Autonomous systems

Product & Research · Chennai · 7-12 years

Posted: 30 May 2026
Last verified at source: 9 hours ago

Company Brief:

Planys is a deep-tech company developing mission-critical robotic and digital systems for defence and strategic infrastructure. The company designs and builds unmanned systems and advanced sensing solutions across underwater, maritime, and land domains, with a strong focus on naval, coast guard, and army applications. Planys is actively engaged in the development of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) ranging from small to extra-large platforms, along with ruggedised electronic and digital systems for armoured vehicles.

Leveraging its strong foundation in marine robotics, underwater inspection, and non-destructive evaluation (NDT), Planys integrates defence-grade electronics, sensing, and data analytics to deliver high-reliability systems suitable for harsh operational environments. The company combines platform engineering, payload integration, and AI-enabled digital analytics to support situational awareness, asset integrity assessment, and data-driven decision-making for defence forces and strategic asset operators.

Planys, globally recognised for strategic infrastructure solutions, is now focused on creating a strong and enduring presence in the defence sector, delivering indigenous unmanned and digital systems for the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard. (Website: www.planystech.com)

Job Title/ Designation

Product Manager

Specialization

Defence

Reporting to

VP Products & Research

Overview

The role is responsible for driving execution of Planys’ vision in defence technologies across maritime and land domains, establishing the company as a leader in India. The role will spearhead products across varying TRLs towards full-scale deployment as reliable commercial systems. It requires strong alignment with company vision, deep understanding of stakeholder needs, broad technical grasp of systems, and clear awareness of competitive landscape. The role demands the ability to shape products, strong program and stakeholder management skills, rigorous planning and analytical capability, and consistent delivery against timelines. Prior experience in field deployment is essential, with the ability to continuously refine products towards TRL-9 readiness with minimal engineering intervention.

Potential Follow-up Career Path

· AVP, Products

· AVP/ VP, Products (Specialized Domain)

Role & Responsibilities

1. Product Ownership & Strategy

· Own end-to-end lifecycle of AUV and land robotic systems from concept to deployment (TRL progression to field-ready systems).

· Translate mission requirements into clear product specifications, balancing performance, cost, and deployability.

· Drive product roadmap aligned with defence priorities (Navy, Army, Coast Guard) and company strategy.

2. Engineering Interface & Technical Governance

· Act as the bridge between engineering and end-users; ensure output is aligned with operational needs.

· Review and steer engineering deliverables across mechanical, electrical, software, controls, and payload integration.

· Drive design reviews, trade-offs, and system-level decisions without micromanaging execution teams.

3. Program Execution Oversight

· Oversee timelines, budgets, fabrication, assembly, integration, testing, and validation cycles.

· Ensure structured execution through technical reviews, milestone tracking, and risk management.

· Identify bottlenecks and drive resolution across functions (engineering, supply chain, operations).

4. Field Readiness & Deployment (TRL-9 Focus)

· Ensure products achieve operational reliability and usability for real-world deployment.

· Drive validation through field trials, user feedback loops, and iterative improvements.

· Establish standards for QA/QC, documentation, certification, and acceptance.

· Participation and leading key product trials is a must.

5. Stakeholder & Customer Management

· Serve as SPOC for key defence and strategic customers.

· Engage with users to understand mission needs, refine requirements, and build long-term confidence.

· Support demonstrations, trials, and technical discussions with customers and partners.

6. Business & Commercial Alignment

· Work with sales on costing, pricing, and business models for products and programs.

· Support bid responses (RFP/RFI), technical proposals, and program positioning.

· Contribute to revenue realization through product-market fit and delivery credibility.

7. Ecosystem & Market Intelligence

· Track global and Indian defence robotics landscape, including competitors and emerging technologies.

· Identify opportunities via programs such as iDEX, Make, and strategic partnerships.

· Benchmark products against international systems and drive competitive positioning.

8. Innovation & Product Expansion

· Identify new applications, payload integrations, and adjacent product opportunities.

· Drive cross-platform reuse (AUV, land systems, inspection robotics where relevant).

· Propose and shape new product initiatives aligned with company growth.

9. Compliance, Documentation & IPR

· Ensure adherence to defence standards, certification requirements, and documentation rigor.

· Oversee product documentation (design, test, production, handover).

· Monitor and safeguard intellectual property across products.

Skill Matrix

S. No

Skill Required

Area

Expectation

(Beginner/ Intermediate/ Experienced/Coach)

Systems Engineering (multi-domain)

Technical

Experienced

Defence Product Lifecycle (TRL 3–9)

Domain

Experienced

AUV / Robotics / Autonomous Systems

Domain

Experienced

Engineering Design Review Capability

Technical

Coach

Program / Project Management

Execution

Coach

Stakeholder Management (Defence/Govt)

Business

Coach

Technical Bid & Proposal Understanding

Business

Experienced

Costing, Pricing & Commercial Acumen

Business

Experienced

Testing, Validation & Field Trials

Execution

Experienced

QA/QC, Standards & Certification

Compliance

Experienced

Cross-functional Leadership

Management

Coach

Market & Competitive Intelligence

Strategy

Experienced

Communication (Technical + Executive)

Core

Coach

Documentation & Technical Writing

Core

Experienced

IP Awareness & Protection

Compliance

Beginner–Intermediate

Risk Management & Decision Making

Execution

Coach

Note: Travel Requirement

Active participation and leadership in key product trials is essential. The role requires frequent travel, including extended assignments within India and abroad. Candidates unwilling to travel should not apply.

Eligibility/ Qualification Requirements

1. Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering (Mechanical / Electrical / Electronics / Robotics / Aerospace / Naval Architecture or related). Advanced degree preferred but not mandatory.

2. 5-8 years of relevant experience in robotics, defence systems, autonomous platforms, or complex engineering product development.

3. Proven ability to lead large, cross-functional teams (with or without direct reporting), drive alignment across engineering and business functions.

4. Proven ability to define, implement, and institutionalize structured processes across product development and program execution

5. Prior exposure to unmanned systems (AUV/UAV/UGV), marine systems, defence electronics, or ruggedised platforms is strongly preferred.

6. Demonstrated experience in owning and delivering engineering products/programs end-to-end, including design, development, testing, and deployment.

7. Strong understanding of multi-disciplinary systems (mechanical, electrical, embedded systems, software/control systems) with ability to review and challenge technical decisions.

8. Hands-on involvement in testing, field trials, or operational deployment of engineering systems; ability to translate field feedback into product improvements.

9. Experience working with external stakeholders (customers, government bodies, defence agencies, or industrial clients) and handling technical discussions.

10. Basic exposure to costing, proposals, or business aspects of engineering products; ability to align product decisions with market needs.