Staff Product Manager, Forward Deployment

Ladders; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Coaching for you and a friend/family

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible PTO including holidays

Volunteer days (5)

Company breaks (summer/winter)

Year-round charitable contributions

401(k) self-contribution options

Job summary

Ladders in San Francisco seeks a Staff Product Manager, Forward Deployment to drive critical enterprise deployments, shaping success criteria, and building trust with senior stakeholders. You will coordinate with engineering and commercial teams to resolve blockers, define scope, and influence outcomes in complex engagements.

You will lead a small team, build prototypes for customer presentations, and ensure clear communication across executive leadership during critical moments.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in product management, solutions architecture, or forward deployment with enterprise accounts.
• Proven ability to turnaround accounts with damaged trust.
• Experience with enterprise deployments and navigating complex org structures.
• Technical understanding of APIs, data pipelines, and security without coding.
• Strong executive communication, delivering tough messages credibly.

Responsibilities

• Define technical success for enterprise accounts via charters and trust.
• Assess deployment feasibility, identify blockers, engage stakeholders.
• Commit to deliverables in writing; define what will be built.
• Manage relationships with senior executives as primary contact in critical situations.
• Clear technical gates to inform commercial decisions and outcomes.
• Lead a small team of engineers and set functional standards.
• Document engagements and ensure decisions are communicated.
• Build prototypes independently to present to customers.

Skills

Executive communication

Enterprise product mgmt

Turnaround accounts

APIs understanding

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Staff Product Manager, Forward Deployment to join the team of a leader in the Enterprise Technology space.

This role sits at the intersection of product strategy, technical problem-solving, and customer-facing execution for complex enterprise engagements. You will help define what success looks like in difficult deployments, establish trust with senior stakeholders, and shape the path forward when accounts are at risk. The position also requires strong cross-functional coordination with engineering and commercial teams to resolve blockers, clarify scope, and influence outcomes.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Compensation: $200,000 – $250,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Define technical success for challenging enterprise accounts by creating written charters and establishing trust
• Assess deployment feasibility, identify blockers, and engage the right stakeholders to resolve issues
• Commit to deliverables in writing and clearly define what will and will not be built
• Manage relationships with senior executives and serve as the primary point of contact during critical situations
• Clear technical gates to inform commercial decisions and influence deal outcomes without carrying a quota
• Lead a small team of engineers and set standards for the function based on your approach
• Document and close engagements, ensuring decisions are made and communicated effectively
• Build prototypes independently to present to customers before involving engineering

Qualifications

• 7+ years in product management, solutions architecture, or a forward-deployed role with enterprise accounts worth seven to eight figures
• Proven track record of turning around struggling accounts with damaged trust or prior failures
• Experience with enterprise deployments and navigating complex organizational structures
• Technical proficiency to understand APIs, data pipelines, and security requirements without needing to code
• Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to deliver difficult messages to leadership without losing credibility
• Experience in B2B2C environments, balancing the needs of enterprise buyers and end users
• Domain expertise in organizational transformation or talent intelligence is a plus

Benefits

• Access to coaching for you and a friend or family member
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible paid time off, including federal holidays and additional rest days
• 5 Volunteer Days to support community involvement
• Company-wide summer and winter breaks
• Year-round charitable contributions on your behalf
• 401(k) self-contribution options

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.