Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering – Launch Team Readiness

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Oversee the readiness function for the eastern region of Skydio's dock business.

• Manage the customer journey from pre-sales technical, policy, and operational readiness through deployment, training, and go-live.

• Recruit, onboard, mentor, and retain Readiness Specialists.

• Establish readiness quality standards, launch checklists, training delivery, and handoff documentation.

• Manage regional capacity and account assignments.

• Track readiness portfolio health, site readiness, policy and approval milestones, deployment and training progress, and launch criteria.

• Identify at-risk launches, facilitate resolutions, escalate blockers, and directly oversee complex or strategic launches as necessary.

• Collaborate with the West-region counterpart to operate a unified readiness function.

• Work alongside Sales and Solutions Engineering leadership on readiness capacity, pipeline, site feasibility, and launch requirements.

• Create and maintain the readiness playbook, including launch checklists, site standards, policy templates, flight readiness criteria, documentation, and handoff criteria.

• Clearly define readiness for customers and enforce readiness gates prior to dock shipment.

• Identify recurring obstacles and drive systemic improvements that scale with dock volume.

• Advocate for customer needs to Product and Engineering and escalate cross-team conflicts.

• Ensure a seamless post-launch handoff to Customer Success.

• Maintain extensive product knowledge through regular hands-on use.

• Report directly to the Director of the Launch Team.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a customer-facing operations, deployment, implementation, or project delivery role, especially with public safety customers.

• At least 1 year of leadership experience, formally or informally, with responsibilities for hiring and mentorship.

• Familiarity with Drone as First Responder operational concepts and dock-based remote operations.

• Proven ability to manage complex, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

• Capacity to develop repeatable processes in an ambiguous environment.

• Highly organized with a keen attention to detail.

• Proficient in managing timelines, dependencies, and readiness gates across a portfolio.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness to travel 50 to 60% of the time, with increased travel during periods of team expansion and onboarding.

• Capability to lift up to 60 lbs without assistance.

• FAA Part 107 certification must be obtained within the first 60 days for certain positions.

• Previous public safety service or experience establishing a Drone as First Responder program on the agency side is a plus.

• Experience aiding an agency through a public approval process is advantageous.

• Familiarity with dock-based, remote, and BVLOS operations at scale, site surveys, RF and LTE assessments, and network readiness for fixed installations is beneficial.

• Proven experience managing a customer onboarding or implementation function during rapid growth is a plus.

• Working knowledge of Salesforce, Palantir, Databricks, or similar tools is desirable.

🏝️ Benefits

• Equity in the form of stock options.

• Comprehensive benefits package.

• Relocation assistance may be available for qualified positions.

• Group health insurance plans.

• Paid vacation time.

• Sick leave.

• Holiday pay.

• 401K savings plan.

• Bonus.