--- title: 'Staff Product Manager at Mariana Minerals' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-product-manager-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-8ahy4s3z74rb' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-11' --- # Staff Product Manager at Mariana Minerals - **Company:** Mariana Minerals - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Compensation:** $180k–$210k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-06-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals/5311bff2-7700-41fa-bac1-996eb717b2f6/application **Skills:** Product Management, Industrial Operations, Software Product Management, Data Analysis, Cross-functional Leadership, Autonomous Systems, Robotics, Fleet Operations, Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Process Control, Optimization, Digital Twins, Process Automation > Own a critical domain within MarianaOS, a digital nervous system for mineral projects spanning mining, processing, and business operations. The role involves defining product scope, shipping software in high-stakes industrial environments, and establishing the foundation for the product management function. ## Job description ## About Mariana Minerals Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making. ## The Role We’re hiring a Staff Product Manager to own a critical domain within MarianaOS. This is a single posting because we recruit for the strongest PMs first and then place them where the fit is best. Through the interview process, we’ll figure out together which part of the system is the right match for your background and instincts. The scope of what we can touch is enormous. Mining is the last major industrial sector that hasn’t been rebuilt with modern software. The opportunity set isn’t a feature gap on an existing product — it’s entire workflows and systems that don’t exist yet. The problem space spans micron-scale chemistry to kilometer-scale infrastructure. Ship a feature and you can watch the needle move — recovery rates, reagent consumption, construction timelines, equipment uptime. These aren’t proxy metrics. They’re the actual physics of making metal. The Platform: MarianaOS MarianaOS is the digital nervous system for mineral projects. It spans the full lifecycle — from capital project execution through autonomous operations. The four domains we are staffing for right now are: - PlantOS Our autonomy platform for mineral processing — lithium refining, SX-EW, flotation, copper recycling and beyond. It uses the same reinforcement learning toolkit powering self-driving vehicles and humanoid robots, except we’re using it for autonomous control of minerals refining circuits. - MineOS Integrates geologic block models, short and long-range mine plans, fleet management systems, and industrial control systems into a single optimization layer. We’re accelerating autonomous fleet deployment and building an accurate digital twin of the site to maximize the lifetime value of the mine. - CapitalProjectOS The integrated operating system that lets Mariana build in half the time, at half the cost — and deliver 10+ projects over the next decade. Fragmented data and spreadsheet-driven coordination are replaced by a unified environment for project deliverables, data and workflows which drives visibility, traceability, rapid decision-making and AI-driven execution. - AssetOS Everything we do at Mariana involves tracking and maintaining physical assets across their lifecycle. The assets we design in CapitalProjectOS, can only be used to their full potential by mine and plantOS if we can keep them in service. That’s where AssetOS fits, this OS supports a world-class maintenance function that turns every PM into an F1-style pit stop. ## What You’ll Do - Own a product domain end-to-end — from uncovering the right problems and setting the strategy and roadmap through shipping software that runs in real operations where consequences are physical and feedback is immediate - Define what to build by analyzing performance data and talking to domain experts — including figuring out what metrics and instrumentation need to exist in the first place - Spend meaningful time at construction sites, processing facilities, and mines to understand how work actually happens — prioritization comes from deep operational knowledge, not market research - Work at the intersection of hardware, software, and AI — translating what models can do into what operators will trust, and what robotics can deliver into what sites need - Drive clarity in ambiguous situations: break down complex problems, define scope, make tradeoffs explicit, and keep teams focused on what matters most - Help build the PM function — this is a small, early PM team where you’ll help establish how we work, how we prioritize, and how we develop PMs behind you Who Thrives Here We’ve seen two profiles excel in this kind of environment. You likely see yourself in one of these: - The AI-Forward PM You’ve worked with ML and AI in production — agents, reinforcement learning, process control, optimization. You know how to bridge the gap between what a model can do and what an end user will actually trust. You’ve translated research into shipped products in high-stakes environments. - The Autonomy-Forward PM You’ve shipped products where hardware and software meet and where software failure has physical consequences. You think in fleet coordination, sensor fusion, and operational reliability. You may have started as an engineer and moved into product because you wanted to own the outcome, not just the component. - Technical Generalist You have strong PM fundamentals, are technically deep and have worked in complex, data intensive environments. You operate well in high ambiguity environments and earned trust of engineers. You don’t start on day one with all the domain expertise needed, but rapid learn and soon own outcomes. - Don’t fit neatly into one of these? We’re also drawn to people with strong PM fundamentals who’ve operated in complex, high-ambiguity environments — or people from industrial backgrounds (manufacturing, energy, construction, logistics) who have genuine product instincts even if “PM” has never been in your title. Desired Qualifications Must Have - 7+ years of experience in product management, ideally with meaningful time in environments where software intersects with physical systems, industrial operations, or safety-critical applications. - Demonstrated ability to understand users and their problems, prioritize systematically, set clear metrics and deliver products which deliver impact at scale. - Clear and concise communicator; you connect across a huge range of technical literacy from PhD engineers and scientists to field operators with no software background - Demonstrated ability to go deep on technical domains and build credibility with engineers. - Experience leading cross-functional teams through ambiguous, complex projects with competing constraints - Intellectual curiosity. You want to understand how the domain works, not treat it as a black box - Experimentation and growth mindset / desire and ability to learn. Software development and product management has and will continue to change; you are excited to apply the latest and greatest technology and techniques to improve Mariana and the product management team. - High agency. You own the outcome. ## Nice to Have - Experience with autonomous systems, robotics, or fleet-scale operations - Has been part of a team delivering capital projects of meaningful scale as part of engineering, procurement, project management, construction or other functions - Hands-on work with ML-powered products — especially RL, process control, or optimization in production settings - Background in industrial software, digital twin systems, or process automation - Track record of digital transformation work in traditional industries - An engineering or technical degree (not required, but the instincts it builds are valued) ## Why This Role Most senior PM roles are narrowly scoped — you own one product, one feature set, one customer segment. This role is different. At Mariana, you don’t need to validate product-market fit because we are the market. If you identify a real problem and build a real solution, adoption is a conversation, not a sales cycle. The constraint is building the right thing, not convincing someone to buy it. The number and diversity of problems is unusual: you might work across agentic LLM systems for engineering workflows, RL-based process control, and autonomous fleet optimization in the same quarter. This is not SaaS. This is software that runs mines and refineries. If you’re a strong PM looking for something more substantive than another enterprise software product, we’d love to talk. What It’s Like to Work Here Things move fast. The distance between “we should build this” and “it’s running in a real facility” is short — and you’ll feel that pace. You’ll work with an unusually diverse set of collaborators: geologists, metallurgists, chemical engineers, construction managers, plant operators, ML engineers, and software developers. There’s no translation layer between you and the domain experts. They’re your direct collaborators. Our culture is built on four principles: Everyone Gets Home Safe. We never put speed or cost ahead of people. Extreme Ownership. We take full responsibility for outcomes, relentlessly driving toward solutions. Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate. We simplify, optimize, and then automate for scale. Share Your Legos. We collaborate openly, share knowledge, and empower each other to build bigger, better solutions. Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply! ## About Mariana Minerals ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company focused on supplying the minerals critical to modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A, $85M funding in July 2025) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: Not publicly available - **Founders**: Turner Caldwell (Co-Founder & CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Metal Ore Mining / Critical Minerals - **Target customers**: B2B – energy, AI, and defense supply chains (including downstream manufacturers and government entities) - **Mission or purpose**: "Create a future of critical mineral abundance" by reimagining the global minerals supply chain with software, automation, and data-driven decision making. ## Products & Services - **Copper One (formerly Lisbon Valley Copper Mine)**: World’s first autonomous mine, located in Utah. Produces copper using integrated automation and software control. Restarted production in April 2026. - **Lithium One**: Lithium project (on the roadmap or early development). - **Other mineral projects**: Graphite, Uranium, Rare Earth Metals, Cobalt, Nickel, Aluminium – at various stages (stealth or roadmap). - **CapitalProjectOS**: Internal software platform for capital project management (mentioned in leadership bio). - **Technology Stack**: React, dbt, TypeScript, Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, microservices, SCADA, Autodesk, and many others – indicating a strong software engineering backbone. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding – $85M Series A (July 2025, 1 investor) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Lead investor not publicly disclosed (Andreessen Horowitz was pitched but not confirmed as an investor). Partners include Bot Auto, WeRide, Pronto, Atoms (based on LinkedIn mentions). Also works with UMA (Utah Mining Association). - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 3,575% YoY to 107 employees (as of mid-2026). 73 active job postings. Opened the world’s first autonomous mine (Copper One) in April/May 2026, generating significant industry news and social media engagement. ## Competitive Advantages - **Software-first approach**: The company builds automation and data systems from the ground up, rather than layering tech onto legacy mining operations. This enables fully autonomous mining. - **Vertical integration**: They develop, own, and operate mineral projects, controlling the entire value chain from extraction to processing. - **Deep tech stack**: Use of AI/ML (TensorFlow, PyTorch), simulation, and real-time control systems to optimize mining operations. - **First-mover in autonomous mining**: Copper One is claimed to be the world’s first autonomous mine, giving them a significant lead in operational efficiency and safety. ## Strategic Focus - Scale autonomous mining operations beyond copper (lithium, graphite, uranium, etc.) - Secure domestic supply of critical minerals for U.S. energy, AI, and defense needs. - Continue aggressive hiring across engineering, operations, and field roles. - Expand from Utah to additional sites (Houston engineering office, potential new projects). ## Why Work Here - **Culture principles**: "Extreme Ownership", "Engineer Out Requirements, Then Automate", "Share Your Legos" – emphasizing accountability, simplification, and collaboration. - **Work environment**: High-growth startup with a mission-driven focus on critical infrastructure. Offices in San Francisco (HQ), Houston (Engineering), and La Sal, Utah (mine site). Hybrid/remote policy not explicitly stated, but multiple office locations suggest flexibility for field vs. office roles. - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI in a traditional industry. Strong engineering culture with modern tech stack (React, Python, ML). Rapid career growth due to company expansion. - **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from Tesla, Redwood Materials, Lilac, ExxonMobil, Amazon Web Services, and other tech/energy companies – indicating a high-caliber peer group. ## Sources 1. [marianaminerals.com](https://marianaminerals.com/) 2. [marianaminerals.com/careers](https://marianaminerals.com/careers) 3. [marianaminerals.com/about](https://marianaminerals.com/about) 4. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals) 5. [linkedin.com/company/mariana-minerals](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mariana-minerals) ## Other roles at Mariana Minerals - [Sr./Staff Process Engineer - Detailed Engineering and Plant Design](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-staff-process-engineer-detailed-engineering-and-plant-design-mariana-m9xewg6hdcc5) — Houston, TX - [Industrial Electrician](https://feeny.ai/job/industrial-electrician-mariana-minerals-moab-snerjqgb4qbh) — Moab, UT - [Sr. Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-technical-recruiter-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-hr9b2676c4vw) — San Francisco, CA - [R&D Metallurgist](https://feeny.ai/job/r-d-metallurgist-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-2y0a92fe9ese) — San Francisco, CA - [Maintenance Mechanic](https://feeny.ai/job/maintenance-mechanic-mariana-minerals-moab-bc9jcgbeg61b) — Moab, UT - [Process Maintenance Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/process-maintenance-technician-mariana-minerals-moab-c6pyeb53jmef) — Moab, UT - [Mobile Maintenance Supervisor](https://feeny.ai/job/mobile-maintenance-supervisor-mariana-minerals-moab-0zyyzma9tm1n) — Moab, UT - [Sr./Staff Pyrometallurgical Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-staff-pyrometallurgical-process-engineer-mariana-minerals-houston-dpv5c9qyznbb) — Houston, TX - [Electrician](https://feeny.ai/job/electrician-mariana-minerals-east-50vs2farzxq5) — East, TX - [Staff Process Controls Engineer - Networking and Systems Administration](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-process-controls-engineer-networking-and-systems-administration-mariana-yysg2twzjx6r) — San Francisco, CA