Product Manager (US, East Coast)

Lateral stands for technology excellence.

We’re a profitable, award-winning design and technology company with over 20 years of experience launching bold ventures and transforming businesses. A globally distributed team of 200+ experts united by a shared purpose: the continuous pursuit of quality.

Our clients come to us for results, quality and craft - and stay because we keep raising the bar.

We do things differently at Lateral

Our mission is simple: design and build great products . What makes us special isn’t just our talent, it’s also how we get work done:

We care deeply

We give a damn - about the work, the outcome, and the people we work with. That means showing up with integrity: thoughtful commits, thorough reviews, and helping a teammate even when it’s not “your job.”

We take ownership

Everyone leads something here. You will have room to run with ideas, and the trust to execute. That trust is built on how you show up: thinking things through, sweating the details, and following through.

We build with craft

We care about how things are made. We review thoroughly, test properly, and don’t compromise on fundamentals. We move fast because we build things right the first time.

We keep improving

We believe the best teams are never done learning. We iterate, reflect on what’s working and what’s not, give direct feedback and stay open to change.

We have bias for action

We are doers - we spot the gaps, connect the dots, anticipate what’s around the corner and take action.

What You'll Do

As a Product Manager at Lateral, you will work on:

• Product Strategy: Develop and share a clear product vision aligned with the company's goals

• Roadmap : Create and maintain a detailed product roadmap that outlines the features, enhancements, and timeline for product development.

• Requirements: Collaborate with all teams to gather and prioritize product needs.

• Product Design & Development: Oversee the entire product development lifecycle, from concept to launch, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, on budget and on quality.

• Analysis & Metrics: Monitor product performance and develop insights

• Team Leadership: Lead and motivate cross-functional teams, providing clear guidance and direction to ensure product goals are met.

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 5 years as a successful Product Manager

• Formal education (Bachelor, Masters, PhD)

• A customer-centric mindset

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

• Analytical and patient, fast learner and willing to embrace challenges

• Excellent English communication and interpersonal skills (both written and verbal)

• Ability to work with minimum supervision

• Committed to quality

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Real Impact: You’ll work on meaningful products with measurable impact, from healthcare to sustainability to next-gen tech.

• Remote-First, Office friendly: Work from wherever you’re happiest - whether that’s your home, a co-working space, or one of our physical offices. We operate as a remote-first company, but if you’re near one of our office locations, you’re welcome to drop in, collaborate in person, or work onsite regularly . We prioritize async, respect your time zone, and focus on outcomes.

• An Outstanding Team: Talented, kind, hard-working people who care about their craft and about each other. No egos. No politics. Just professionals doing their best work.

• Growth: You’ll be supported to grow your craft, explore new paths, and step into more responsibility at your own pace.

• A Culture of Excellence: We care deeply about doing things right - for our clients, for our team, and for ourselves. No burnout. No crunch. Just quality, sustainably delivered.

• Variety & Stability: We’re profitable, independent, and over a decade strong. But every project is a new adventure. You’ll never be bored here.
  

This Role Might Not Be for You

We want to respect your time by being clear about what this role isn’t. You should skip this opportunity if:

• You prefer well defined structure. If you gravitate towards a clear hierarchy, well defined roles and swim lanes, you may find our self-managed style challenging.

• Distributed work isn’t your thing. If you find async communication, heavy documentation and being proactive without a manager nearby difficult, our setup won’t suit you.

• Feedback doesn't excite you. We’re obsessed with quality and believe in continuous improvement. That means we give feedback that’s sometimes nitpicky. If refining the work until it’s excellent feels over the top, you are likely going to find working here frustrating.

• Change makes you uncomfortable. We’re scaling and maturing. That means not everything is perfect yet. Priorities shift. Processes evolve. If ambiguity is uncomfortable, this may feel bumpy.

However, If this sounds like fuel, we’d love to talk.

How to apply and what to expect in the interview process

Our hiring process is structured as a sequence of steps. Moving forward is based on how well the previous step goes. This helps us stay focused, fair, and respectful of everyone’s time.

We will always:

• Let you know clearly what the next step is

• Share updates and feedback wherever possible

• Invite questions if anything feels unclear

Not everyone progresses through every stage. That doesn’t mean you’re not great at what you do. Sometimes it’s about timing, team fit, or simply what we’re looking for at the moment.

Step 1: Express your interest

If this sounds like your kind of team and you’re ready to bring your craft to Lateral, we want to hear from you.

Please send us:

• Your resume or , if comprehensive, your LinkedIn profile

• A short note about what excites you about this role

• Links to your work : GitHub, portfolio, architecture docs, blog posts, or anything that shows us how you think and build

We review every application with care. If there’s a fit, we’ll reach out to schedule next steps.

Step 2: Talent Partner Conversation

Purpose: A structured discussion with our People Experience team to delve into your career trajectory, motivations, and alignment with Lateral's values.

What to Expect:

• In-depth questions about your past experiences and decision-making processes.

• Exploration of your career goals and how they align with the role.

• Discussion about our company culture, availability, compensation and other logistics

• Motivators and demotivators.

• Your life outside coding.

Preparation Tips:

• Reflect on your career journey and pivotal moments.

• Be ready to discuss challenges you've overcome and lessons learned.

• Familiarize yourself with the Job Description, Lateral's mission and values.

Step 3: Take Home Assignment

Purpose: Provide a practical demonstration of your skills through a task resembling real work at Lateral.
Format: A take-home assignment or a live session, depending on the role.

What to Expect:

• Tasks designed to reflect actual challenges faced in the position.

• An opportunity to showcase your problem-solving and technical skills.

Preparation Tips:

• Set aside uninterrupted time to focus.

• Explain your decisions and assumptions.

Step 4: Technical Interview

Purpose: Assess your technical proficiency and problem-solving abilities.
Format: A collaborative session with our engineering team, focusing on real-world scenarios relevant to the role.

What to Expect:

• Problem-solving exercises/questions that mirror tasks you'd encounter in the position

• Discussions around your approach, reasoning and solutions.

Preparation Tips:

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely.

• Be prepared to discuss in depth past projects and the technologies used.

Step 5: Operational interview

Purpose: Understand your approach to prioritizing, collaborating, shipping, and iterating.

What to expect:

• How you prioritize and break down work.

• How you collaborate across disciplines.

• How you handle blockers, feedback, and iteration.

Preparation Tips:

• Pick 1-2 meaningful projects you led or heavily contributed to.

• Walk through your process: what worked, what didn’t, what you’d do differently.

• Think about how you manage time, scope, and changing requirements.

Step 6: Reference checks

Purpose: We believe references are about understanding, not just validation. We do not look for perfection, but to understand patterns, strengths, and context. We use them to learn how to support you best.

What to Expect: we’ll ask you for 2–3 people who’ve worked closely with you. These are often: former managers, senior peers or collaborators, mentors or people you've mentored.

What we ask: We focus on how you’ve grown, where you shine, how you like to be led, and what support sets you up for success. We want practical advice for making this a great fit for you.

Yes, we do backchannels too: We do this when we feel we need more context . We will check with you if there are folks we should avoid reaching out due to confidentiality or other reasons. And here’s our commitment: if anything surprising or unclear comes up in a backchannel, we’ll bring it directly to you. We believe in “ no stories without you in the room .” You’ll always get the chance to share your side, context, or clarification.

Step 7: Offer

What Happens: If selected, you'll receive a comprehensive offer detailing compensation, and other pertinent information.

Our hiring process is designed to be thorough yet respectful, ensuring a mutual fit. We encourage candidates to engage actively, ask questions, and view this as a two-way exploration.

Join us and let’s build something extraordinary.