Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Operations

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Operations

Company: Fieldguide

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Operations / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-04

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level

Remote Status: Fully Remote (US-based)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role serves as the critical link between Product, Engineering, and Go-to-Market (GTM) teams, focusing on translating strategic vision into actionable execution across the entire product lifecycle.

• You will be responsible for designing and implementing the operational frameworks that empower product teams to make data-informed decisions, ensure successful product launches, and demonstrably prove value to clients.

• This is a foundational role, offering a unique opportunity to build the operating systems for product strategy and operations from the ground up within a rapidly growing AI-native SaaS company.

• The position requires a proactive individual adept at navigating ambiguity, driving cross-functional alignment, and possessing a strong bias for action in a fast-paced, high-growth technology environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Operations" and the description emphasizing building "operating systems" and "first dedicated hire in this function" strongly indicate a role that bridges strategic product planning with the operational execution required for successful GTM initiatives. This role is crucial for scaling product development and ensuring alignment between product vision and market reality, aligning it with GTM Operations and Product Operations specializations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust "Voice of Customer" (VoC) systems to systematically capture, synthesize, and translate feedback from engagement partners, managers, staff auditors, Solutions, Implementation, and Sales teams into actionable product insights.

• Establish and manage comprehensive mechanisms for measuring product success and user impact, including the design and implementation of key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards and reporting frameworks.

• Conduct in-depth analysis to inform major product strategy decisions, including competitive positioning, expansion of AI agent capabilities, and the unit economics of scaling AI solutions (e.g., inference cost per engagement, cost-to-serve by segment) to guide roadmap sequencing.

• Own, refine, and optimize core product development processes, tooling, and team rituals, such as planning cycles, roadmap reviews, and monthly business reviews (MBRs).

• Build scalable, run-of-business systems and frameworks, including launch calendars, intake processes, and RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) structures, to support organizational growth.

• Drive and maintain cross-functional alignment and communication across Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success teams to ensure cohesive execution and strategic coherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed, such as building VoC systems, establishing KPIs, analyzing unit economics, and owning product development processes, are core functions within Product Operations and GTM Operations. The emphasis on "turning strategy into execution" and "driving cross-functional alignment" further solidifies its GTM Operations relevance, as this role directly supports the commercialization and adoption of product initiatives.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related analytical field is highly recommended. Advanced degrees or relevant certifications in product management or operations are a plus.

Experience: 6-8+ years of progressive experience in Product Operations, Product Management, Product or Corporate Strategy, Management Consulting, or a directly analogous operational role within a high-growth technology or SaaS company. Proven track record of building and scaling operational processes and programs from inception, rather than solely maintaining existing ones.

Required Skills:

• Process Development & Scaling: Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, build, and scale operational processes and programs from scratch, ensuring they are thoughtful and sustainable.

• Data Synthesis & Translation: Strong capability to interpret complex qualitative and quantitative data (usage metrics, feedback themes, retention signals) and translate them into clear, actionable recommendations and roadmap inputs.

• Data Acumen: Ability to access and analyze data independently, rather than relying on others for data retrieval. Proficiency in data querying and analysis is essential.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Proven effectiveness in driving alignment and consensus across diverse teams (Product, GTM, Engineering) without direct reporting authority.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyze competitive landscapes, understand unit economics, and contribute to strategic product roadmap decisions.

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly to various stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the audit, advisory, or FinTech/RegTech SaaS sectors.

• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and their application in enterprise software.

• Experience with product analytics tools and dashboarding platforms.

• Knowledge of agile development methodologies and product lifecycle management.

• Experience in building and managing Voice of Customer (VoC) programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 6-8+ years of experience, coupled with the emphasis on building processes from scratch and driving cross-functional alignment, points to a mid-to-senior level role. The "Product Strategy & Operations" title, combined with responsibilities like VoC and roadmap analysis, suggests a blend of Product Operations and GTM Operations skills, with a strong strategic component. The preference for SaaS and high-growth tech experience is standard for this level.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Process Design & Optimization Case Studies: Examples of operational processes you have designed, implemented, and subsequently optimized. This should showcase your ability to identify inefficiencies, propose solutions, and demonstrate measurable improvements.

• Data Analysis & Recommendation Artifacts: Demonstrations of how you've translated complex data (e.g., user feedback, usage metrics, market analysis) into clear, actionable product recommendations or strategic inputs. Include examples of dashboards or reports you've created.

• Cross-Functional Alignment Examples: Evidence of successfully driving initiatives that required collaboration and buy-in from multiple departments (Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Customer Success). This could be in the form of project plans or outcome summaries.

• VoC System Design: Documentation or descriptions of how you have built or significantly improved Voice of Customer programs, including how feedback was collected, synthesized, and actioned.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase your ability to map out complex workflows, identify bottlenecks, and design more efficient alternatives, particularly within product development or GTM processes.

• Implementation & Automation: Examples of how you've implemented new processes or tools, potentially leveraging automation to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort in product operations.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate your approach to defining success metrics, tracking performance, and analyzing results to iterate on processes and demonstrate impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on building operational systems from scratch, a portfolio demonstrating the creation and scaling of processes is paramount. This means showcasing the "before and after" of process improvements, the strategic thinking behind new systems, and the tangible results achieved, particularly in terms of efficiency, alignment, and data-driven decision-making.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $180,000 - $245,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation packages with meaningful equity/ownership.

• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO).

• 401k retirement savings plan.

• Comprehensive wellness benefits, including a bundle of free therapy sessions.

• Technology and Work from Home reimbursement to ensure a productive remote setup.

• Flexible work schedules to accommodate work-life balance.

Working Hours: The role is expected to require approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility in scheduling to accommodate the needs of a remote, cross-functional team and the dynamic nature of a high-growth company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range of $180,000 - $245,000 for a Senior Manager role in San Francisco (even if remote) with 6-8+ years of experience in a high-growth SaaS company is well within industry standards. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a notable emphasis on wellness and flexibility, aligning with modern tech company offerings. The "meaningful ownership" is a key indicator of startup/growth equity backed company compensation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Audit & Advisory SaaS, leveraging AI Agents. Fieldguide operates within the FinTech/RegTech and professional services technology sector, aiming to transform how audits and advisory services are performed through AI-native platforms.

Company Size: Fieldguide is a rapidly growing startup, backed by significant venture capital ($125M+ raised). While the exact current headcount isn't specified, its customer base includes over half of the top-100 U.S. CPA firms and several Big 4 firms, indicating substantial traction and a scaling operational footprint. This size suggests a dynamic environment where processes are still evolving but have achieved product-market fit.

Founded: Founded with a mission to address the capacity crisis in the accounting profession, Fieldguide was established to build the next generation of trust for global commerce. Its founding principles are rooted in innovation and solving critical industry challenges.

Team Structure:

• The Product and Engineering teams are likely structured to support rapid development and deployment of AI-powered features.

• The GTM organization (Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Implementation) is customer-facing and focused on adoption and revenue growth.

• This "Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Operations" role will act as a central hub, fostering collaboration and alignment between these distinct, yet interdependent, functions. The role reports into Product leadership, underscoring its strategic importance. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Fieldguide emphasizes using data to inform strategy, product development, and customer engagement.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The company's "Fast - Launch fast with excellence, iterate to perfection" value highlights an agile approach to product development and operations.

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on delivering "11-star experiences" and building "mutual value & earn trust for life" underscores a deep commitment to customer success and satisfaction.

Company Website: https://www.fieldguide.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights a strong focus on AI, addressing a critical industry need (capacity crisis in accounting), and a robust investor base. The "FFLOWI" values provide clear insight into the company's operational ethos, emphasizing speed, ownership, and customer focus, which are critical for this role to navigate effectively.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Manager, representing a significant individual contributor role with substantial strategic influence. It's a critical "first hire" in its function, indicating a high level of autonomy and the opportunity to define the operational framework for product strategy and execution. This level typically involves managing complex projects, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving significant business outcomes.

Reporting Structure: The role will report to Product leadership, indicating a close working relationship with Product Managers, Directors, or VPs of Product. This structure ensures that operational strategies are directly aligned with the overall product vision and roadmap.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is designed to be substantial, directly influencing the efficiency and effectiveness of the product development lifecycle. By improving decision-making, ensuring confident shipping, and measuring user impact, this role will directly contribute to Fieldguide's ability to capture market share, retain customers, and achieve its growth objectives in the audit and advisory AI platform space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Foundational Role Development: Opportunity to build and lead the Product Strategy & Operations function, establishing best practices and potentially growing a team in the future.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in major product bets, competitive analysis, and roadmap prioritization, offering significant strategic visibility and impact.

• Skill Expansion: Deepen expertise in product operations, GTM strategy, data analysis, process engineering, and cross-functional leadership within a cutting-edge AI SaaS company.

• Career Progression: Potential pathways into senior product leadership, GTM leadership, or broader operational management roles within Fieldguide as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: Being the "first dedicated hire" in this function is a significant growth opportunity. It implies the chance to shape the role, build the function's infrastructure, and set the strategic direction for product operations and strategy alignment, which can lead to leadership roles or specialization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fieldguide is a remote-first company, with its primary operations based in the United States. This means the work environment is decentralized, relying on digital collaboration tools and asynchronous communication.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and candidates are required to be based in the United States. This suggests potential for occasional in-person meetups or team offsites, though the primary mode of work is remote.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: Expect a highly digital workspace leveraging tools for communication (e.g., Slack), project management (e.g., Jira, Asana), documentation (e.g., Notion, Confluence), and video conferencing.

• Autonomy & Ownership: The remote, high-growth environment fosters a culture of autonomy, requiring self-direction, strong time management, and proactive engagement.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities to collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, sales leaders, marketing, and customer success teams through virtual channels.

Work Schedule: The company offers flexible work schedules, acknowledging the needs of a distributed team and promoting work-life balance. While core hours might exist for critical meetings, the emphasis is on delivering results rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Fully Remote (US-based)" and "Flexible work schedules" indicators align with the company's stated values of being "Fast" and promoting "Owners" who can manage their time effectively to achieve results. The emphasis on digital collaboration tools is standard for remote-first tech companies.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A conversation with a recruiter to assess overall fit, experience, and understanding of the role's strategic and operational demands. Be prepared to articulate your experience in building processes from scratch.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into your experience with product strategy, operations, data analysis, and cross-functional leadership. Expect questions about how you've synthesized customer feedback and driven product decisions.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Conversations with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially GTM leaders to evaluate your collaboration style, problem-solving approach, and ability to influence without direct authority.

• Case Study/Presentation: A potential assignment or presentation focused on a specific product strategy or operational challenge relevant to Fieldguide. This will assess your analytical skills, strategic thinking, and ability to communicate complex ideas. Be ready to present examples from your portfolio.

• Final Round: Discussions with senior leadership to assess cultural fit and strategic alignment with Fieldguide's vision and values (FFLOWI).

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each portfolio item, clearly articulate the problem, your proposed solution (process, system, analysis), the actions you took, and the measurable outcomes achieved (e.g., efficiency gains, improved decision-making, increased user adoption, revenue impact).

• Showcase "From Scratch" Experience: Highlight projects where you initiated new processes or operational frameworks, detailing the challenges of starting from zero and how you overcame them.

• Data Visualization: If presenting data analysis, use clear, concise visualizations. Be prepared to walk through your data sources, methodology, and the insights derived.

• Tailor to Fieldguide: Research Fieldguide's AI-native platform, its target market (audit/advisory firms), and its FFLOWI values. Frame your experience and examples in a way that demonstrates how you can contribute to their specific mission and culture.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most impactful and relevant examples.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Problem Solving: Practice breaking down ambiguous problems into manageable components, identifying key data points needed, and formulating strategic recommendations. Consider how you would analyze the unit economics of AI inference for Fieldguide.

• Process Improvement Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you would improve Fieldguide's product development lifecycle, from ideation to launch and post-launch analysis, especially concerning AI feature development.

• Cross-Functional Alignment Scenarios: Prepare examples of how you've navigated conflicting priorities or achieved consensus among different departments (e.g., Product wanting a feature vs. Engineering capacity, Sales needing quick fixes vs. strategic roadmap).

• VoC & Metrics: Think about how you would build or enhance a VoC system for a B2B SaaS product like Fieldguide and what key metrics you would track to demonstrate product success and user impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is the first hire for this function, the interview process will likely heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to operate autonomously, build frameworks, and demonstrate strategic thinking. The portfolio review will be critical for validating these capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Product Management & Development: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, or similar for managing product backlogs, roadmaps, and development workflows.

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Proficiency in tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or advanced Excel/Google Sheets for data analysis, reporting, and dashboard creation. Experience with SQL for data extraction is highly beneficial.

• Customer Feedback & VoC: Experience with platforms for collecting and analyzing customer feedback, such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Canny, Pendo, or internal CRM/support tools.

• Collaboration & Communication: Mastery of Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) for seamless remote collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Experience with product analytics platforms like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo for tracking user behavior, feature adoption, and engagement metrics.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: Familiarity with BI tools for creating dashboards and reports to monitor KPIs and business performance.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Experience with CRM platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar, particularly in how they integrate with product usage data and GTM processes.

• Workflow Automation: Understanding of how to leverage automation tools or principles to streamline product development and GTM operations, though direct experience with specific automation platforms may vary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a strong analytical bent and the ability to work with data to drive decisions. While specific tools aren't listed, the responsibilities imply proficiency in data analysis, reporting, and potentially product analytics platforms. Given the AI focus, understanding how to measure the economics of AI usage (inference cost) might involve specialized tools or custom analysis.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Fearless: Encourage proposing bold ideas and tackling complex challenges head-on, even in uncharted territory. Embrace calculated risks to drive innovation.

• Fast: Prioritize rapid execution, iterative development, and timely decision-making. Be comfortable launching quickly and refining based on feedback.

• Lovable: Focus on delivering exceptional experiences for both internal stakeholders and external customers. Empathy and a commitment to quality are key.

• Owners: Take full accountability for initiatives, driving them to completion with a proactive, results-oriented mindset. Treat the company's success as your own.

• Win-Win: Strive for mutually beneficial outcomes in all interactions, building trust and strong relationships with colleagues and customers.

• Inclusive: Champion diverse perspectives and ensure that all voices are heard in decision-making processes, fostering a collaborative and equitable environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Cross-Functional: Expect to actively engage with individuals across Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success. Your role is to be the bridge, fostering open communication and shared understanding.

• Data-Informed Dialogue: Discussions should be grounded in data and customer insights, promoting objective analysis and strategic alignment.

• Iterative Feedback Loop: Embrace a culture of continuous improvement where feedback is regularly exchanged, processes are refined, and learning is a constant.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Fieldguide's FFLOWI values provides a direct roadmap for understanding the desired cultural fit. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values in their work, particularly "Fearless" and "Fast" given the startup environment, and "Owners" given the autonomy of the role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Zero: Establishing core operational processes and systems in a function that is new to the company requires significant initiative, strategic foresight, and the ability to navigate ambiguity.

• Balancing Strategy and Execution: The role demands both high-level strategic thinking (analyzing unit economics, competitive positioning) and hands-on operational execution (building dashboards, refining processes).

• Driving Alignment Without Authority: Persuading and aligning various departments on product strategy and operational changes requires strong influence, communication, and relationship-building skills.

• Rapid Scaling Environment: Keeping pace with Fieldguide's high-growth trajectory means processes and systems will need to be adaptable and scalable, requiring foresight and continuous iteration.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Foundational Role Establishment: Opportunity to define and build the entire Product Strategy & Operations function, creating a lasting impact on the company's operational efficiency.

• Deep Dive into AI/SaaS: Gain in-depth experience with AI-native product development, understanding the unique operational challenges and opportunities in this cutting-edge space.

• Strategic Product Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product strategy, roadmap prioritization, and market analysis, offering significant exposure to strategic decision-making.

• Leadership Potential: The foundational nature of this role offers a clear path for future leadership opportunities within Fieldguide's product or operations teams as the company expands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the "build from scratch" aspect, which is also the biggest growth opportunity. Candidates should highlight their experience in setting up new functions or processes and their comfort with ambiguity and autonomy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you built a critical operational process or system from scratch. What was the problem, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on "building from zero" aspect).

• "How would you approach synthesizing 'Voice of Customer' feedback from multiple sources (sales, CS, product, engineering) into actionable product insights for a B2B SaaS company like Fieldguide?" (Assess VoC program design).

• "Imagine you need to analyze the unit economics of AI agent usage for Fieldguide. What data would you need, how would you analyze it, and what would be the key implications for the product roadmap?" (Tests analytical and strategic thinking).

• "How do you drive alignment on product strategy and roadmap priorities across Product, Engineering, and Go-to-Market teams when you don't have direct authority?" (Assesses influence and collaboration skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Fieldguide values FFLOWI (Fearless, Fast, Lovable, Owners, Win-Win, Inclusive). Can you provide an example of how you've embodied one or more of these values in your previous work?" (Demonstrates cultural fit).

• "How do you stay informed about market trends and competitive positioning in the SaaS or AI space?" (Shows industry awareness).

• "What are your expectations for collaboration with Product leadership and engineering teams in a remote-first environment?" (Assesses remote work readiness and team dynamics). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Use a clear framework: Problem -> Solution (Your Process/Analysis) -> Actions Taken -> Measurable Results/Impact.

• Quantify: Wherever possible, use numbers and data to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., "reduced reporting time by 30%", "increased customer feedback submission by 2x", "informed a product decision that led to X% adoption").

• Visuals: Use clean, professional slides or documents. If showing dashboards, ensure they are easy to interpret.

• Storytelling: Frame your achievements as compelling stories that highlight your problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and ability to drive tangible outcomes for the business.

• Relevance: Tailor your examples to Fieldguide's context – AI, audit/advisory SaaS, B2B, high-growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Emphasize preparation around building processes from scratch, data analysis for strategic decisions, and cross-functional influence. The FFLOWI values should be integrated into answers.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Prepare a concise portfolio (digital or presentation) showcasing 2-3 key projects where you've built operational processes, analyzed data for strategic recommendations, or driven cross-functional alignment. Focus on demonstrating your "from scratch" experience and quantifiable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in Product Operations, Product Strategy, GTM Operations, data analysis, process improvement, and working in high-growth SaaS environments. Use keywords from the job description and incorporate achievements with metrics.

• Interview Preparation: Practice answering behavioral and situational questions, particularly those related to ambiguity, process building, data synthesis, and cross-functional influence. Be ready to discuss your understanding of Fieldguide's market and AI focus.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Fieldguide's product, target market (audit/advisory firms), competitive landscape, and FFLOWI values. Understand how their AI-native platform addresses industry challenges.

⚠️ 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.