Director Product Management, New Product Growth

Find•Herndon, VA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Exostar is building a product growth function to test and launch new products across its network of aerospace and defense buyers and suppliers, as well as adjacent market segments. The Director, New Product Growth leads this function and is responsible for sourcing and managing a funnel of growth ideas, then guiding them through launch and initial commercial execution. The role leads customer discovery, solution ideation, prototyping, and pilot testing, and recommends to the executive team whether ideas should continue, change direction, or stop. It is accountable for expanding the Exostar network and revenue through evidence-based new-product recommendations. The Director leads discovery Product Managers and Product Designers in collaboration with Engineering. This person owns the innovation portfolio and stage-gate process, establishes evidence-based criteria for ideas, manages research and R&D investment decisions, and works with cross-functional teams to validate and launch new products. The role also develops strategies for growing both sides of a two-sided network, uses AI to accelerate discovery and prototyping, manages the innovation budget, and reports results and lessons to the CPO, executive team, and board. The position is based in Herndon, Virginia, or Cincinnati, Ohio, with a hybrid schedule of three days per week. The stated pay range is $180,000–$200,000 per year, with final compensation based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and location.

Requirements

12+ years of product management experience, including 5+ years leading product teams, in B2B SaaS.
Experience managing a product portfolio, with familiarity in strategic portfolio management, R&D investment allocation, and product lifecycle management.
Direct experience building or scaling a two-sided marketplace or network product, including addressing cold start and balancing growth across both sides.
Record of taking new products from zero to first paying customers and stopping ideas that evidence did not support.
Strong command of customer discovery, including structured interviews, prototype testing, pricing research, and willingness-to-pay research.
Experience structuring and operating a voice-of-market or customer program, such as customer advisory boards and early-adopter programs.
Experience leading Product Managers and Product Designers.
Ability to present evidence and recommendations clearly to executives and board members.
Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Intellectual honesty and willingness to report evidence even when it contradicts an original idea.
Comfort making decisions with incomplete information and stopping work that does not clear its gate.
Ability to build trust with customers, peers, and executives.
Willingness to perform hands-on work, including customer interviews and prototype reviews.

Nice To Haves

Experience with supply chain, procurement, sourcing, or supplier management software.
Experience in aerospace and defense or another regulated industry where compliance affects who can buy and sell.
Experience running a stage-gate or venture-style funding process inside an established company.
Enterprise sales exposure, including long buying cycles with multiple decision makers.

Responsibilities

Own the innovation portfolio and stage-gate process, including framing and sizing ideas, validating them with customers, assessing business-model viability, taking ideas to funding gates, and scaling those that pass.
Use strategic portfolio management, including R&D investment allocation and product lifecycle management, to determine where to invest, continue, or stop.
Set gate criteria for each idea before work begins and recommend whether to continue, change direction, or stop based on evidence.
Lead customer discovery with prime contractors, Tier 1 buyers, established suppliers, and new-to-defense suppliers through interviews, surveys, and experiments.
Identify customer problems, ideate and test solutions, assess willingness to pay, and translate findings into product investment recommendations.
Run voice-of-market and customer programs, including customer advisory boards and early-adopter programs, and use their findings to guide idea selection and gate decisions.
Develop strategies to build both sides of a two-sided network, attract initial buyers and suppliers, establish a vibrant business community, and encourage participation across both sides.
Hire, lead, and develop discovery Product Managers and Product Designers; direct a small group of full-time and contract engineers and set measurable goals for each person.
Partner with Engineering leadership to assess technical feasibility, inform and leverage portfolio technology, and advance ideas through product development to new product introduction.
Use AI to accelerate discovery, analysis, and prototyping; identify opportunities for AI-enabled value; and establish team norms for using AI and checking its output.
Manage the innovation budget for research, travel, expert advisors, and tools within the budget caps released at each gate.
Reflect regulatory requirements—including CMMC, export controls, controlled data handling, and supplier qualification—in product requirements.
Work with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Security, Operations, Legal, and Finance to validate ideas and introduce new products.
Report results to the CPO, executive team, and board, including lessons from ideas that were stopped.