Executive Product SME

Goldschmitt and Associates; Leesburg (VA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Paid holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Medical insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

FSA/HSA

Commuter benefits

Adoption assistance

Employee assistance program

Caregiver support

Health advocacy

Financial wellbeing

Job summary

Goldschmitt and Associates LLC is seeking an Executive Product SME to provide senior practitioner expertise to Federal Student Aid as it transforms how complex technology products and platforms are governed, prioritized, engineered, delivered, and continuously improved.

This role goes beyond traditional Agile coaching or classroom product-management; the SME will lead large technology and engineering organizations and help establish practices to manage technology as enduring products rather than

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of senior technology, product, engineering, or platform leadership experience.
• Able to pass a 6C Public Trust investigation, including US citizenship.
• Experience leading global or distributed engineering organizations.
• Experience modernizing large-scale legacy platforms.
• Experience with acquisition integration or consolidation of overlapping technology environments.
• Experience managing enterprise data platforms and platform products.

Responsibilities

• Advise FSA leadership on the design and maturation of an enterprise product operating model.
• Coach product, technology, and engineering leaders on product ownership, decision rights, prioritization, roadmap development, and outcome-based management.
• Help FSA establish operating practices that connect product strategy, architecture, engineering, data, operations, security, reliability, and user outcomes.
• Evaluate current delivery models and recommend changes to organizational structure, governance, SDLC practices, roadmap processes, and decision-making.
• Provide an independent executive perspective during major technology, architecture, platform, integration, and product decisions.
• Challenge technical or process assumptions presented by delivery organizations and SI partners when those assumptions constrain delivery or outcomes.
• Help FSA differentiate architectural, security, or engineering dependencies from inherited practices.
• Advise on platform and product ownership, technical debt, lifecycle management, and modernization priorities.
• Guide development of meaningful product measures that connect strategic objectives with user needs and operational health.
• Facilitate executive product and technology reviews, roadmap reviews, and complex decision sessions.
• Mentor FSA product owners and leaders in working with large engineering and systems integrators.
• Support development of sustainable product-management standards and governance frameworks.

Skills

Executive leadership

Operating model transformation

Enterprise product ownership

Cloud & data platforms

APIs & distributed systems

DevOps / CI-CD

Reliability engineering

Executive communication

Decision making with business value

Job description

At Goldschmitt and Associates LLC (G&A), we're not just another company-we're a catalyst for innovation and impact, and we're inviting passionate, forward-thinking individuals to join us on this journey. Recognized multiple times on the Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies, G&A is a leader in tech transformation and system modernization for some of the nation's most important federal agencies.

Our culture is built on creativity and collaboration. We offer flexible schedules, telework options, and an environment where your ideas truly matter. At G&A, you won't just clock in-you'll be solving real-world challenges and working on projects that make a difference in the lives of millions.

Joining our team means becoming part of a vibrant, connected community where innovation thrives, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a strategic thinker, or a problem-solver, at G&A, you'll have the opportunity to level up your career while making a real-world impact.

If you're ready to be part of a company that values purpose as much as progress, G&A is the place for you!

Summary:

Goldschmitt & Associates is seeking an Executive Product SME to provide senior practitioner expertise to Federal Student Aid as it transforms how complex technology products and platforms are governed, prioritized, engineered, delivered, and continuously improved.

This is not a traditional Agile coaching or classroom product-management role. The Executive Product SME will bring firsthand experience leading large technology and engineering organizations and will help FSA establish the product, engineering, architecture, and operating-model practices required to manage technology as enduring products rather than finite projects.

The individual will serve as an independent executive advisor capable of working with FSA leaders and major systems integrators to assess proposed approaches, challenge assumptions, distinguish true technical constraints from process limitations, and connect product decisions to architecture, engineering, reliability, data, platform, and mission outcomes.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advise FSA leadership on the design and maturation of an enterprise product operating model
• Coach product, technology, and engineering leaders on product ownership, decision rights, prioritization, roadmap development, and outcome-based management
• Help FSA establish operating practices that connect product strategy, architecture, engineering, data, operations, security, reliability, and user outcomes
• Evaluate current delivery models and recommend changes to organizational structure, governance, SDLC practices, roadmap processes, and decision-making
• Provide an independent executive perspective during major technology, architecture, platform, integration, and product decisions
• Challenge technical or process assumptions presented by delivery organizations and systems integrators when those assumptions unnecessarily constrain iterative delivery or product outcomes
• Help FSA differentiate genuine architectural, security, or engineering dependencies from inherited organizational or delivery practices
• Advise on platform and product ownership, technical debt, lifecycle management, engineering effectiveness, reliability, and modernization priorities
• Guide development of meaningful product measures that connect strategic objectives, user needs, operational health, technical performance, and delivered value
• Facilitate executive product and technology reviews, roadmap reviews, operating-model workshops, and complex decision sessions
• Mentor FSA product owners and leaders in working effectively with large engineering and systems-integration organizations
• Support development of sustainable product-management standards, governance frameworks, leadership practices, and communities of practice

Necessary Skills and Knowledge:

• Executive experience leading large technology or engineering organizations
• Demonstrated experience transforming engineering or technology operating models, organizational structures, SDLC practices, and/or product roadmap processes
• Demonstrated ownership of complex enterprise products or platforms
• Deep understanding of modern software engineering, cloud, data platforms, APIs, distributed systems, DevOps/CI/CD, reliability, and architecture
• Ability to communicate equally effectively with senior executives, product leaders, architects, engineers, and business stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex technical recommendations and make decisions based on business value, architecture, risk, cost, and long-term sustainability

Minimum Qualifications:

• Possess at least 15 years of senior technology, product, engineering, or platform leadership experience
• Possess the ability to pass a 6C Public Trust investigation, including US citizenship

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading global or highly distributed engineering organizations
• Experience modernizing large-scale legacy platforms
• Experience with acquisition integration or consolidation of overlapping technology environments
• Experience managing enterprise data platforms, shared platforms, or platform products

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. It is intended to describe the general nature and work responsibilities of the position. This job description and the duties of this position are subject to change, modification and addition as deemed necessary by the Company.

Goldschmitt and Associates offers the following benefits:

• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Paid Federal Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Medical Insurance, including Vision and Dental Insurance
• Employer-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• FSA/HSA Programs
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Adoption Assistance Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Caregiver Support Program
• Health Advocacy Program
• Financial Wellbeing Support

Goldschmitt and Associates is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.