Head of Product Operations

QAD

5d • Remote

About The Position

QAD | Redzone is building the next generation of manufacturing software that helps customers make better operational decisions in real time. As we expand into an AI-powered platform, we are establishing a Product Operations function and seeking a leader to build it. The Head of Product Operations will be responsible for prioritizing product investments, managing the introduction and release qualification of new AI-powered products, and measuring product performance. This role involves building the function from an existing team plus two new hires, setting standards for the product organization, and partnering with the Chief Product Officer. It is a senior leadership position with significant decision-making authority over product releases.

Requirements

• 8+ years in product, product operations, or program leadership.
• Experience in establishing central systems, NPI processes, or release-governance functions at scaling enterprise software companies.
• Demonstrated ownership of a stage-gate or release-governance process for a complex multi-product portfolio.
• Credible fluency in LLM-based products, including tool use, evaluation frameworks, telemetry, safety constraints, and autonomy boundaries.
• Instinct to balance process structure with efficiency, comfortable with structure but allergic to bureaucracy.
• Ability to confidently inform product and engineering leaders when a product is not ready to ship.
• Experience in manufacturing, ERP, or enterprise SaaS is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Establish Product Operations as a horizontal function serving the entire product portfolio, integrating an existing team with two specialist hires.
• Own the end-to-end New Product Introduction (NPI) process for all AI-powered products, including chairing stage-gate reviews (concept → pilot → general availability) and re-entry reviews for capability level qualification.
• Exercise single-decision-maker authority on product readiness for release, even under commercial pressure.
• Own the capability-tier framework that defines how AI-powered products gain increasing operational responsibility (informational support, assisted decision-making, supervised execution) and the criteria for tier progression.
• Oversee portfolio prioritization across the product organization using a defensible framework for impact and readiness, maintaining a single source of truth for ongoing work.
• Manage product trust and safety governance, including impact containment, rollback readiness, and auditability of AI product recommendations.
• Enforce ownership discipline for all shipped AI products, ensuring named owners for accountability, quality, exceptions, and customer success before release.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CPO and represent the function in leadership and board discussions.
• Hire and lead a two-to-three-person team, providing operational support for reports during the first 12 months as the function matures.

Benefits

• Programs that help you strike a healthy work-life balance.
• Opportunity to join a growing business launching into its next phase of expansion and transformation.
• Collaborative culture of smart and hard-working people who support one another.
• An atmosphere of growth and opportunity where idea-sharing is prioritized over level or hierarchy.
• Commitment to ensuring every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities for growth.
• DEI program driving higher levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed