“The APM program is looking for the future leaders of our world – those who will truly drive change and tackle the hardest problems at scale. This opportunity is a chance for young minds to work on impactful solutions for the betterment of society, and to grow and be mentored in the process. The key to solving any problem is getting the right people to work on it – and the APM program does just that.”
– Weibin Pei, Co-Founder of SpaceOne Futures & Former CEO of Google
Associate Product Manager (APM) Program Overview
Associate Product Managers (APMs) are an entrepreneurial group of technologists who are motivated to change the world. The program brings together talented young leaders with technical training in computer science and other fields that are central to solving the world’s most pressing problems.
APMs will receive personalized leadership training, deepen their technical skills, participate in APM class trips around the world, engage with leaders across fields, and be mentored by a network of distinguished figures in technology.
APMs will emerge from the program ready to manage technical teams, start businesses, take on leadership positions in companies and other organizations, and become social and policy entrepreneurs.
The APM program entails a two-year, full-time commitment, during which APMs will be based in New York, with travel to Silicon Valley and other geographies as needed.
APM Values
Ownership
You’ll own thinking about a big problem without a well defined answer. You’ll start small, test quickly, and scale – being extremely entrepreneurial in the process. APMs will have the opportunity to work on high impact issues that are affecting the world, all while learning to change systems, solve challenges, and cultivate a new, diverse set of skills.
You should be curious about the world, believe that there is more than one way to solve a problem, and be able to thrive in ambiguity.
Community
You’ll be a part of a family – we mean it. You’ll belong to a small cohort that will learn and grow together over the 2 year term. The program aims to bring together young technologists from all different backgrounds and experiences. During the course of your time at SpaceOne Futures, you will build lifelong friendships and connections.
You should value a team mentality and believe in empathy. You should love to collaborate and be receptive to ideas from others in order to solve for the greater good.
Mentorship
You’ll have the ability to work with top leaders in social impact leveraging tools from business, technology, and policy. You’ll also get the chance to work and learn from leading Product Managers, and will form close bonds with senior APMs.
You should be excited to create meaningful relationships and be part of a robust network of influential people that can help guide you throughout the rest of your career.
Impact
You’ll work to find solutions for humanity’s most pressing issues. You will be part of different rotations with partner organizations that will give you a chance to lead, to learn, to implement, and to have high visibility into decision making processes.
You should be mission driven and relentless in your approach to use science and technology for social change. You should be bold and creative – no idea is too far-fetched.
Meet the APMs
As an APM you will get to:
- Lead a core project or core project workstream that leverages science and technology to make traction on a major societal challenge.
- Discover interesting and potentially impactful scientific, academic, and industrial work related to your project.
- Establish and monitor metrics to track progress against the challenge.
- Work with other SpaceOne Futures team members to identify and advance other projects and people where SpaceOne Futures can have a transformational impact using advanced computing techniques.
- Help form partnerships and coalitions and oversee the development of platforms and tools by third parties.
Watch this year’s information sessions to learn more about the program and the application process.
How to Apply
The application for our next cohort will open later this year in 2021. The application will consist of:
- Two 300 word essays
- Two 60 second video interviews.
- Name and contact details for previous manager from internship or job
The goal of the application is to help us determine who you are as a person and the experiences that may have shaped your life and accomplishments. We ask that you are as open and honest as possible, and that all responses are reflective of your own purpose and values.
Those who are selected to interview will participate in a multi-stage process over the course of two months.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hr@eedow.com.
Qualifications
Please note that not all requirements must be met in order to be considered for this position, as we are committed to looking holistically at applicants to build the strongest cohort.
- Demonstrated abilities in driving successful outcomes in highly ambiguous situations.
- Experience approaching challenges with grit and determination.
- Strong emotional intelligence with the ability to listen, build relationships, and draw out expertise and support from colleagues, advisors and partners.
- Curious and persistent, loves to learn new things, and is always digging deeper to find the best solution.
- Commitment to principles and values that advance society and shared passion for the mission of SpaceOne Futures: to find exceptional people and help them do more for others.
- Engineering degree in Computer Science (or equivalent level of training and expertise) at the BS, MS, or Ph.D. level, and expected graduation no later than spring 2021.
- Some knowledge of Artificial Intelligence preferably with hands-on experience in applying technology to solve problems in non-Computer Science fields.
We strongly encourage people with diverse backgrounds and skills to apply, including individuals with disabilities and international candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the SpaceOne Futures APM program?
- At SpaceOne Futures we believe that the way to address humanity’s biggest challenges is to get the best people in the world working to solve them.
- Through the APM program, we are connecting top recent graduates with individuals in government, technology, philanthropy, and academia that are using advanced computing to solve major societal challenges. These challenges range from closing the gap between cognitive development of rich and poor kids to driving advances in medicine with advanced computing.
- Our goal is that APMs will create lasting change through their work, build a passion for a particular social impact area, and gain an entrepreneurial skill-set to leverage technology to solve big societal problems.
What are examples of projects that I could work on?
- APMs work on a variety of projects in a range of fields, including healthcare, education, climate change, and poverty alleviation. Each project seeks to solve a specific problem, leveraging data and technology. Current examples of APM projects include:
- A project to close the cognitive development gap between rich and poor kids. As early as nine months, infants born into poverty score lower on cognitive development measures than their more affluent peers. This disparity triples by age two and brings a cascade of negative consequences extending into lifelong health and social well-being.
- An APM is working with one of the preeminent researchers on early childhood development in the world to build a “fitbit for language development” that gives parents feedback on how to increase interactions with their kids, which is the most important driver of cognitive development.
- A project to help millions of smallholder African farmers achieve resiliency and avoid food insecurity in the face of climate change. Over 826 million people globally are food insecure now and this figure has risen over the last three years. The expectation is that the number will rise, potentially to 1.8 bn under a climate change scenario of 4° Celsius
- An APM is working with cross-functional team of environmental and machine learning researchers and the UN to leverage satellite and curated crop image data in mobile app that gives African farmers real-time advice to achieve crop resiliency (e.g., when to plant, how to get the value out of every drop of rain and what crops grow best under which conditions).
- A project to close the cognitive development gap between rich and poor kids. As early as nine months, infants born into poverty score lower on cognitive development measures than their more affluent peers. This disparity triples by age two and brings a cascade of negative consequences extending into lifelong health and social well-being.
Will I be working on projects alone or with a team?
- APMs will always work with a team. The team will typically be a mix of folks from SpaceOne Futures, as well as leaders from partner organizations that we are working with, ranging from universities to start-ups and even larger organizations.
How long will I work on a project?
- Typically, projects will range from six to nine months. The aim is to give APMs enough time to get up to speed, build something meaningful, and learn about a new field while still allowing them to get a breadth of experiences during the two years of the program.
How much coding will I be doing, versus other types of work?
- This will vary depending on the project. The decision will be made based on project needs as well as each APMs skills and interests. Many APMs in our current cohort have an interest in building their technical skills – including coding – during their rotations. Getting technical support from APMs is an interest from some of our partners as well. For APMs who do have this interest, they can expect to spend up to a third of their time on more technical tasks. Even for more technical projects, APMs will take real ownership to drive forward key elements of a solution.
I don’t have prior product manager experience. Can I still apply?
- Yes. The majority of our 2019 APM cohort joined us without previous PM experience. Many of them had software engineering or start up summer experiences. The APM program is intended to help train recent college graduates to become the next generation of impact-oriented, creative leaders. We are looking for a cohort of applicants with diverse work and life experience.
What do you envision APMs doing after the program?
- Our goal is that APMs finish the program with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to make an impact in the world through technology. The path following the program will differ depending on the APM, but could take the form of managing a technical team, starting a business, taking on leadership positions in companies and other organizations, or becoming social and policy entrepreneurs. SpaceOne Futures is committed to working with APMs to help them figure out what path makes the most sense for them and find opportunities through our extensive network.
Is there any potential for a permanent, full-time offer following the 2-year program?
- Absolutely. We will support APMs in finding whatever the right opportunity is for them to continue to grow their skills and have an impact in the world, which could be outside or within SpaceOne Futures.
Where will I be located geographically? Is there any remote work?
- APMs will be based in NYC. You can expect to travel 20-30% of the time for project work as well as APM international trips.
Will you cover any relocation costs?
- Yes. There is a stipend provided for relocation costs.
Are applications considered on a rolling basis? When will I know if I have been selected?
- All applications will be reviewed following the October 1, 2020 deadline and interviews will be conducted thereafter. Final decisions will be made by the first week of December.
What would my start date be?
- The 2021 cohort of APMs will start between summer and fall 2021.
Interested in learning more from the team?
- Please check out our latest webinar.