / Low Mix applications.

Develop third-party system integration and partnerships:

Evaluate and select third-party machine tending platforms and integration partners against Formic standards for safety, uptime, serviceability, and cost

Define integration standards for partner systems (Formic telemetry, remote monitoring, safety review, documentation, and spares) so each one is supported like any other fleet asset

Negotiate and manage relationships with integrators, machine tool builders, and OEMs, including pricing, lead times, support terms, and co-marketing

Aggregate lessons from partner deployments into the requirements for Formic's internal product

Develop Formic-designed machine tending systems:

Lead robot arm selection across collaborative and industrial platforms (FANUC, Yaskawa, Universal Robots, ABB, KUKA, Others), weighing payload, reach, cycle time, safety architecture, CNC integration support, cost, and serviceability

Scope a modular design framework that covers turning, milling, grinding, Swiss-type, and press applications from a common base of cell frame, controls, safety, and software

Define part presentation options (drawers, grids, carts, pallets) and EOAT libraries scaled to part size, weight, and batch volume

Validate designs on reference cells before release, and partner with Project Engineering on controlled models, BOMs, and documentation

Lead technical development and deployment:

Turn requirements into development plans, scope, and milestones across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, and applications engineering

Development of standardized options for Machine Tool interface.  Determination of the best practice for the most common machine tools and supplementary system for models that are unique

Own the deployment playbook from site survey through FAT, SAT, commissioning, and handoff to Field Operations, including safety risk assessments

Reduce install time and support needs using field feedback, and evaluate vision and AI where they add reliable value

Support sales and commercialization:

Serve as the technical subject matter expert for Sales, Solutions Engineering, and customers across active and queued clusters

Build a qualification framework that fits applications to standard offerings and flags custom work early, enabling accurate one-shot quoting

Support scoping, estimates, and quotations, ensuring NRE and application-specific costs are captured

Create specifications, application guidelines, and sales materials, and support launch events, IMTS, and named-customer case studies

Manage product economics and partnerships:

Own cost targets and improve margins through design, standardization, sourcing, and reconditioned equipment

Compare the full cost of third-party versus internal products, including development, deployment, and support

Build relationships with integrators, machine tool builders, and technology suppliers

What makes you a great fit:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering; MBA is a plus

7+ years in industrial automation and robotics spanning engineering and product or project management

Direct experience deploying or productizing robotic machine tending for CNC equipment

Hands-on CNC machining or machine shop experience

Experience leading cross-functional development and owning product pricing, quotations, or cost

Equipment commissioning, FAT/SAT, and on-site debugging experience

Familiarity with FANUC, Yaskawa Motoman, Universal Robots, ABB, or KUKA robots and common CNC controls

Knowledge of robot safety standards (ISO 10218, ANSI/RIA R15.06, ISO/TS 15066)

Exposure to machine vision

Commercially driven, comfortable with customers, and a strong communicator

Ability to travel up to 30%

#LB1

Our Total Rewards:

At Formic, we believe people do their best work when they feel supported both professionally and personally. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits and perks package for full-time, U.S.-based team members, including:

Equity in Formic: Participate in our stock option program and share in the success of a fast-growing start-up backed by leading global investors

Competitive & Uncapped Commission Structure: Designed to reward performance and impact in commission-eligible roles

Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield and Unum, with 99% of employee premiums covered and 75% coverage for dependents, with optional buy-up plans available

Additional Insurance Benefits: FSA and DCFSA, life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability through Unum, all 100% employer-paid

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Fully funded by Formic, offering support when you need it most

Paid Parental Leave Program: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave

Company-sponsored 401(k): Invest in your future with our company-facilitated retirement savings plan

Home Office Stipend: A one-time allowance for fully remote and hybrid employees to support an at-home or on-the-road work setup

Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement: Monthly stipend toward personal phone and internet expenses

Flexible Time Off: Take the time you need, when you need it, supported by our flexible PTO policy

Compensation Philosophy

Formic’s pay and equity packages are thoughtfully benchmarked against peer companies at a similar growth stage. Equity represents a meaningful part of our mutual investment: when Formic succeeds, so do you.

Final offers are customized based on experience, geographic location, market considerations, and a candidate’s preferred balance of cash and equity. Our goal is to attract and reward top talent who will have significant impact, and we are open to thoughtful discussions to align on the right structure.

Compensation Range:

$135,000—$175,000 USD