Forward Development Product Manager

Job Title: Forward Development Product Manager
Length: 6-10 months

 
Location: While this role is primarily remote, the client prefers candidates near satellite offices. Candidates may be called into their local office for ID Verification at any time during the project. Candidates must attend an in-person interview or pick up their laptop at one of the client's offices: San Francisco, Arlington, VA, Denver, CO, Chicago, Boston, NYC, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, Minneapolis, Minn, Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, MI or Irvine, CA

 

 
FDS Role Summary
The Forward Deployed Strategist (FDS) leads customer and business engagements, owns business outcomes, drives adoption, and aligns stakeholders around measurable value. The role serves as the bridge between business strategy, AI capabilities, product direction, and execution teams. The FDS sets engagement direction, influences roadmap priorities, and ensures successful realization of business value.

 
Primary Responsibilities
• Define engagement strategy and align stakeholders to measurable business outcomes.
• Own executive relationships and maintain stakeholder alignment.
• Drive adoption and change management across business functions.
• Identify high-value opportunities for AI and workflow transformation.
• Influence product and platform roadmaps based on customer needs and operational insights.
• Lead ideation, workflow optimization, and business transformation initiatives.
• Partner with engineering teams and SMEs to ensure solutions achieve intended business impact.

 
Key Characteristics
FDS is “The Translator” between business and technology. The role may reside in technology organization but requires:
• Platform strategy fluency
• Executive presence
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Ability to translate business problems into actionable technical outcomes
• AI and digital transformation expertise
• Ownership mentality for business outcomes rather than just project delivery

 
Typical Candidate Profile
• Senior leader level
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives
• Strong business process and workflow optimization background
• Ability to manage executive sponsors and complex stakeholder environments
• Deep understanding of AI-enabled transformation opportunities
• Strong communication, consulting, and change leadership skills

Success Indicators
• Measurable business value delivered
• Stakeholder adoption and engagement
• Executive satisfaction and sponsorship
• Expansion of AI-enabled capabilities into business operations
• Successful alignment between business needs and engineering delivery
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