Vice President, Product Strategy & AI Innovation

Jonas Software

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Product Strategy & AI Innovation is responsible for defining and executing the company's product, market, and innovation strategy. Reporting directly to the President, this executive role serves as the business leader for the company's software portfolio and is accountable for ensuring product investments drive customer value, competitive differentiation, revenue growth, profitability, and long-term market leadership. The VP will lead the transformation of the organization from traditional software development practices to a product-led, specification-driven, AI-enabled operating model. This leader will establish the strategic vision for the company's next generation of commercial construction and field service management solutions, including the development of an AI-first, agentic ERP platform. The role is accountable for determining what should be built, why it should be built, and how product investments align with corporate objectives. Engineering leadership remains accountable for how solutions are technically designed, developed, and delivered.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Technology Management, or related field.
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in software, SaaS, ERP, or technology businesses.
Demonstrated success leading product strategy and business transformation initiatives.
Experience managing product portfolios and investment decisions.
Strong understanding of software economics, recurring revenue models, and enterprise software markets.
Strategic Thinking
Business Acumen
Market Insight
Product Vision
Financial Analysis
Executive Communication
Change Leadership
Innovation Leadership
Customer Centricity
Organizational Alignment
Decision Quality
Talent Development
Results Orientation

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent executive business education strongly preferred.
Experience with AI-enabled products, automation technologies, and emerging software platforms preferred.
Experience serving commercial construction, field service, trades, ERP, or operational software markets is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a multi-year product strategy aligned with corporate growth objectives.
Define and communicate the long-term vision for the company's software portfolio and AI-first platform strategy.
Identify emerging market opportunities, customer needs, industry trends, and competitive threats.
Lead strategic planning activities related to product investments, innovation initiatives, and market expansion.
Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team contributing to overall corporate strategy.
Own product portfolio prioritization and investment decisions.
Establish portfolio governance processes to evaluate product opportunities based on strategic fit, customer impact, ROI, and competitive advantage.
Define product lifecycle strategies including growth, expansion, modernization, and retirement decisions.
Ensure all major product initiatives have clearly defined business cases, success metrics, and measurable outcomes.
Lead the company's AI transformation strategy.
Define the roadmap for AI-enabled workflows, autonomous agents, predictive analytics, and intelligent business automation.
Evaluate emerging technologies, partnerships, and acquisition opportunities that support the company's innovation objectives.
Establish frameworks for responsible, scalable, and commercially viable AI adoption across products and internal operations.
Build and institutionalize a specification-driven product development process.
Establish standards for customer discovery, product requirements, solution specifications, acceptance criteria, and outcome measurement.
Create alignment between Product, Engineering, Customer Success, Professional Services, Sales, and Marketing.
Ensure product decisions are driven by customer outcomes, market opportunities, and business objectives.
Maintain direct relationships with strategic customers and industry leaders.
Lead customer advisory boards, product councils, and market research initiatives.
Develop deep understanding of commercial construction, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and field service industries.
Translate market intelligence into strategic product opportunities.
Partner with Sales and Marketing on go-to-market strategy, positioning, packaging, pricing, and competitive differentiation.
Analyze product profitability, growth opportunities, and investment returns.
Support strategic customer engagements and major account opportunities.
Contribute to annual planning, budgeting, and forecasting activities.
Lead Product Management, Product Operations, Business Analysis, User Experience, and Product Innovation functions.
Develop high-performing product leaders capable of translating business strategy into executable product plans.
Foster a culture of accountability, customer obsession, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Build cross-functional alignment across the organization.