Director of Product, AI

DescriptionThe Elevator Pitch: Evolv Technology is looking for a Director of Product, AI, a senior individual contributor who will work at the center of our AI engineering and research teams to build the industry's best weapons detection and computer vision capabilities. You will get deep into the mechanics of how we collect data, define annotation standards, evaluate models, run field trials, and deploy detection systems into the real world, translating that work into product decisions to keep people safe. You will embed directly with AI engineering as the product lead for our detection capabilities, operating with the technical depth to make and defend decisions about data, models, and evaluation methodology. What Winning Looks Like In the first 30 days, you will: Pressure-test how we collect data, set annotation standards, evaluate models, and run field trials. Come back with a sharp read on the biggest gaps, risks, and decisions, and a plan to move on them.Within 90 days, you will: Ship a prioritized data collection strategy across the scenarios and threats that matter most. Lock annotation, dataset quality, and validation standards with AI engineering. Define the release-readiness bar, including accuracy, false positive/negative rates, latency, throughput, and real-world load, then get alignment on it. Turn field-trial results into real product and model decisions. Build the operating cadence and decision framework that keeps detection performance moving. Within 6 months, you will: Own detection. You're the accountable product lead driving data priorities, model evaluation, release readiness, trade-offs, in lockstep with AI engineering and research. Shape the roadmap, balancing performance against latency, compute cost, hardware limits, and customer experience. Make sure every external claim about detection performance is accurate and defensible, and push hard with legal and compliance to get there. By the end of the first year, you will: Demonstrate measurable improvement in detection performance and release predictability across priority use cases. Show that the operating mechanisms you established are consistently identifying performance gaps, driving timely decisions, and improving deployed models. Influence the longer-term detection roadmap through clear evidence about customer needs, technical trade-offs, and business impact. What you’ll own AI/ML Lifecycle Ownership Define data collection strategy: what scenarios, environments, and threat types need more or better training data Own annotation guidelines in partnership with AI engineering Partner with AI engineering on training methodology and validation approach Define and own model evaluation metrics specific to weapons detection (false positive/negative rates, detection latency, throughput under real-world load) and the standards for when a model is ready to ship Design and run field trials with prospects and customers; use real-world trial results for product iteration Product & Technical Strategy Collaborate closely with AI researchers and engineers to define product vision and technical roadmaps Evaluate diverse AI models and technical approaches to select the optimal solution for specific security challenges Analyze trade-offs across latency, accuracy, compute cost, and hardware constraints, and make explicit decisions Oversee feature development from early experimentation through full production deployment Work with design and product teams to integrate AI capabilities into intuitive customer- and operator-facing workflows Partner with legal/compliance on how detection performance is represented externally to customers and the market What We’re Looking For 8+ years of product management experience, including ownership of AI, machine learning, or computer vision products from strategy through production Experience bringing AI or computer vision systems to production in security, safety-critical, or other detection applications where accuracy and reliability matter Strong understanding of AI and computer vision architectures, model evaluation, data pipelines, and technical trade-offs Experience defining data collection, annotation, validation, and dataset quality standards Experience deploying and improving ML systems on physical or edge hardware Track record of leading cross-functional decisions across research, engineering, field operations, legal, and customer-facing teams Ability to translate technical complexity and business constraints into clear product decisions and priorities Experience designing field trials and using customer and performance data to inform product and release decisions Bonus points: experience with regulatory/compliance considerations around representing AI performance externally; embedded or edge hardware background; time spent in physical security, public safety, or critical infrastructure. Leadership, Team Structure & Culture You will report directly to the Chief Product Officer and operate as an individual contributor within the Product organization. This role will work closely with cross-functional partners and require travel to customer sites and field-trial locations to gather insights, support testing, and help translate real-world needs into product decisions. The team's culture is high-accountability, candid, and action-oriented: risks are surfaced early, decisions are driven to closure, and individuals are expected to take ownership of outcomes. You will have meaningful autonomy and visibility, with the opportunity to directly influence Evolv’s product strategy and execution. Where is the role located? Our ideal candidate is based out of Evolv’s HQ in Waltham, Massachusetts, with limited flexibility for remote work. We may consider exceptional candidates who are based elsewhere. Domestic travel is expected to be approximately 25% to customer sites and field-trial locations. Compensation and Transparency Statement The base salary range for this full-time position is $162,000- $258,000. In addition to base salary, this role offers a competitive target bonus, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package. This range reflects our commitment to pay transparency and equity, in alignment with applicable state laws. Our compensation ranges are determined based on factors such as role, level, location, market benchmarks, and internal equity. The posted range represents the good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this role across U.S. locations. Actual compensation within the range will be based on the candidate’s skills, experience, education, and geographic location. In accordance with state and local pay transparency laws—including those in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and others—we disclose salary ranges in all job postings and provide additional information upon request. We are committed to fair pay practices, and we regularly review our compensation programs to ensure they are competitive, equitable, and aligned with our values. BenefitsAt Evolv, we’re on a mission to help make public spaces safer through innovative security technology. So, we're looking for future teammates who embody our values, people who:   Do the right thing, always;   Put people first'   Own it;   Win together; and continue to    Be bold, stay curious.   Our Benefits Include:   Equity as part of your total compensation package   Medical, dental, and vision insurance   Health Savings Account (HSA)     A 401(k) plan with company matchFlexible Paid Time Off (PTO)- take the time you need to recharge, with manager approval and business needs in mind  Quarterly stipend for perks and benefits that matter most to you   Tuition reimbursement to support your ongoing learning and development   Subscription to Calm   Evolv Technology (“Evolv”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We welcome and encourage diversity in the workplace, and all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law in the locations where we operate. Evolv will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.  Evolv is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of the job application process, please connect with us at View email address on click.appcast.io.  Evolv participates in E-verify for all employees after the completion of Form I-9.Job SummaryID: C33027D911Department: GrowthType: full time