Director, Product Management - Vertical Markets

Job Purpose

The Director of Product Management, Vertical Markets is responsible for defining and executing the company’s verticalized product strategy across key industries (e.g., consumer finance, utilities, insurance, telco). This leader ensures the product portfolio is tailored to meet the distinct needs, workflows, regulatory requirements, and buying behaviors of each target market.

This role operates at the intersection of product, go-to-market, and industry expertise, translating vertical-specific insights into scalable product capabilities and differentiated solutions. The VP will partner closely with Platform Product Management, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Pricing and Customer Success to drive adoption, revenue growth, and market leadership within each vertical.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Vertical Strategy & Market Ownership

• Define and own product strategy by vertical, including target segments (enterprise vs. mid-market), priority use cases, and growth roadmap
• Identify and prioritize vertical expansion opportunities (new industries, adjacencies, and segments)
• Develop clear value propositions and differentiation tailored to each vertical market
• Align product strategy with revenue goals, pipeline needs, and market penetration targets

Vertical Product Definition & Packaging

• Translate vertical needs into product requirements, configurations, and solution packages
• Define vertical-specific capabilities (e.g., bill presentment, payment workflows, compliance requirements, reconciliation, reporting)
• Partner with Platform teams to ensure reusable, scalable capabilities vs. one-off customizations
• Drive SKU/packaging strategy aligned to vertical needs and willingness to pay

Customer & Industry Expertise

• Serve as the internal expert on assigned verticals, including market trends, regulatory environment, and competitive landscape
• Build strong relationships with customers, prospects, and industry partners to validate product direction
• Incorporate voice of customer and field insights into roadmap decisions
• Represent the company externally in industry forums, conferences, and customer engagements

Go-To-Market Alignment

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success to define vertical GTM strategies
• Enable Sales with clear positioning, use cases, and solution narratives
• Support deal strategy and large enterprise pursuits with tailored product solutions
• Ensure alignment between product capabilities and market messaging

Execution & Delivery Alignment

• Collaborate with Platform Product and Engineering to prioritize and deliver vertical capabilities
• Ensure roadmaps balance vertical-specific needs with platform scalability
• Establish clear feedback loops between vertical teams and core product teams
• Drive disciplined prioritization frameworks tied to revenue and strategic impact

Organizational Leadership

• Build and lead a team of vertical-focused product leaders (Directors, PMs)
• Define operating model between vertical PMs and platform/core PMs
• Establish clear accountability for vertical performance and outcomes
• Foster a culture of market expertise, customer focus, and commercial accountability

Scope & Ownership

• Owns product strategy and performance across multiple vertical markets
• Direct accountability for vertical revenue growth, adoption, and market penetration
• Leads a team of vertical product leaders aligned to key industries
• Influences platform roadmap and company investment priorities through vertical lens

Qualifications (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• 12-15+ years of product management experience, with significant focus on verticalized or industry-specific solutions

• 5+ years of leadership experience managing senior product leaders

• Proven track record of driving revenue growth through vertical product strategy

• Experience in payments, fintech, SaaS, or other complex B2B platforms

• Strong understanding of enterprise customer needs and buying dynamics by industry

• Ability to translate market needs into scalable product capabilities

• Market & Industry Depth: Deep understanding of vertical-specific needs and dynamics

• Commercial Acumen: Connects product decisions directly to revenue and growth

• Strategic Translation: Converts market insight into scalable product strategy

• Influence & Alignment: Drives alignment across product, GTM, and executive teams

• Platform Thinking: Balances vertical needs with reusable, scalable solutions

• Execution Discipline: Ensures delivery against high-impact vertical priorities

Preferred Qualifications (Education, Experience, Competencies)

• Bachelor’s degree, MBA preferred.

• Experience building multi-vertical product strategies on a shared platform

• Background in regulated industries (e.g., financial services, utilities, insurance)

• Experience with API-driven platforms and ecosystem integrations

Work Environment:

• Standard work environment

• Majority of time spent on PC (Phys. Req.)