Senior Product Operating Model Lead

Location:
Hybrid — 3 days per week onsite in Folsom, NJ

We are looking for a senior-level Product Operating Model practitioner to lead the implementation of a modern product operating model within our IT organization.

This is not a general change management, agile coaching, or organizational design role
. The ideal candidate has personally implemented Product Operating Models multiple times within IT organizations and brings a proven, practical playbook for making the transition successful.

You will work closely with the VP of IT as an extension of his leadership team, embedding directly with the organization to establish the operating model, coach leaders and teams, build the required mechanisms and rituals, and maintain strong engagement with business stakeholders.

You will be accountable for the day-to-day execution of the Product Operating Model transformation
, including:

• Embed directly within the IT organization and lead the practical implementation of the Product Operating Model.
• Establish the operating model mechanics, including frameworks, templates, role definitions, decision rights, governance, and engagement rituals.
• Bring a proven implementation playbook rather than developing a methodology from scratch.
• Coach IT managers, product leaders, and individual contributors through the transition.
• Help leaders understand and adopt new product-oriented ways of working.
• Work alongside teams on real work — not simply facilitate workshops or advise from the sidelines.
• Partner closely with business executives and stakeholders to build understanding, alignment, and enthusiasm for the new model.
• Translate product and agile principles into an operating model that works in a mid-sized IT organization.
• Ensure day-to-day execution remains aligned with the strategic intent of the target operating model.
• Identify leadership and talent implications of the transformation and provide perspective on who is likely to successfully make the transition.
• Serve as a trusted extension of the VP of IT, independently driving the transformation while keeping him closely aligned on progress, decisions, and risks.

• Hands-on Product Operating Model implementations within IT organizations.
• Demonstrated experience taking an IT organization through the actual rollout and adoption of a Product Operating Model — not simply advising on the concept.
• A proven playbook for implementation, including frameworks, templates, role definitions, governance mechanisms, and engagement rituals.
• Strong product management and agile foundations, including experience with product ownership, product teams, backlogs and prioritization, sprints and iterative delivery, product roadmaps, agile ways of working
• Ability to connect strategic operating-model decisions with practical day-to-day execution.
• Strong coaching skills and a hands-on working style; comfortable working directly with both managers and individual contributors.
• Executive presence and credibility with business presidents, VPs, and senior business leaders
  , not just IT stakeholders.
• Ability to understand and extend the thinking of a senior IT executive and operate effectively as their right hand in a transformation.
• Experience working through the organizational and talent implications of shifting from traditional IT delivery toward a product operating model.