12+ years in product management, including 5+ years leading product teams in B2B SaaS.
Experience managing a product portfolio with strategic portfolio management and R&D investment allocation.
Direct experience building or scaling a two-sided marketplace or network product.
Proven track record of taking new products from concept to first paying customers and stopping unsupported ideas.
Strong skills in customer discovery, including structured interviews and pricing research.
Experience operating a voice of market or customer program, such as advisory boards.
Ability to present evidence and recommendations clearly to executives.
Responsibilities
Own the innovation portfolio and stage-gate process for new product ideas.
Apply strategic portfolio management to decide on investment and product lifecycle.
Set gate criteria for ideas and recommend actions based on evidence.
Lead customer discovery efforts with both buyers and suppliers.
Run voice of market programs to inform idea selection and gate decisions.
Develop strategies for building a two-sided network and community.
Hire and lead a team of Product Managers and Designers, setting measurable goals.
Collaborate with Engineering to evaluate technical feasibility and support product development.
Utilize AI to enhance discovery and prototyping processes.
Manage the innovation budget within set caps at each gate.
Understand regulatory contexts affecting defense sourcing and reflect them in product requirements.
Coordinate cross-functional teams for product validation and launch.
Report results and learnings to the executive team and board.
Benefits
Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription).
Basic Life & AD&D insurance.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
401(k) matching.
Flexible time off and sick leave.
Full Job Description
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Exostar is building a product growth function to test and launch new products on its network of aerospace and defense buyers and suppliers and adjacent market segments. The Director, New Product Growth leads that function. You will be responsible for sourcing and managing a funnel of growth ideas then leading those ideas through launch and initial commercial execution. You'll run prioritized ideas through customer discovery, solution ideation, prototyping, and pilot testing, and recommend to the executive team whether each idea should continue, change direction, or stop. The role is accountable for expanding the Exostar network and revenue through evidence-based, new product recommendations. You will lead a team of discovery Product Managers and Product Designers working in collaboration with Engineering.
Responsibilities: Your day if you join us:
Portfolio and Process: Own the innovation portfolio and the stage-gate process: frame and size each idea, validate it with customers, determine viability of business model, take it to a funding gate, and scale what clears.
Portfolio Management: Apply strategic portfolio management, including capital (R&D) investment allocation and product lifecycle management, to decide where to invest, continue, or stop.
Gate Decisions: Set gate criteria for each idea before work starts, such as named pilot buyers, a specification customers say beats their current approach, and willingness to pay tested in conversation. Recommend continue, change direction, or stop based on the evidence.
Customer Discovery: Lead discovery with both sides of the market: prime contractors and Tier 1 buyers on one side and established and new-to-defense suppliers on the other. Conduct interviews, surveys and experiments to identify problems worth solving, ideate solutions and test willingness to pay, and turn what you learn into a product investment recommendations.
Voice of Customer: Run voice of market and customer programs, including customer advisory boards and early adopter programs, and use them to inform idea selection and gate decisions.
Two-Sided Market Strategy: Develop strategies for building both sides of a two-sided network, including how to attract the first buyers and suppliers, how to establish a vibrant business community, and how participation on one side drives the other.
Team Leadership: Hire, lead, and develop discovery Product Managers and Product Designers. Direct a small group of engineers, both full-time employees and contractors, and set measurable goals for each person.
Engineering Partnership: Work with Engineering leadership to evaluate technical feasibility of ideas, inform and leverage portfolio technology and support the progression from idea through product development to new product introduction.
AI in Product Growth: Use AI to speed up discovery, analysis, and prototyping, and find where AI-enabled capabilities can create new value on the network. Set norms for how the team uses AI and checks its output.
Budget Discipline: Manage the innovation budget, including research, travel, expert advisors, and tools, within budget caps released at each gate.
Regulatory Context: Understand the regulatory context that shapes defense sourcing, including CMMC, export controls, controlled data handling, and supplier qualification requirements, and reflect it in product requirements.
Cross-Functional Launch: Work with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Security, Operations, Legal and Finance to both validate ideas and then introduce new products.
Executive Reporting: Report results to the CPO, the executive team, and the board, including what was learned from ideas that were stopped
Qualifications: You are a great fit for this role if you:
Must-Haves
12+ years in product management, including 5+ years leading product teams, in B2B SaaS.
Has managed a portfolio of products, with familiarity in strategic portfolio management, capital (R&D) investment allocation, and product lifecycle management.
Direct experience building or scaling a two-sided marketplace or network product, such as buyers and suppliers, including the cold-start problem and balancing growth on both sides.
A record of taking new products from zero to first paying customers, and of stopping ideas that the evidence did not support.
Strong command of customer discovery, including structured interviews, prototype testing, and pricing and willingness-to-pay research.
Concrete experience structuring and operating a voice of market or customer program, such as customer advisory boards and early adopter programs.
Experience leading Product Managers and Product Designers.
Ability to present evidence and recommendations clearly to executives and board members.
Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Experience
Supply chain, procurement, sourcing, or supplier management software.
Aerospace and defense, or another regulated industry where compliance affects who can buy and sell.
Experience running a stage-gate or venture-style funding process inside an established company.
Enterprise sales exposure, including long buying cycles with multiple decision makers.
Personal Attributes
Intellectually honest. Reports what the evidence shows, including when it contradicts the original idea.
Comfortable stopping work that is not clearing its gate.
Able to make sound decisions with incomplete information.
Skilled at building trust with customers, peers, and executives at the same time.
Willing to do hands-on work, including interviews and prototype reviews, alongside the team.
Location: Herndon, VA, Cincinnati, OH, (Hybrid 3x/week) The pay range for this position is $180,000k - $200,000k/yr; however, the final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and location. Exostar also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance, EAP, Flexible Spending Accounts, 401(k) matching, flexible time off and sick leave).
