Head of Product

Posted:
3/24/2026, 8:03:18 AM

Location(s):
Connecticut, United States ⋅ Middletown, Connecticut, United States

Experience Level(s):
Senior

Field(s):
Sales & Account Management

Workplace Type:
Hybrid

Xylem is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company dedicated to advancing sustainable impact and empowering the people who make water work every day. As a leading water technology company with 23,000 employees operating in over 150 countries, Xylem is at the forefront of addressing the world's most critical water challenges. We invite passionate individuals to join our team, dedicated to exceeding customer expectations through innovative and sustainable solutions.

About HYPACK 

HYPACK is a leading provider of software solutions used by hydrographic surveyors, dredging contractors, and infrastructure operators to collect, process, and analyze critical environmental and geospatial data. Our platform supports customers around the world working on complex marine, waterway, and infrastructure projects. 

As our products evolve to incorporate new technologies, data capabilities, and user experiences, we are expanding our leadership team and seeking a Head of Product & Platform to guide product strategy, strengthen product development execution, and help shape the next phase of growth for the HYPACK platform. 

This role is ideal for a product leader who enjoys operating at the intersection of product strategy, technical execution, and business growth. 

 

The Role 

The Head of Product & Platform will lead product strategy and execution for the HYPACK software platform while providing hands-on people leadership for a team of product managers. This leader will own the product roadmap, build operating rhythm across product and engineering, and ensure the organization translates market opportunities and customer needs into well-defined development plans that engineering teams can execute efficiently. 

This role requires a leader who can operate at multiple levels—defining long-term platform direction while also driving day-to-day, cross-functional delivery through clear roadmaps, structured backlog planning, and strong partnership with engineering, sales, support, and other stakeholders. Success in this role depends on the ability to align teams, manage dependencies, and bring complex initiatives to release with predictable outcomes. 

The Head of Product & Platform will play a central role in shaping how HYPACK evolves as a software platform and in driving the next generation of capabilities for our customers. 

 

Key Responsibilities 

Product Strategy & Platform Vision 

  • Define and own the long-term product vision and strategy for the HYPACK software platform. 

  • Translate customer needs, industry trends, and business objectives into a clear and prioritized product roadmap. 

  • Partner with company leadership to align product strategy with HYPACK’s long-term growth and platform evolution. 

 

Product Planning & Roadmap Execution 

  • Develop and maintain a 12–18 month product roadmap with clearly defined product initiatives and milestones. 

  • Ensure roadmap priorities translate into well-structured product requirements and development plans, with epics/features decomposed into sprint-ready user stories and clear acceptance criteria. 

  • Maintain sufficient backlog readiness in Jira so engineering teams have clearly defined, prioritized work for upcoming sprints and releases (grooming/refinement, dependencies, and definition of done). 

  • Establish and maintain an Agile delivery cadence (sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives) and use lightweight metrics (e.g., throughput/velocity trends, cycle time) to improve predictability and execution. 

 

Cross-Functional Product Delivery 

  • Partner closely with engineering leadership to drive predictable delivery across multiple technical workstreams, setting shared milestones, clarifying ownership, and removing blockers across functions, including areas such as: 

  • data collection and processing 

  • software platform services 

  • user interface and user experience 

  • hardware and sensor integrations 

  • Identify and manage cross-team dependencies (product, engineering, QA, support, documentation, and go-to-market) to ensure coordinated development, release readiness, and successful completion of large, multi-team software programs. 

  • Create visibility and accountability through regular cross-functional planning and review forums (e.g., roadmap reviews, release checkpoints), using clear success metrics to ensure initiatives land as intended. 

 

Product Management Leadership 

  • Lead, coach, and develop the product management team; provide clear expectations, regular feedback, and growth plans. 

  • Establish best practices and operating cadence for product discovery, feature definition, backlog management, release planning, and stakeholder communication. 

  • Build and scale a product organization that balances customer insight, technical understanding, and disciplined execution—ensuring teams can deliver cross-functional initiatives from concept through launch. 

 

Customer & Market Insight 

  • Engage directly with customers, partners, and industry stakeholders to understand evolving needs and opportunities. 

  • Translate market insights into product opportunities and roadmap priorities. 

  • Ensure the product strategy reflects both customer value and technical feasibility. 

 

Product–Engineering Partnership 

  • Build a strong working partnership with engineering leadership to ensure alignment between product goals and technical execution. 

  • Participate actively in planning processes to ensure product priorities translate into achievable development plans. 

  • Support a culture of collaboration, transparency, and accountability across product and engineering teams. 

 

Qualifications 

Required Experience 

  • 10+ years of experience in product management for technical software products 

  • Experience leading product strategy for complex software platforms 

  • Proven ability to translate product strategy into clear roadmaps and executable development plans 

  • Strong experience working closely with engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle 

  • Demonstrated people leadership experience, including hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing product (or product-adjacent) teams 

  • Track record of leading cross-functional initiatives from discovery through launch—aligning stakeholders, managing dependencies/risks, and delivering to timeline and quality expectations 

  • Demonstrated experience managing large software projects with multiple teams and complex dependencies, using Agile methods and tooling (e.g., Jira) to drive alignment, transparency, and on-time delivery. 

 

Preferred Experience 

  • Experience with data platforms, geospatial systems, IoT, or technical engineering software 

  • Experience working with software that integrates with hardware or field data systems 

  • Experience serving customers in hydrographic, marine construction, environmental, or industrial markets 

 

Leadership Traits 

We are looking for a leader who: 

  • Brings clarity and structure to complex technical initiatives 

  • Operates comfortably at both strategic and operational levels 

  • Builds strong partnerships across engineering and other functions to align priorities and drive shared outcomes 

  • Invests in people—coaching, mentoring, and setting a high bar for execution while creating an environment where teams do their best work 

  • Drives product development forward while maintaining focus on customer value 

  • Communicates effectively with both technical teams and business leadership 

 

Why This Role Matters 

HYPACK’s software platform plays a critical role in enabling customers to collect and interpret the data needed to manage waterways, infrastructure, and environmental systems, data, and real-world infrastructure 

  • Shape the future capabilities of a growing technology business 

 

Working Model 

HYPACK operates as a hybrid organization, with engineers working both remotely and in-office. This role will collaborate closely with engineering and product teams and should be comfortable leading product development in a hybrid environment with both local and distributed team members. 

Regular in-person collaboration with engineering and product teams is expected to support roadmap planning, product development coordination, and cross-functional alignment. 

 

What This Role Offers 

  • Significant ownership and influence over product direction 

  • Opportunity to shape the next generation of HYPACK’s software platform 

  • Collaboration with a talented technical team solving complex real-world problems 

  • Leadership role with meaningful impact on the future growth of the business 

 

The estimated salary range for this position is $150,000 to $180,000 plus bonus. Starting pay is dependent on multiple factors, such as skills, experience, and work location, and is not typically at the top of the range. At Xylem, we offer a competitive compensation package with a generous benefit package, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, 401(k) with company contribution, paid time off, paid parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.

#LI-KS1

Join the global Xylem team to be a part of innovative technology solutions transforming water usage, conservation, and re-use. Our products impact public utilities, industrial sectors, residential areas, and commercial buildings, with a commitment to providing smart metering, network technologies, and advanced analytics for water, electric, and gas utilities. Partner with us in creating a world where water challenges are met with ingenuity and dedication; where we recognize the power of inclusion and belonging in driving innovation and allowing us to compete more effectively around the world.

At Xylem, you'll not only contribute to solving water issues but also have the chance to make a difference through our paid Volunteer Program, Xylem Watermark. We prioritize our employees' well-being through inclusion and belonging as well as our Employee Resource Groups (ERG). Proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (including disability and veterans) and Affirmative Action workplace, Xylem fosters an inclusive environment free from discrimination or harassment. 

 

Please note that the information in this job description outlines the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties. Xylem is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations to enable all employees to perform their essential job functions. We reserve the right to modify this job description and assign additional duties as needed. Embrace the opportunity to be part of Xylem's transformative journey in shaping the future of water technology! #XylemCareers #GlobalImpact #WaterInnovation