Head of Product

Requirements

• Product management experience: 6+ years in product management, ideally in AI/ML, data science or intelligence-related fields, with a proven track record of shipping complex products from concept through to delivery
• (Desirable) Industry expertise: Experience in threat intelligence, risk analysis or geopolitical intelligence, or in other highly regulated / security-sensitive environments (e.g. government, defence)
• Product leadership: Demonstrated experience leading product development in a startup or growth-stage company, with a proven ability to build and scale products and processes effectively
• (Desirable) Advanced technical skills: A foundation in machine learning, data analytics or AI product management, particularly integrating complex ML models into user-facing products
• Analytical and strategic thinking: Able to translate complex technical solutions into strategic product decisions, judging when user research should lead (usability and workflow fit) and when expertise-led conviction should (what to build) – and using data and analytics as inputs rather than the whole answer
• (Desirable) Agile product management: Familiarity with agile methodologies and experience establishing agile processes in a startup or high-growth environment
• Technical and AI/ML fluency: Comfortable working hand-in-hand with engineering and ML teams, with a good understanding of how complex ML models are integrated into user-facing products, alongside data processing and analytics
• Cross-functional collaboration: Skilled at working with engineering, ML, design and customer success, and at synthesising input from multiple disciplines into a coherent product direction in a collaborative, agile environment
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present complex information clearly to executives, clients and internal teams
• ExTrac provides services to a number of government clients, some of which specify nationality criteria for individuals seeking security clearance. For this reason, we can only consider applications from individuals who hold a passport from the UK, another NATO member state, Australia or New Zealand

What the job involves

• We’re looking for a Head of Product to own and lead product management at ExTrac.
• You’ll own our AI-driven products end-to-end – strategy, roadmap, discovery, research, requirements and delivery – and build the product function that supports them. Reporting directly to the CEO, and working closely with the design, engineering, research & analysis and wider leadership teams, you’ll synthesize input from across the company into a clear product direction, agree it with the founders, and make sure the team is always working on the right things at the right time
• Product strategy and roadmap:
• Working closely with the CEO, develop, refine and execute the product roadmap, aligning it with ExTrac’s strategic objectives and client needs
• Develop the product vision and strategy for our AI-driven products, agree it with the founders, and then own its delivery – balancing user needs, business goals, BD requirements and specific client requirements
• Support both long‑term strategic planning and short‑term sprint execution
• Stay across all product and engineering work in flight – who is working on what, expected timelines, and what’s paused, delayed or blocked
• Stay close to industry trends and competitor products, especially in AI and B2B SaaS
• Discovery, definition and delivery:
• Lead products end-to-end, from concept and planning through to delivery
• Translate visions, feature requests and ideas into fully developed product briefs – leading discovery, pushing for clarity and further discussion where needed, and writing and maintaining clear, actionable PRDs
• Conduct investigations, gather information and assess feasibility
• Keep all stakeholders aligned and up to date as plans and requirements evolve
• Technical and data leadership:
• Apply technical judgement to guide product development, especially around AI/ML model integration, data processing and analytics
• Translate complex technical solutions into clear, strategic product decisions
• Use behavioural data and analytics as a key input to decisions and prioritisation, alongside domain expertise and conviction
• Research, validation and data:
• Establish usage analytics and behavioural data to track adoption and surface friction, and build workflows to analyse and act on it
• Favour observation over interrogation – watching people work usually tells you more than asking them what they want
• Use user research and testing for what it does well – validating legibility, usability, and workflow fit. This evaluative feedback should carry real weight and is often decisive; workflow fit deserves particular care given our high‑stakes users
• Recognise the limits of research when it comes to direction: what we should build is synthesised from deep expertise across intelligence analysis, subject‑matter, data science, engineering and design
• For bets that can’t be validated up front, apply post‑deployment discipline: define success metrics and evaluation timelines, commit in advance to the evidence that would change your mind, and assess honestly whether the bet is paying off
• Organise and run internal alpha and beta testing, plus external testing where possible; partner with Customer Success to recruit proxy users and to surface the friction, workflow issues and pain points that feed into execution and prioritisation
• Working with AI: Co-Analyst:
• Partner closely with the AI team to ensure AI features are genuinely useful, understandable and aligned with what our users need
• Help track and document the specific behaviours and styles built into Co‑Analyst responses
• Support the work to adapt Co‑Analyst to the needs of specific external organisations
• Building and leading the product function:
• Build and formalise the product function – its agile processes, road‑mapping systems and prioritisation frameworks
• Establish metrics to track product success, adoption and customer satisfaction
• Grow and mentor a high‑performing product team as ExTrac scales, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration
• Cross‑functional collaboration:
• Act as the primary link between product, engineering, machine learning, design, customer success and research, ensuring cohesive development cycles and smooth delivery
• Partner closely with the design team on design and UX, engineering on build and AI/ML, and the research & analysis team on domain expertise – synthesising their input into a coherent product direction
• Facilitate cross‑team workshops to bring evidence and expertise together, and strengthen pre‑sprint and in‑sprint communication

#J-18808-Ljbffr…