Manager, Validation

Role Description

At Camunda, we've moved our entire product organisation to an AI-native model — teams ship fast, autonomously, and close to the customer. That speed only creates value if we're building the right things, which is exactly why validation matters more than ever. As Manager · Validation, you'll lead the function that keeps the whole Strategy pillar honest: a generative researcher, an evaluative researcher, and a product analyst, together forming the independent signal layer that tells us whether what we're building actually lands. This is a builder's leadership role. You'll own two promises that the entire model depends on — that validation stays genuinely independent of the PMs who set direction, and that it stays fast and well-resourced enough that it never becomes the thing teams wait on. If you've been the strongest researcher or analyst in the room and you're ready to multiply your impact through a team, this is a rare chance to shape a function from its foundation.

What You Will Do

• Lead and grow the validation function — a generative researcher, an evaluative researcher, and a product analyst — owning their development, their craft, and the quality bar for everything the function produces.
• Protect the independence of the signal layer: validation reports alongside the strategic PMs, never through them, and your job is to keep it that way so the signal stays honest rather than confirming decisions already made.
• Own the speed and resourcing of validation so it never becomes a bottleneck — as the number of active product teams grows, you make the case for capacity rather than letting the signal slow down or weaken.
• Set the standard for how validation works in an AI-native org: fast enough to still matter, advisory rather than gatekeeping, and keyed to the teams' build loop rather than a separate calendar.
• Own the failure library as a living, shared artifact — the definitive record of every customer who couldn't reach value, and the primary input for what we fix next.
• Partner with the strategic PMs and the wider Strategy team to make sure validation signal actually changes decisions — research that's ignored is research that's failed.

What You Will Bring to the Role

Must Haves

• A strong track record in product research, UX research, data analytics, or a closely related insights discipline — you've personally produced signal that changed product decisions, and you know what great looks like.
• The judgment to lead a multi-disciplinary team across both qualitative and quantitative work, even if you came up primarily in one of them.
• A clear point of view on what keeps a validation function independent and credible, and the backbone to protect it when there's pressure to soften the signal.
• Experience operating in a fast-moving, autonomous environment — you understand that validation has to match the pace of building, not slow it down.
• Strong written communication and the ability to make findings land with PMs, designers, and engineers without a meeting to explain them.

Nice to Haves

• Prior people-management or team-lead experience — though we're open to a strong individual contributor ready to step into their first formal leadership role.
• Familiarity with process automation, orchestration, agentic AI, or developer tooling.
• Experience building or scaling a research, insights, or analytics function from an early stage.
• Comfort spanning generative discovery, evaluative testing, and quantitative measurement — enough range to lead all three credibly.

What We Have to Offer

Compensation

• We offer competitive, fair, and transparent compensation. Salary ranges are location-based, with Standard and Major markets (global tech hubs) reflecting local competition.
• The Annual Total Target Cash (base salary + 100% variable target, where applicable) shown below spans from the minimum in a Standard market to the maximum in a Major market:
• United States: $166,000.00 to $267,600.00
• United Kingdom: £104,200.00 to £171,400.00
• Singapore: S$206,100.00 to S$309,200.00
• If you’re based elsewhere, you’ll be hired via Remote.com (our global employer partner), and your Talent Acquisition Partner will provide a personalized Total Rewards Calculator after your first interview.

Equity

• We also offer equity (where applicable) through our Virtual Stock Option Plan (VSOP).

Benefits & Perks

• Remote & Flexible: Work from anywhere with the setup that suits you, home office budget, co-working space support, and flexible time off to recharge when you need it.
• In Person Connection: We invest in meaningful face time through our Annual Kickoff, team offsites, and Camundi Connection Budgets, including contributing to meetups while travelling, and local gatherings with fellow Camundi.
• Health & Wellbeing: Access locally tailored healthcare, Modern Health for global mental wellbeing, and our Live Well Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA), a flexible, global benefit that puts you in control of your whole life, not just work.
• The Live Well program launches in 2026 and scales to €1,000 annually from 2027.
• Financial Security: Retirement and pension plans (often with company contributions), plus life and disability insurance where relevant.
• Professional Growth: Up to $/€/£1,000 per year for self-driven learning: courses, certifications, books, you decide!

Company Description

“Everyone is welcome at Camunda” — it’s a celebrated component of our culture. We strive to create an inclusive environment that empowers our people. At Camunda, we honour diverse cultures and backgrounds and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristics under applicable law.

We are looking forward to your application! Come join us and be part of Camunda’s incredible journey: Make an impact at a pivotal moment in our story!