VP Product Management at IFS1

Role Overview 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.   Key Responsibilities Leadership & Organisation • 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.Product Strategy & Vision • 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.Customer & Stakeholder Engagement • 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.Execution & Delivery • 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.AI‑First and Modern Product Leadership • 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.