Director, Product Strategy

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, Product Strategy

Company: Octus

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Strategy / Operations

Date Posted: March 02, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years (Implied 10+ based on depth of responsibilities)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the strategic development and adoption of Octus's internal workflow and data tools, serving as a critical link between technical architecture and business velocity.

• Own the internal data tools roadmap and backlog, employing a logic-based prioritization framework to maximize Return on Investment (ROI) and align with long-term business objectives.

• Drive operational excellence by leading internal enablement and change management strategies to ensure high adoption and proficiency in new tools and features.

• Synthesize quantitative operational data with qualitative stakeholder insights to build compelling narratives for product development decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Director, Product Strategy" combined with responsibilities like managing roadmaps, ROI frameworks, and cross-functional influence, strongly indicates a role deeply embedded within operations, specifically focusing on internal tools that support GTM (Go-To-Market) and data-intensive business functions. The emphasis on bridging technical architecture with business velocity and ensuring measurable business impact points towards a Revenue Operations or Sales Operations adjacent function, even if the title suggests a broader product management scope. The "Director" title implies a senior level of strategic contribution and cross-functional leadership.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Prioritization: Architect and manage the internal data tools roadmap, developing and implementing a robust prioritization framework that ensures maximum ROI and strategic alignment with Octus’ long-term business goals.

• Systems Thinking & Data Lifecycle Management: Evaluate the impact of individual tool enhancements on the entire data lifecycle, from ingestion to client-facing delivery, clearly articulating how upstream changes affect downstream processes and outcomes.

• Insight Synthesis & Narrative Building: Consolidate and analyze quantitative operational and usage data alongside qualitative stakeholder and customer feedback to construct cohesive, data-backed justifications for product development initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Influence & Alignment: Foster and drive consensus across diverse departments, including Editorial, Data Operations, and Technical Product Management, to ensure unified progress and buy-in on internal tool development, leveraging influence where direct authority is not present.

• Business Case Development for Internal Investments: Design and present compelling business cases for significant data tooling and infrastructure investments, quantifying expected benefits through metrics such as cost savings, efficiency gains, and accelerated time-to-market.

• Operational Excellence & Change Management: Lead comprehensive internal enablement and change management programs to guarantee high adoption rates and proficiency with new internal tools and features, ensuring seamless integration into daily workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities heavily emphasize process optimization, data governance, and cross-functional collaboration, which are core tenets of Revenue Operations and Sales Operations. The need to "bridge technical architecture and business velocity" and ensure "measurable business impact" are direct indicators of an operations-focused role aiming to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Business, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related discipline is typically expected for a Director-level role. A Master's degree or MBA would be a strong asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in Product Management, Data Strategy, User Research, or a closely related operations-focused role, specifically within complex B2B environments.

• Demonstrated success in managing product roadmaps, backlogs, and driving adoption of internal tools.

Required Skills:

• Product Strategy & Roadmap Management: Expertise in defining product vision, strategy, and detailed roadmaps for internal tools and platforms.

• Backlog Management & Prioritization: Skill in managing product backlogs and employing systematic frameworks for prioritization based on ROI, strategic alignment, and business impact.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to understand and articulate complex system interdependencies, particularly within data pipelines and workflow tools, and their impact across the organization.

• Data Fluency & ROI Frameworks: Proficient in building, analyzing, and presenting ROI frameworks, using data to inform strategic decisions and justify investments.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Proven ability to drive alignment, build consensus, and manage stakeholder relationships with diverse teams (e.g., Editorial, Data Operations, Technical Product Management, Executive Leadership).

• Business Case Development: Strong analytical and financial modeling skills to create persuasive business cases for technology and infrastructure investments.

• Operational Excellence & Change Management: Experience in implementing and managing change initiatives to drive tool adoption and process improvements.

• Exceptional Communication: Superior ability to translate technical and operational complexities into clear, concise business value for executive audiences and diverse stakeholders.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to synthesize quantitative operational data with qualitative insights to inform strategy and product development.

Preferred Skills:

• Domain Expertise: Deep familiarity with financial information, publishing, credit intelligence, back-end infrastructure, and data pipelines.

• User Research & Qualitative Insights: Experience in conducting user research and gathering qualitative feedback to inform product strategy.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile development processes and principles.

• Project Management: Strong project management skills to oversee the execution of development initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on internal workflow and data tools, ROI frameworks, and cross-functional influence strongly aligns with the needs of a Senior Operations leader. The "8+ Years" requirement, combined with the strategic nature of the role, suggests a candidate who can operate with significant autonomy and strategic foresight, fitting well within a "Director" level in an operations context. The specific mention of "Editorial, Data Operations, Technical Product Management" as cross-functional partners highlights the interdisciplinary nature of operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Roadmap Examples: Showcase examples of product roadmaps developed for internal tools, demonstrating strategic thinking, prioritization logic, and alignment with business objectives.

• ROI Framework Case Studies: Present case studies detailing the development and application of ROI frameworks for technology or process investments, including quantifiable results such as cost savings or efficiency gains.

• System Impact Analysis: Include examples of analyses that demonstrate an understanding of how changes in one system or tool impact the broader data lifecycle and workflow across departments.

• Business Case Documentation: Provide samples of well-structured business cases for technology investments, clearly articulating the problem, proposed solution, expected ROI, and implementation plan.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Optimization Design: Demonstrate experience in mapping, analyzing, and redesigning complex internal workflows to improve efficiency and data integrity.

• Tool Implementation & Adoption Strategies: Document approaches used to implement new internal tools and drive user adoption through effective change management and enablement strategies.

• Performance Measurement & Reporting: Showcase how you've established metrics and reporting mechanisms to track the performance, usage, and impact of internal tools and data systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role of this nature, a portfolio is crucial. It should highlight tangible evidence of strategic thinking, process improvement, and the ability to quantify impact. For operations roles, demonstrating the ability to document processes, build business cases, and measure ROI is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $130,000 - $175,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Retirement Savings: Matched 401k and pension plans, providing robust long-term financial planning support.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous PTO policy to support work-life balance.

• Parental Leave: Comprehensive parental leave benefits for new parents.

• Wellness & Development: Gym subsidies and educational reimbursements for continuous career development and personal well-being.

• Recognition Programs: Formal and informal programs to acknowledge employee contributions and achievements.

• Pet-Friendly Offices: (US only) A welcoming environment for employees to bring their pets.

• Performance-Based Bonus: Eligibility for an annual bonus tied to individual and company performance.

Working Hours: The role is noted as requiring 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time position, with an on-site work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is a good faith estimate for a Director-level Product Strategy role in New York City, a high cost-of-living area, requiring significant experience and strategic capability. The benefits package is comprehensive and aligns with what a company like Octus, described as a leading global provider, would offer to attract and retain top talent, especially in specialized roles supporting operations and product strategy. The inclusion of both 401k and pension plans is notable and suggests a strong commitment to employee retirement security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Credit Intelligence, Data, and Analytics. Octus provides critical data and analytics to professionals in finance (hedge funds, investment banking), consulting, and law firms, enabling them to make informed decisions in fast-paced credit markets.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "tens of thousands of professionals" relying on Octus suggests a significant client base. Based on typical industry profiles for such services, Octus likely falls into the mid-to-large enterprise category, potentially with 200-1000+ employees.

Founded: 2013. This indicates a company with established market presence and a history of growth, likely having evolved its internal processes and systems to support its expansion.

Team Structure:

• Operations & Product Integration: The role sits at the intersection of Product Management and operational functions, implying collaboration with Data Operations, Technical Product Management, and potentially business units like Editorial.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires influencing and aligning with departments where direct authority is not held, suggesting a collaborative, matrixed, or highly interdependent team structure.

• Executive Alignment: A key responsibility is communicating complex technical and operational details to executive leadership, indicating that the operations and product strategy teams are integral to high-level decision-making.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The role emphasizes synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data to inform strategy and development, reflecting a strong data-centric approach within Octus.

• ROI-Focused Investment: A core aspect of the role is defining an ROI framework for internal investments, indicating a business-oriented and efficiency-driven methodology for resource allocation.

• Systems Thinking & Process Optimization: The responsibility to evaluate impacts across the data lifecycle and drive operational excellence points to a methodical approach to process design and improvement.

Company Website: https://octus.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Octus operates in a highly specialized and competitive sector. The emphasis on "growth-minded innovators and trailblazers" and core values like "Action Oriented, Customer First Mindset, Effective Team Players, and Driven to Excel" suggests a culture that values performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement – all critical for effective operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Director, Product Strategy. This role is senior, requiring strategic oversight, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to define and execute on long-term vision for critical internal systems. It sits at a pivotal point, connecting technical capabilities with business outcomes, a common trajectory for experienced operations professionals aiming for strategic impact.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Director of Product Strategy focused on internal tools would likely report to a VP of Product, VP of Operations, or potentially a Chief Product Officer or Chief Operating Officer. This position requires significant interaction with and reporting to executive leadership.

Operations Impact: The role is designed to be a direct driver of business velocity and operational excellence. By optimizing internal tools and workflows, this position directly contributes to increased efficiency, reduced costs, faster time-to-market for products/services, and ultimately, enhanced revenue generation and client satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into VP-level roles within Product Management, Operations, or even a dedicated Internal Tools/Platform organization as the company scales.

• Strategic Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of data strategy, workflow automation, or financial technology product development.

• Broader Business Impact: Potential to transition into more general management or strategic leadership roles, leveraging a deep understanding of the company's operational backbone and strategic drivers.

• Mentorship & Team Building: As a Director, there will be opportunities to mentor junior team members and contribute to building out the product and operations strategy functions within Octus.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for an operations-minded individual to drive strategic change within a data-intensive financial services company. The "Director" title and the scope of responsibilities position this as a key growth role for someone looking to impact business operations at a strategic level.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company describes itself as having "pet-friendly offices (US only)", suggesting a modern, potentially collaborative office environment designed to foster employee comfort and engagement.

Office Location(s): New York, New York, United States. This is a major financial hub, implying a dynamic and fast-paced work environment with access to talent and industry resources.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Focus: The emphasis on "Effective Team Players" and cross-functional influence suggests a work environment that encourages collaboration and open communication.

• Technology-Rich: As a provider of data and analytics, Octus would naturally leverage advanced technology. This role specifically focuses on internal tools and infrastructure, implying access to and utilization of sophisticated software and platforms.

• Impact-Oriented: The role's focus on measurable business impact and operational excellence indicates an environment where contributions are recognized and valued for their direct effect on business outcomes.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is implied, but the nature of a Director-level role in a fast-paced industry like credit intelligence may involve flexibility and occasional extended hours to meet strategic deadlines or address critical issues. However, the company also lists PTO and generous benefits, suggesting a balance is encouraged.

📝 Enhancement Note: An on-site role in New York City for a Director of Product Strategy in the financial data sector implies a professional, results-oriented environment that values in-person collaboration and strategic alignment, balanced with a supportive employee benefits package.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and application, focusing on experience in product management, data strategy, and B2B environments.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager, likely focusing on your strategic approach, experience with roadmap and backlog management, and your understanding of internal tool development.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from departments like Editorial, Data Operations, and Technical Product Management to assess your ability to collaborate, influence, and understand diverse operational needs.

• Case Study / Presentation: You may be asked to prepare and present a case study on a past project involving product strategy, ROI analysis, or process improvement for internal tools. This is where your portfolio will be critical.

• Executive Interview: A final interview with senior leadership (e.g., VP, C-suite) to assess strategic alignment, executive communication skills, and overall cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For every project or case study presented, clearly articulate the measurable outcomes. Use metrics like X% increase in efficiency, Y% reduction in costs, Z hours saved per week, or accelerated time-to-market by [duration].

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Demonstrate how you translated business needs into a coherent product strategy and roadmap. Explain your prioritization framework and the rationale behind key decisions.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Include examples where you analyzed the impact of changes across multiple systems or workflows. Explain how you identified dependencies and managed potential downstream effects.

• Focus on Collaboration: Use examples to show how you effectively partnered with different teams, managed stakeholder expectations, and drove consensus, especially in situations where you had influence but not direct authority.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type (e.g., Roadmap Development, ROI Analysis, Process Improvement). Use clear headings, concise descriptions, and visuals where appropriate.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Strategy Questions: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach building an ROI framework from scratch, how you prioritize competing demands for internal tool development, and how you would influence a team without direct authority.

• Prepare for "Why" Questions: The role values "Radical Curiosity." Be ready to explain the "why" behind your past decisions and how you uncovered underlying needs.

• Practice Executive Communication: Rehearse explaining complex technical or operational concepts in simple, business-oriented terms, focusing on value and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "internal workflow and data tools" means that interviewers will be looking for evidence of practical experience in optimizing operational processes and systems. A portfolio showcasing how you've tangibly improved efficiency, reduced costs, or enhanced data integrity through strategic product initiatives will be highly advantageous.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• CRM: While not explicitly mentioned for this role, understanding how internal tools integrate with or complement the company's CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) would be beneficial, especially if it impacts data ingestion or reporting.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com are likely used for roadmap and backlog management, as well as team collaboration.

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Proficiency with tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or even advanced Excel for building ROI frameworks and analyzing operational data.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Familiarity with platforms or custom solutions used to automate internal processes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Warehousing/ETL: Understanding of how data is ingested, transformed, and stored (e.g., SQL, Python for scripting, cloud data warehouses like Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift).

• Reporting Dashboards: Experience with creating and interpreting dashboards to track key operational metrics and tool usage.

CRM & Automation:

• Internal Tools Development Platforms: Depending on Octus's stack, this could involve understanding internal development frameworks or specific platforms used for building proprietary tools.

• Data Pipeline Technologies: Familiarity with technologies and concepts related to data ingestion, processing, and management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the focus on "back-end infrastructure, data pipelines, and internal workflow tooling," a strong understanding of data management, ETL processes, and potentially SQL would be highly relevant. While specific tools aren't listed, the ability to work with and strategically develop solutions involving these types of technologies is implied.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Action-Oriented: A drive to execute and implement solutions rather than just ideate, aligning with the need to move from strategy to tangible improvements.

• Customer First Mindset: Though focused on internal tools, this translates to prioritizing the needs and pain points of internal users (employees) to enhance their productivity and effectiveness.

• Effective Team Players: Emphasis on collaboration, communication, and supporting colleagues to achieve shared goals, crucial for cross-functional initiatives.

• Driven to Excel: A commitment to high performance, continuous improvement, and delivering exceptional results, reflecting a culture of quality and impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Influence-Based: The role requires strong collaborative skills to influence departments without direct authority, suggesting a culture that values persuasive communication and partnership.

• Data-Informed: Collaboration is likely grounded in data and evidence, with discussions focused on understanding operational metrics and stakeholder insights to drive decisions.

• Holistic Problem-Solving: The emphasis on systems thinking encourages a collaborative approach that considers the broader impact of decisions across the organization, rather than siloed solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated core values of Octus directly translate into expectations for this role. An individual who embodies "Action Oriented" and "Driven to Excel" while being an "Effective Team Player" with a "Customer First Mindset" (for internal users) will be well-suited to Octus's culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Competing Demands: Prioritizing a roadmap with numerous requests from various departments, each with their own critical needs, requires strong strategic discipline and stakeholder management.

• Driving Adoption of New Tools: Overcoming resistance to change and ensuring high user adoption and proficiency for internal tools can be a significant hurdle, requiring effective change management and enablement strategies.

• Quantifying ROI for Internal Investments: Developing robust and convincing ROI frameworks for internal tools, which may not have direct revenue impact, requires creativity and strong analytical skills.

• Aligning Technical Architecture with Business Velocity: Bridging the gap between complex technical realities and the need for agile, business-driven solutions demands a deep understanding of both domains.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Financial Domain Expertise: Gain comprehensive knowledge of credit intelligence, data analytics, and the specific needs of hedge funds, investment banks, and consulting firms.

• Master Strategic Product Development: Enhance skills in roadmap planning, backlog prioritization, and driving product adoption within a complex B2B environment.

• Develop Cross-Functional Leadership: Hone influence and negotiation skills by working with diverse teams and executive leadership.

• Advance Data Strategy Skills: Grow expertise in data lifecycle management, pipeline optimization, and leveraging data for strategic decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a Director-level role focused on internal operations and product strategy within a complex, data-driven organization. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for significant professional development and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for building an ROI framework for internal technology investments from scratch. What key metrics would you focus on?" (Focus on data fluency, business case development, and ROI framework definition).

• "How would you prioritize competing requests for new features or improvements to internal data tools from different departments (e.g., Editorial vs. Data Operations)?" (Highlight strategic prioritization, cross-functional influence, and systems thinking).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Octus's business, what do you see as the biggest opportunities for optimizing our internal data tools to drive business velocity?" (Shows research, strategic thinking, and understanding of the company's market).

• "How do you embody Octus's core values – Action Oriented, Customer First Mindset, Effective Team Players, Driven to Excel – in your work?" (Aligns your experience with company culture).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your role and the context. Then, dive into 1-2 key case studies that best represent your strategic thinking, problem-solving, and impact.

• Quantify Everything: For each case study, clearly present the problem, your solution, the process you followed, and the quantifiable results. Use visuals like charts or diagrams where appropriate.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Explain how you partnered with different teams and stakeholders to achieve success. Highlight communication strategies and how you managed relationships.

• Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio items as narratives – what was the challenge, what did you do, and what was the outcome? Make it engaging and easy to follow.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about the specifics of your projects, your decision-making process, and how you handled obstacles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific responsibilities and required skills for this Director of Product Strategy role, emphasizing operations-centric competencies like ROI analysis, cross-functional influence, and systems thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused product strategy position:

• Submit your application through Octus's careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate strategic roadmap development, ROI framework creation, and successful internal tool adoption. Ensure each project clearly outlines the challenge, your strategic approach, the process you implemented, and quantifiable results.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences directly related to product strategy, data operations, workflow optimization, cross-functional influence, and ROI analysis. Use action verbs and quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience and approach using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), focusing on how you drive business impact through internal systems and processes. Be ready to discuss your portfolio items in detail.

• Research Octus: Understand their business in credit intelligence, their market position, and their stated company values. Consider how your strategic approach to internal tools can directly support their overall business objectives and operational excellence.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.