Senior Vice President, Product Engineering

About Eleven Recruiting

We are a specialized technology staffing agency supporting professional and financial services companies. Why do we stand out in technology staffing? We listen and act as advisors for our candidates on how they can best add value, find interesting projects, and pave a path for career advancement. We advocate for best pay, diversity in tech, and best job-fit for every candidate we place.

Our client, an investment firm, is seeking a Senior Vice President of Product Engineering to join their team in Los Angeles, CA!

Responsibilities

• Lead the transition from project-based delivery to product-centric engineering, embedding agile delivery, DevSecOps, modern SDLC practices, and data-driven decisioning.
• Define the next-generation product architecture and execute the firm’s engineering strategy, emphasizing AI-first, modular architecture, APIs, data interoperability, and cloud-native design.
• Build and scale an AI-augmented engineering ecosystem, leveraging generative AI and intelligent automation to accelerate development, testing, and documentation.
• Design a high-performance operating model where engineering, design, and AI converge to deliver measurable business impact.
• Partner with the Data Science and Platform teams to develop internal AI tooling, including developer copilots, code intelligence platforms, and ML-enabled observability.
• Step into product leadership when needed to shape product strategy, roadmap definition, and stakeholder alignment.
• Act as an executive sponsor for major product initiatives, driving both the technical and strategic dimensions of delivery.
• Translate complex business goals into actionable product requirements and engineering plans.
• Lead product-market fit assessments for new internal platforms or digital capabilities.
• Drive the cultural and structural shift toward a “product engineering mindset” empowering teams with ownership, accountability, and measurable business impact.
• Establish engineering excellence standards (quality, observability, CI/CD, SRE practices, security-first design).
• Mentor and elevate engineering leaders; attract and retain top talent across disciplines and geographies.
• Reimagine talent engagement: AI-driven upskilling pathways, hack weeks, internal showcases, and recognition programs.
• Build a culture of experimentation and curiosity, supported by structured feedback loops and transparent metrics.
• Ensure reliable, secure, and timely delivery of technology initiatives across all asset classes and business units.
• Implement governance and metrics frameworks balancing innovation velocity with operational control.
• Collaborate closely with business sponsors to translate strategic priorities into technical roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related technical field — or equivalent professional experience.
• 15 years in software engineering, with at least 8 years in senior leadership roles (e.g., VP, SVP, Head of Engineering).
• Proven experience leading enterprise-scale product engineering organizations through transformation or modernization.
• Financial services or fintech background are strongly preferred; experience in investment management, alternative assets, or data-intensive platforms is a plus.
• Track record of engineering operating model design, org structure optimization, and measurable productivity gains.
• Strategic thinker with ability to translate technology direction into clear execution plans.
• Excellent communicator and change agent who can influence C-suite and technical teams alike.
• High EQ and people-first leader who fosters a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Deep understanding of modern software architectures (microservices, APIs, cloud-native, event-driven systems).
• Experience with enterprise data platforms, AI/ML integration, and automation frameworks.
• Familiarity with DevOps, cloud (Azure preferred), and modern front/back-end ecosystems (.NET, Python, React, etc.).
• Ongoing learning or certification in modern software engineering, product leadership, or digital transformation desirable.

Success Measures

• Time-to-market reduction and improved product delivery velocity.
• Increased platform reuse and API adoption across business lines.
• Engineering engagement and retention metrics.
• Measurable business impact from AI and automation adoption.
• Improved system reliability, observability, and security posture.

Salary: $225,000 - $250,000