Product Strategy Lead (53732)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Strategy Lead

Company: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Location: Washington, DC

Job Type: Regular Full Time

Category: Product Management & Strategy (GTM Operations)

Date Posted: June 15, 2026

Experience Level: Experienced (5-10+ years)

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the identification, development, and launch of new geospatial products and services by translating complex technical capabilities into scalable, market-ready offerings.

• Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle, from initial concept and Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development through to market testing and initial rollout, ensuring user-centricity and mission alignment.

• Conduct comprehensive market research, user discovery, and competitive analysis to inform product vision, value propositions, and potential business models.

• Collaborate closely with technical, leadership, and client-facing teams to foster a strong product culture and establish robust product management practices within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Strategy Lead," the responsibilities heavily involve Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy execution, product launch, and market validation, indicating a strong connection to Revenue Operations and GTM Operations functions. The emphasis on translating services into products and supporting fundraising/revenue generation points to a role that bridges product development with commercialization efforts.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Opportunity Development:

  • Identify and evaluate opportunities to transform CGS's geospatial services, data assets, and technical capabilities (e.g., water data, environmental markets, social impact) into scalable products and productized offerings.
  • Synthesize insights from diverse projects, partner engagements, and domain expertise to pinpoint high-potential product opportunities.
  • Conduct thorough market research, user discovery, and competitive evaluations to shape product and service direction.
  • Define clear product visions, compelling value propositions, and viable business models for new offerings.
  • Prioritize and select 1-2 initial products for focused development and launch.

• Product Development and Launch:

  • Nurture early-stage product development from concept through the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage by defining solutions, working collaboratively with technical teams, building initial versions, and iterating based on user feedback.
  • Define product requirements, develop roadmaps, and establish key success metrics for new products.
  • Partner with leadership to develop and pitch products to potential funders and partners, supporting fundraising and revenue generation efforts.
  • Work closely with data scientists, engineers, and designers to co-develop user-centered products that align with CGS's mission.

• Connect Services to Product Translation:

  • Embed with CGS service teams to identify repeatable workflows, user needs, and scalable opportunities for productization.
  • Translate project-based work into structured product concepts or hybrid product-service offerings.
  • Help define CGS's emerging product portfolio and repeatable service offerings.

• Market Testing & Launch:

  • Design and execute pilot projects and early product testing initiatives.
  • Engage with partners and early adopters to gather critical feedback and insights.
  • Refine products based on user feedback and performance data.
  • Support the development and execution of the go-to-market strategy and initial product rollout.

• Cross-Organizational Leadership:

  • Build alignment and drive communal decision-making across various CGS teams.
  • Translate complex technical capabilities (e.g., remote sensing, AI, knowledge graphs) into clear product direction and actionable plans.
  • Ensure product development efforts are strategically aligned with CGS's broader organizational objectives.

• Develop Product Function:

  • Help establish foundational product management practices, processes, and tools within CGS.

  • Contribute to the long-term product strategy and roadmap development.

  • Inform future product investments and strategic scaling choices for the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities outline a strategic role focused on productizing existing expertise and services. For operations professionals, this translates into a need to understand how to build repeatable processes, define metrics for success, and support the commercialization of intellectual property. The role requires bridging technical capabilities with market needs, a core GTM operations function.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; Master's degree preferred in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Technology Management, Environmental Science, Data Science). Experience:

• 5-10+ years of experience in new product management, building product strategy, or related roles.

• Demonstrated experience building and launching products, particularly early-stage or innovative offerings.

• Proven ability to bring structure to ambiguous problem spaces and drive toward clear, measurable product outcomes.

• Strong experience in market research, user discovery, and product validation methodologies.

• 3+ years of experience supporting fundraising, partnerships, or revenue generation for early-stage products.

• Experience working in environments funded by a mix of sources (e.g., grants, partnerships, earned revenue). Required Skills:

• Product Strategy & Vision: Ability to define product vision, value propositions, and business models.

• Market & User Research: Expertise in conducting market research, user discovery, and competitive analysis.

• Product Development Lifecycle: Proven experience managing products from concept through MVP and launch.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams, translating complex concepts into clear product direction.

• Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and influencing skills to build alignment and drive decision buy-in.

• Problem Structuring: Capability to bring structure to ambiguous problem spaces and drive toward clear product outcomes.

• Prioritization & Judgment: Strong judgment in identifying, prioritizing, and sequencing product opportunities.

• Fundraising/Revenue Support: Experience supporting funding, partnerships, or revenue generation for early-stage products.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with geospatial technologies, environmental data, or climate/water domains.

• Familiarity with AI/ML-driven products or data platforms.

• Experience working in or with nonprofits, public sector, or mission-driven organizations.

• Experience with data products, APIs, or analytics platforms.

• Background in environmental policy, land use, or water management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Helpful Experience" section directly maps to ideal GTM operations candidates who can leverage domain knowledge. For operations professionals, highlighting experience with data products, APIs, and analytics platforms will be crucial, as these are often the vehicles for productized services.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Product Strategy Case Studies: Showcase examples of how you've identified market needs, defined product strategies, and developed value propositions for new products.

• Product Development Examples: Present instances where you guided a product from concept through MVP, detailing the process, challenges, and outcomes. Include examples of user testing and feedback integration.

• Market Analysis & Validation: Demonstrate your ability to conduct market research, user discovery, and competitive analysis with clear outputs and actionable insights.

• Go-to-Market Planning: Include examples of your involvement in developing launch strategies, go-to-market plans, and supporting initial product adoption.

• Revenue/Funding Support: Provide evidence of your contribution to fundraising efforts, partnership development, or revenue generation for new products.

Process Documentation:

• Product Strategy Frameworks: Document the methodologies and frameworks used to identify, evaluate, and prioritize product opportunities.

• Product Development Workflows: Illustrate the processes for translating services into products, including concept definition, MVP build, and user feedback loops.

• Market Validation Processes: Outline the steps taken for market research, user testing, and validating product-market fit.

• Launch & Adoption Processes: Detail the steps involved in bringing a product to market, including cross-functional coordination and initial user engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Operations professionals are expected to demonstrate their ability to not only strategize but also to implement and document repeatable processes. A portfolio showcasing the how behind product strategy and development, not just the what, will be critical. This includes detailing workflows, decision-making frameworks, and metrics used.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $95,000 - $112,000 USD per year (based on education and experience).

Estimated Total Compensation: When factoring in benefits and total rewards, the position is expected to range from $142,500 to $154,000.

Benefits:

• Retirement: 3x employer contribution towards retirement matching employee contributions up to 15%.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, health reimbursement account, healthcare flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, and Employee Assistance Program.

• Insurance: Short-term disability coverage, long-term disability coverage, and voluntary accident insurance.

• Time Off: Generous paid time off for holidays, vacation, personal days, sick leave, bereavement, and jury duty.

• Work-Life Balance: Office closure between December 24 – January 1 annually, flexible schedule, and the option for a compressed 4-day workweek.

• Professional Development: Tuition and staff development reimbursement.

• Other Perks: Pet insurance.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility and the option for a compressed 4-day workweek.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is for the base compensation. The "Compensation Overview" mentions an additional $47,500 - $42,000 in total rewards, which is a significant uplift. This suggests a total compensation package rather than just base salary, a crucial detail for operations professionals evaluating overall value. The total compensation estimate appears to be calculated by adding a substantial amount to the base salary, potentially representing a standard benefits package value for the organization.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Non-profit / Research & Policy (Land Policy, Geospatial Solutions)

Company Size: The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and its Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) are part of a mid-sized organization, with CGS described as a "self-sustaining nonprofit enterprise" and a "fully remote team." The Lincoln Institute has offices in multiple locations globally.

Founded: The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy was founded in 1946, with the Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) established more recently in 2020. This indicates a blend of established institutional knowledge with a dynamic, emerging initiative.

Team Structure:

• CGS Team: A fully remote team of award-winning professionals with end-to-end GIS capabilities.

• Reporting Structure: The Product Strategy Lead will report to the Director of Solutions.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role requires close collaboration with technical teams (data scientists, engineers, designers), leadership (Director of Solutions, Senior Manager of Growth & Revenue), and client-facing teams.

Methodology:

• Whole-System Thinking: CGS leverages this approach to tackle complex, real-world challenges.

• State-of-the-Art Technology: Utilization of tools like satellite data and artificial intelligence to deliver insights.

• Data-Driven Insights: Focus on liberating and connecting key information to create nuanced pictures of complex situations.

• Mission-Driven Innovation: Emphasis on using technology for positive change and achieving sustainable and equitable outcomes.

Company Website: https://www.lincolninst.edu/

📝 Enhancement Note: CGS is an emerging enterprise within a larger, established institution. This implies a need for the Product Strategy Lead to not only develop products but also help build the foundational processes and infrastructure for product management within CGS. The "self-sustaining" nature suggests a focus on impact and potentially revenue generation or grant acquisition.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an "Experienced" individual contributor with significant strategic responsibility. It's a lead role in establishing a new function (product management) within CGS, suggesting a high degree of autonomy and influence.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Director of Solutions, the Product Strategy Lead will operate within the leadership framework of the Center for Geospatial Solutions, collaborating closely with other managers and technical leads.

Operations Impact: The Product Strategy Lead will directly impact CGS's ability to scale its impact by translating project-based expertise into broader product offerings. This includes driving revenue generation (through earned revenue models or supporting grant applications) and expanding the reach of CGS's innovative geospatial solutions. The role is critical for the commercial and strategic growth of the center.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Management Leadership: Opportunity to build and lead the product management function at CGS, potentially growing into a Product Management Director role as the portfolio expands.

• Domain Specialization: Deepen expertise in geospatial technologies, environmental data, and their application in policy and sustainability.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the long-term strategic direction and product roadmap of CGS.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop strong capabilities in bridging technical development with market strategy, fundraising, and business development within a mission-driven context.

• Process Development: Contribute significantly to establishing best practices and operational frameworks for product development and GTM within a growing organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this role offers a unique opportunity to build a product function from the ground up within a mission-driven organization. The growth path is less about climbing a traditional corporate ladder and more about shaping a new operational discipline and its strategic impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is described as "Remote Solely." While CGS is a fully remote team, the Lincoln Institute has physical office locations in Cambridge, MA, Washington, DC, Phoenix, AZ, and Beijing, China. The listed job location is Washington, DC.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the primary job location is listed as Washington, DC. This may indicate a preference for candidates within a commutable distance to the DC office, or it might be a placeholder for administrative purposes. The organization has other offices, but the role is explicitly remote.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect a highly collaborative environment conducted primarily through digital tools and virtual meetings. Strong asynchronous communication skills will be essential.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a range of digital collaboration and project management tools is expected, supporting remote work and product development workflows.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will be through scheduled meetings, virtual team-building activities, and project-specific collaborations.

Work Schedule: The standard workweek is 40 hours, with options for flexible scheduling and a compressed 4-day workweek. This offers significant autonomy for operations professionals to manage their workflows and integrate personal commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote Solely" designation is key. While the job is posted with a DC location, the candidate will be working from a remote, home-based environment. The flexibility in scheduling is a significant perk for operations professionals who often need to manage complex workflows and deadlines.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and cover letter focusing on product strategy, development experience, and alignment with CGS's mission.

• Skills-Based Interviews: Likely to include technical and behavioral questions assessing product management expertise, market analysis capabilities, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Expect case study discussions.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where candidates will present their portfolio, showcasing their product strategy, development, and launch experience with tangible examples and metrics.

• Final Interview: May involve discussions with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, and long-term vision alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, the process, and, most importantly, the measurable outcomes (e.g., user adoption rates, revenue generated, cost savings, efficiency improvements).

• Showcase Ambiguity Navigation: Highlight instances where you successfully brought structure to unclear situations, defined product requirements from vague needs, and drove clarity.

• Demonstrate Cross-functional Leadership: Use examples that show your ability to influence and collaborate with engineers, designers, data scientists, and business stakeholders.

• Highlight GTM Contributions: Emphasize your role in market research, user validation, and supporting product launches, fundraising, or revenue generation.

• Tailor to CGS: Research CGS's current work and demonstrate how your experience in geospatial technologies, environmental data, or mission-driven products aligns with their goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Product Strategy Case Study: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach developing a new product from scratch for CGS, considering their mission, capabilities, and market.

• Market Analysis Exercise: Expect to analyze a hypothetical market opportunity or a CGS service and propose productization strategies.

• Process Design Question: Be ready to discuss how you would establish product management processes and workflows within a growing, remote team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio and potential case studies suggests that candidates will need to demonstrate practical application of their skills. For operations professionals, this means being ready to articulate the "how" behind their successes, not just the "what." Highlighting process optimization and GTM strategy execution will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Product Management Platforms: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for roadmap management, task tracking, and backlog grooming.

• Collaboration Suites: Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint) or Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive) for daily operations and communication.

• Prototyping/Wireframing Tools: Potentially tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for visualizing product concepts, although direct design work might not be required.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and reporting on product performance metrics.

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics or similar for understanding user behavior on potential product platforms.

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, or a similar CRM for tracking partner engagements, leads, and potential revenue.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: As mentioned above, a CRM will be crucial for managing partner relationships and potential revenue streams.

• Data Integration/APIs: Familiarity with data products, APIs, and how they function will be beneficial, given the geospatial and data-centric nature of CGS.

• AI/ML Tools: While not necessarily a hands-on role, understanding products leveraging AI/ML (e.g., for data analysis, pattern recognition) is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the nature of CGS (geospatial, data, AI/ML) and the role's focus on product development and GTM imply a need for proficiency in standard product management, collaboration, and analytics tools. Experience with data-centric products and APIs is particularly relevant.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Cooperation and Teamwork: Essential for a remote, collaborative environment focused on building new products. Expect an emphasis on shared goals and mutual support.

• Forthright Feedback: A culture that encourages open, honest communication, crucial for iterating on product development and improving processes.

• Initiative: Candidates are expected to be proactive, take ownership, and drive forward in an evolving environment where processes are still being established.

• Acceptance of Responsibility: Taking ownership of product outcomes, from strategy to launch, and being accountable for results.

• Multicultural Sensitivity: Given the organization's global reach and commitment to diversity, a high degree of cultural awareness and sensitivity is expected.

Collaboration Style:

• Remote-First: Collaboration will primarily occur through digital channels, requiring strong asynchronous communication skills and proactive engagement.

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with diverse teams (technical, leadership, external partners), requiring the ability to build consensus and align different perspectives.

• Process-Oriented: The role involves establishing processes, so a collaborative approach to defining and refining workflows will be key.

• Mission-Aligned: A shared commitment to CGS's mission of enabling sustainable and equitable outcomes through geospatial technology will be a unifying factor.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values highlight a culture that is both collaborative and execution-focused, with an emphasis on initiative and responsibility. For operations professionals, this means demonstrating an ability to work effectively in a remote setting, contribute to process improvement, and align personal work with the organization's mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ambiguity & Evolution: CGS is still building its product portfolio and processes. The candidate must be comfortable working in an environment where priorities, processes, and opportunities are not fully defined.

• Product-Market Fit: Translating complex geospatial capabilities into scalable products that meet distinct market needs will require significant research and validation.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Driving consensus and product decisions across diverse technical and non-technical teams in a remote setting can be challenging.

• Resource & Funding Constraints: As a non-profit enterprise, balancing ambitious product development with available resources and funding will be an ongoing consideration.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Product Function Establishment: Opportunity to define and build the product management function and its associated processes from the ground up.

• Geospatial & AI/ML Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of cutting-edge technologies and their application in environmental and policy contexts.

• Mission-Driven Product Development: Gain experience in developing products with a strong social and environmental impact.

• Non-profit Funding Models: Learn about grant writing, partnership development, and diverse revenue streams for mission-driven organizations.

• Remote Leadership: Hone skills in leading and influencing teams and driving outcomes in a fully remote environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the evolving nature of the organization and its product offerings. This presents a significant growth opportunity for ambitious operations professionals looking to shape strategy and build infrastructure rather than just maintain existing systems.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you identified an opportunity to translate a complex service or technical capability into a scalable product. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses Product Strategy & Translation skills)

• "How would you approach defining product requirements and a roadmap for a new geospatial product at CGS, given limited initial information?" (Assesses Problem Structuring & Roadmapping skills)

• "Walk us through your experience in market research and user discovery. What methodologies do you typically employ, and how do you translate insights into product decisions?" (Assesses Market Research & Product Validation skills) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in the mission of the Lincoln Institute and CGS? How does this role align with your career goals?" (Assesses Mission Alignment & Motivation)

• "How would you foster a collaborative product development culture within a fully remote team, especially when dealing with technical and non-technical stakeholders?" (Assesses Collaboration Style & Stakeholder Management)

• "Describe your experience working in environments with diverse funding sources (grants, partnerships, earned revenue). How do you balance these different objectives?" (Assesses Funding Support & Business Acumen) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the strategy/process you employed, the challenges overcome, and the quantifiable results achieved.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the "so what?" – how did your work drive value, achieve objectives, or solve critical problems? Use metrics wherever possible.

• Illustrate Process Innovation: Show how you brought structure to ambiguity, defined repeatable workflows, or improved existing processes for product development and GTM.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your decision-making, the tools you used, and the trade-offs you made.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect interview questions that probe your ability to operate in an ambiguous environment, translate technical concepts, and drive product commercialization in a mission-driven context. Your portfolio should be ready to demonstrate these capabilities with concrete examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Strategy Lead position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Paycom.

• Tailor Your Cover Letter: Clearly articulate your interest in CGS's mission, your specific qualifications for product strategy and development, and how your experience in geospatial technology or mission-driven work makes you a strong candidate.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight quantifiable achievements in product management, strategy, market research, and supporting revenue generation. Use keywords from the job description, such as "geospatial," "product strategy," "MVP development," and "market research."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your ability to develop and launch products, especially early-stage ones. Be ready to discuss the process, your role, and the measurable outcomes.

• Research CGS: Understand their current work, their mission, and the types of geospatial data and technology they utilize. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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.