VP of Product Job Description Template

The vice president of product owns the product organization and its strategy across the whole business. The role is accountable for whether the product portfolio wins in its market, and it operates through directors and senior product managers rather than directly on features. It requires the judgment to bet on a direction and the discipline to stop things that are not working.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Own product strategy across the company’s portfolio
• Lead the product organization and its leadership layer
• Own the connection between product decisions and revenue outcomes
• Set the planning and prioritization process across teams
• Partner with engineering, design and go to market leadership
• Represent product to the board, investors and major customers
• Own product organization budget and headcount planning
• Make portfolio decisions including what to sunset
• Build product culture, standards and career paths
• Track market shifts and adjust strategy accordingly

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, computer science or a related field; MBA sometimes preferred

Required Skills and Experience

• 12+ years in product including senior leadership
• Track record of products that succeeded commercially
• Experience leading product leaders rather than individual contributors
• Ability to set and communicate a strategy people can act on
• Board and investor communication experience
• Strong partnership with engineering and go to market leadership
• Judgment about when to stop investing in something
• Experience scaling a product organization

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience through significant company growth stages
• Prior founder or general management experience