VP Product Management

IFS•Houston, TX

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Product Management is a senior product leader responsible for defining and delivering product strategy, organisational leadership, and execution across a major product area within the business. The role operates at an executive level, combining strategic decision‑making with hands‑on customer engagement, and plays a critical role in shaping product direction, investment priorities, and leadership capability within a complex, global, matrixed R&D organisation. The role requires an experienced leader who can operate effectively through influence, lead during periods of change, and balance long‑term strategy with near‑term execution.

Requirements

Significant senior leadership experience within product management, engineering, or technology‑led organisations, with demonstrated progression to executive‑level responsibility.
Proven track record of leading large, complex product organisations and delivering outcomes through influence in matrixed environments.
Global leadership experience
Strong strategic thinking capability combined with the credibility to engage deeply on product, customer, and technology topics.
Experience leading through organisational change, including restructuring, role clarity, and performance assessment.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate confidently at executive and board level.
Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant STEM discipline; advanced business or leadership qualifications (MBA, PhD) are advantageous but not essential.
Executive presence with a pragmatic, delivery‑focused mindset.
Comfortable making and owning difficult decisions in ambiguous or high‑pressure environments.
Customer‑oriented, commercially aware, and data‑informed in decision‑making.
Collaborative leader who values diverse perspectives and builds trust across functions.

Nice To Haves

advanced business or leadership qualifications (MBA, PhD) are advantageous but not essential.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and inspire a senior product leadership team, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Build, scale, and evolve a product organisation operating within a matrix structure, including direct leadership of senior managers and broader influence across cross‑functional teams.
Take accountability for organisational design, succession planning, talent development, and performance management, particularly during periods of change or restructuring.
Act as a role model for the company’s culture and leadership principles, encouraging open feedback, inclusion, and collaboration.
Define and own the product vision and multi‑year strategy for a core product area, ensuring alignment with overall company strategy and business objectives.
Translate customer needs, market trends, and competitive insights into clear strategic priorities and product investment decisions.
Maintain a strong external perspective, monitoring competitors, technology shifts, and industry developments to continuously refine strategic direction.
Act as a senior product spokesperson internally and externally, articulating product strategy with credibility and clarity to executive stakeholders, customers, and partners.
Engage directly with customers at an executive level to understand strategic priorities, validate product direction, and build trusted relationships.
Partner closely with senior stakeholders across engineering, design, product marketing, sales, and leadership to ensure alignment and effective execution.
Navigate complex stakeholder environments with professionalism and pragmatism, balancing differing priorities while maintaining momentum and focus.
Ensure the product organisation is focused on delivering against strategic objectives, with clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and a strong sense of ownership.
Operate effectively within a matrixed R&D and delivery model, influencing outcomes across teams that may not report directly into the role.
Provide oversight on planning, resourcing, and budget discussions to ensure the organisation is appropriately structured to deliver agreed outcomes.
Communicate progress, risks, and results transparently to senior leadership and wider stakeholders.
Champion the adoption of modern product practices and emerging technologies, including the practical application of AI‑driven capabilities.
Ensure the product organisation understands how to translate innovation into clear customer value, not experimentation for its own sake.
Guide teams to embed new capabilities into product roadmaps in a sustainable, customer‑centric way.