Principal Product Manager
Automata
Principal Product Manager
Automata is transforming the way labs work with open, integrated automation. Our mission is to unlock the potential of labs and the potential of the people who work in them.
We usually respond within three days
Level: 5/6 depending on experience
Salary band: £110,000 - £150,000
Bonus: 10% performance-based, discretionary
Location: Hybrid - 3 days per week onsite at our London office (Angel, Islington)
At Automata, we're on a mission to transform how scientists work by making automation accessible to every lab in the world. We believe that by giving labs the power to automate, we can unlock discoveries that will shape the future of life sciences—from diagnostics and drug discovery to synthetic biology.
But we’re more than just a company disrupting the industry—we're a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and creators passionate about empowering scientists. Our LINQ platform combines hardware and software to streamline workflows, making lab automation fast, flexible, and affordable. This means our customers can focus on groundbreaking research, while we take care of the rest.
Why Work at Automata?
Impact: Your work will directly contribute to advancements in science and medicine, supporting labs around the globe as they push boundaries in research and innovation.
Innovation: You’ll be part of a team solving complex problems (seriously, no one else has figured out how to do this yet), using cutting-edge technology (we have robots).
Growth: We invest in our people. Whether through hands-on experience, professional development, or collaborative projects, you’ll grow both professionally and personally.
Community: Join a diverse, passionate team that values collaboration (golf on a Thursday, Soccer once a month, movie nights whenever we fancy it).
We are looking for a Principal Product Manager to take a leading role in shaping Automata’s platform and execution. This is a senior, hands-on role for a product leader who thrives in fast-moving environments, takes full ownership, and consistently turns complex problems into shipped, high-impact products.
You will lead some of Automata’s most technically and strategically important areas — including workflow orchestration, scheduling, and device integration — helping transform our platform from powerful building blocks into cohesive, customer-ready solutions.
Key responsibilities
Own the end-to-end lifecycle of core platform capabilities, from product vision and discovery through delivery and adoption.
Define product direction for a flexible, extensible platform, balancing configurability, usability, and reliability.
Work effectively with engineering, design, science, and commercial teams, creating alignment and shared understanding in complex initiatives.
Drive progress in ambiguous problem spaces, making sound decisions with incomplete information and adjusting as new data emerges.
Partner deeply with engineering on technically complex domains such as workflow orchestration, optimisation, and device connectivity.
Operate at pace with a strong bias toward action, ensuring momentum without sacrificing quality.
Take accountability for outcomes, not just outputs, and ensure work translates into real customer impact.
Mentor and support other Product Managers, modelling strong ownership, collaboration, and execution.
Qualifications
Significant years of Product Management experience, including senior ownership of complex or platform products.
Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, building trust and alignment across disciplines.
Demonstrated success operating in high-ambiguity environments, where priorities evolve, and clarity is created through execution.
Strong entrepreneurial mindset, with experience in startups, scale-ups, or building new product areas.
Demonstrated ability to take full ownership of large problem spaces and drive them to completion.
Strong technical fluency, ideally including exposure to workflow scheduling, optimisation, or constraint-based systems (e.g., Google’s OR-Tools).
Experience with open systems, SDKs, APIs, or data-centric architectures is a strong plus.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including influencing at senior levels.
How we work
Competitive compensation: Flexible hours with competitive salary and bonus.
London HQ & hybrid work: Based in our London office with flexibility to work remotely part-time.
High-trust culture: We hire experienced leaders, expect strong collaboration, and give people the space to deliver.
UK Team Benefits:
👀 Eye Care
🚲 Salary Sacrifice - Bike & Tech
🧘🏼♀️ Wellbeing & Support
☀️ Wellbeing & Development Allowance
💙 Spill & Employee Assistance Programme
🫂 Group Life & Critical Illness cover
We are an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status is strictly prohibited.
- Department
- Product & Design
- Locations
- London
- Remote status
- Hybrid
Colleagues
London
Principal Product Manager
Automata is transforming the way labs work with open, integrated automation. Our mission is to unlock the potential of labs and the potential of the people who work in them.
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