Sarah S Coleman

Product Manager @ Liberty Reach

Sarah Coleman | 3D robot guidance software Product Manager | experienced in operating industrial robots and product engineering in the industrial automation and manufacturing industries.
I grew up in Los Angeles and have known I would be an engineer since middle school. I’m always wondering how things work and thinking about how processes could be done more efficiently. The University of Michigan brought me to Ann Arbor twelve years ago; I’ve enjoyed living in the area ever since. My career began with an environmental engineering position. A group of gaming friends lead me to my current position working with Liberty Reach. It’s been an environment where I’ve been able to flourish and become the Product Manager for our best-selling robot guidance product, VFix.
I’ve held the position of V-Guide and VFix Product Manager for 18 months; and was the Product Driver for 3 years before becoming the manager. I host product planning meetings, document user feedback, and manage the scope and schedule for each product release.
I am trained to operate Kawasaki, Fanuc, and Kuka brand 6-axis industrial robots. I use the robots to perform product demonstrations, test for quality assurance, create product documentation, and train customers and installers to use 3D robot guidance products. Recently, content creation to boost online product exposure has become important to me. I’m given the chance to flex my creative planning skills to design interesting product demonstrations with the aim of helping viewers understand what 3D robot guidance is and how it can be applied to a variety of automated processes.
The most rewarding portion of my position is supporting the Liberty Reach team. I provide technical expert support to our installation and product support team so they can resolve high-level issues quickly for our customers. I perform proof of concept tests and product demonstrations for the sales team, which directly leads to product sales and new customers. The software developers and I work closely to meet product release deadline expectations and create polished products. I host training sessions for our team, customers, and integrator partners to increase product user independence. I recruit and supervise student interns when my department has intern project openings because I want to build my skills as a team manager and provide experiences for students to learn how their skills will benefit them in the exciting, expanding automation industry.
Outside of my career, I enjoy a variety of hobbies. Growing up I was serious about dancing, hiking, and building model rockets with my dad. I’ve always thrived in school, camp, and most organized sports and activities. Now, I sew regularly, play outdoor airsoft, and play video games on PC. I draw inspiration from listening to podcasts and music. Anyone who interacts with me can tell that I was a cheerleader and probably always will identify as one.
Improving life for humans and preserving our natural environment are my passions. These passions have taken different forms over the years, but I strive to consider these goals while I navigate life and my career.