Chief Product Officer (CPO)

Company Overview Pantheon Data (a Kenific Holding company) is a private, small business based in the Washington, DC, area. Pantheon Data was founded in 2011, initially providing acquisition and supply chain management services to the US Coast Guard. Our service offerings have grown in the past ten years, including infrastructure resiliency, contact center operations, information technology, software engineering, program management, strategic communications, engineering, and cybersecurity. We have also grown our customer base to include commercial clients. The company has used this experience to expand our service offerings to other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other Federal Civilian Agencies. About Pantheon Data Pantheon Data is a technology company delivering AI-powered software that replaces paper-intensive, manual-process-driven operations with intelligent, end-to-end digital workflows. Our platform automates the full lifecycle from intake through processing, approvals, and audit trail across complex, high-stakes environments. Core use cases include model-based systems engineering (MBSE) workflow automation, personnel records management, medical records modernization, and compliance documentation. Our customers span federal agencies, defense organizations, state and local government, and commercial sectors, and our growth trajectory is pointing strongly toward expanding that commercial footprint alongside our existing government base. We are at a pivotal scaling point with multiple active contracts and a clear path to new markets. The incoming CPO will be central to capturing that opportunity. Position Overview Pantheon Data is seeking a technically fluent, commercially minded, and execution-oriented Chief Product Officer to lead the vision, strategy, delivery, and successful adoption of our AI-powered platform. This is a hands‑on executive role. The CPO will own the full product lifecycle from roadmap through customer deployment and long-term growth, while building and leading a world‑class product organization. The primary challenge in year one is accelerating the product roadmap to win new customers across commercial and government markets and establishing the team structure and delivery rigor to sustain that pace. We are looking for a builder. The right candidate has scaled AI or SaaS products at a startup or high‑growth company, understands modern AI architectures at a technical level, and knows what it takes to get complex workflow automation products adopted inside large organizations. Prior experience in government markets is not required. What matters is technical depth, product instinct, and a track record of shipping things that customers actually use. Why This Role Matters Large organizations across government and commercial sectors continue to operate critical functions on paper‑based workflows and fragmented legacy systems. Pantheon Data's platform targets these environments directly, replacing manual, error‑prone processes with AI‑driven automation across use cases such as: MBSE documentation and systems engineering workflow automation Personnel records management and HR lifecycle digitization Medical records modernization and clinical documentation workflows Compliance tracking, audit trails, and regulatory reporting automation Our differentiator is end‑to‑end workflow automation, from intake through audit trail, built on a modern AI architecture that can operate in the security and compliance environments our customers require. The CPO will shape how this platform evolves and scales as we grow into new markets and customer verticals. Responsibilities Product Strategy and Vision Define and execute the product vision, strategy, and multi‑year roadmap for Pantheon Data's AI platform across commercial and government markets. Lead and grow the product organization, formalizing roles, processes, career development, and delivery standards for a small existing team being built into a high‑performing function. Establish roadmap governance and feature prioritization frameworks that balance speed to market with platform scalability and technical integrity. Serve as the executive owner of the full product lifecycle: concept, roadmap, development, deployment, adoption, sustainment, and enhancement. AI Architecture and Technical Product Direction Lead the product vision for AI‑powered workflow automation, with direct involvement in how agentic frameworks, RAG pipelines, vector databases, and graph databases are applied to automate complex organizational processes end to end. Partner with engineering leadership to define the architecture and capability roadmap for intelligent agents that replace or augment manual, paper‑based workflows at scale. Evaluate and guide adoption of emerging agentic AI frameworks and data retrieval technologies to keep the platform competitive and technically differentiated. Ensure AI capabilities are designed to operate within the security, compliance, and data governance constraints of regulated customer environments. Champion human‑centered design and end‑user usability as foundational principles to drive real adoption inside large, complex organizations. Roadmap Acceleration and Market Growth Drive focused roadmap acceleration to build and ship capabilities that directly support winning new customers across target commercial and government verticals. Partner closely with sales, business development, and marketing teams to shape product‑driven go‑to‑market strategies and differentiated positioning. Establish scalable onboarding and implementation methodologies that reduce time‑to‑value for new customers and lower deployment friction. Identify and prioritize investments that create reusable platform capability across multiple customer verticals rather than one‑off customizations. Define and track product success metrics including adoption, retention, customer satisfaction, utilization, and revenue impact. Customer Deployment and Adoption Oversee successful deployment of the platform across new and existing customers, ensuring implementations meet performance, timeline, and customer success objectives. Establish repeatable deployment standards, onboarding frameworks, and change management models that scale as the customer base grows. Drive stakeholder training, operational readiness, and user adoption programs to maximize platform utilization and customer outcomes. Identify and resolve implementation risks, integration challenges, and adoption barriers early in each engagement. Customer and Market Engagement Serve as a credible product authority and executive point of contact for customers, prospects, and partners across both commercial and government markets. Translate complex operational requirements and workflow pain points into clear, prioritized product capabilities. Build lasting customer relationships that drive expansion, renewals, and referrals into new market segments. Maintain a strong external presence, including customer advisory engagement, industry events, and market feedback loops that continuously inform the roadmap. Team Building and Organization Development Grow and formalize the existing product team into a structured, high‑performing organization with clear ownership, delivery cadence, and accountability. Hire and develop product managers, product owners, and business analysts with technical fluency in AI‑driven product development and strong customer empathy. Foster a culture of speed, technical curiosity, customer focus, and continuous improvement. Compliance, Security and Governance Ensure the platform is designed and delivered to meet the security, privacy, and compliance requirements of regulated customer environments, including relevant federal standards where applicable. Partner with engineering and security teams to build compliance readiness into the product rather than bolting it on after the fact. Establish product release governance and implementation readiness processes that scale with customer growth. Required Skills and Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, or a related field. 15 or more years of progressive experience in enterprise software product leadership, including direct experience scaling AI or SaaS products at a startup or high‑growth technology company. Demonstrated track record of shipping AI‑powered or workflow automation products that achieved real, measurable customer adoption in complex organizational environments. Experience leading, growing, and formalizing product management teams including product managers, product owners, and business analysts. Hands‑on working knowledge of RAG (Retrieval‑Augmented Generation) architectures, vector databases, and graph databases as applied to enterprise AI products. Experience building or directing the development of AI agents for process and system automation, including familiarity with modern agentic frameworks such as LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI, or equivalent. Experience with products designed for regulated or compliance‑sensitive operating environments, such as healthcare, financial services, legal, defense, or government adjacent markets. Strong executive presence with a track record of influencing senior stakeholders, large enterprise buyers, and technical decision‑makers. Experience with SaaS, cloud‑native architectures, and modern data platforms in production enterprise environments. Working knowledge of Agile, human‑centered design, and continuous delivery methodologies. Ability to work effectively remotely in cross‑functional teams. Ability to meet deadlines and produce quality work. Proficient in Microsoft Suite software including Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint. Preferred Skills and Experience MBA or Master's degree in a relevant field. Experience selling into or deploying within government, defense, healthcare, or other highly regulated customer environments. Familiarity with federal compliance frameworks such as FedRAMP, NIST, RMF, or Zero Trust Architecture as they relate to product and infrastructure design. Active security clearance or demonstrated ability to obtain one, preferred but not required. Experience designing AI data pipelines that incorporate structured and unstructured data sources across complex enterprise environments. Direct experience with records management, document workflow automation, or systems engineering processes in large organizations. Certifications in Product Management, AWS or Azure cloud platforms, Change Management, or related disciplines. Clearance Requirements U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance. Work Location Reston, Virginia – Hybrid Our company prioritizes the benefits of flexibility and collaboration, whether that happens in person or remotely. If the position is remote or hybrid, you may periodically work from a Pantheon Data office location or client site. If this position is assigned to a Pantheon Data office location or client site, you'll work with colleagues and clients in person, as needed for specific client requirements. Benefits Overview We are always looking for good people! Pantheon Data is committed to providing its employees with competitive salaries and benefits in order to increase employee satisfaction and productivity. In addition to our benefits, we also offer SmartBenefits through the Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority, where you specify an amount of your pre‑tax wages to be paid directly to your SmarTrip account. In some cases, tuition assistance may be available for continuing education expenses and certifications related to your position. Additional details may be found at Pantheon Data Important Information All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law. #J-18808-Ljbffr