Chief Product Officer

Opportunity Overview

The Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO) is responsible for the company’s overall product management, software development and technology initiatives. A new role at GeoComm, this opportunity is a good fit for an experienced and visionary leader with experience in cloud-based platforms and software as a service (SaaS) technologies. The individual in this role will recognize and embrace the company’s entrepreneurial environment and be attracted to GeoComm’s people, solutions, and potential for accelerated growth.

Acquired in 2013 by Granite Partners, GeoComm is a Granite Company and shares the Granite objective of 100-year sustainability. This is a fantastic opportunity for a leader who appreciates the benefits and support provided to the Granite Companies. The CPTO will collaborate with other leaders in the Granite community and serve as a member of the Innovation Affinity.

The Position

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO) will lead overall product management, software development, and technology initiatives. This will include coordinating cross-functional initiatives and collaborating with executives throughout GeoComm. The functions include:

• Product Management
• Cloud Platform Development
• Software Engineering
• IT & Cybersecurity

The goal is to lead the development and delivery of our software-based solutions to ensure we can achieve GeoComm’s long-term operational and strategic objectives. Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and execute a cohesive and comprehensive product strategy, roadmap, and vision for the cloud-based platform and GIS data management SaaS solutions, in alignment with the company's overall goals and market requirements.
• Lead the overall product management team in defining product requirements, prioritizing features, and delivering innovative solutions that leverage GIS data.
• Manage the product development lifecycle, from ideation and design to development, testing, and release.
• Drive technology innovation by staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in cloud computing, GIS, and particularly AI.
• Oversee the technology team in architecting, building, innovating, and scaling our cloud SaaS platform and GIS data infrastructure to meet performance, security, reliability and scalability requirements.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the product and technology teams.
• Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure product and technology performance and drive data-driven decision-making.
• Develop and manage overall product and technology budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation and cost-effective solutions.
• Stay informed about regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and best practices related to GIS data management and cloud SaaS solutions.

In addition to these key responsibilities, the CPTO would also have the responsibilities outlined below:

• Work closely with the President and CEO to link vision, strategy, external relations, growth goals, and acquisitions to product management and technology.
• Collaborate closely with other GeoComm executives across operations, sales, and marketing, to link product development and technology activities tightly to these upstream and downstream functions.
• Partner with the CFO on equity value planning, analysis, and creation for the company.
• Participate in executive team meetings and utilize the “EOS Traction” process, meetings, and execution system for the company.
• Participate in quarterly Board of Directors meetings.

Candidate Profile

The CPTO must be a proven, highly effective leader with well-honed business skills and experience driving product management and technology in a high-growth cloud-based SaaS environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive leadership experience and a strong technical background with a broad-based understanding of cloud architectures and cloud platform development, Software Engineering, Product Management, and IT & Cybersecurity. Experience in the public safety and security industries or with GIS technologies are a definite advantage, though not a requirement.

Qualified candidates will possess a broad business background with an understanding of product development, market conditions, software engineering, and technology infrastructure and operations that affect competitiveness when dealing with software and cloud-based products. The successful candidate must be technically oriented and inclined to maximize his/her contribution to the company. An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Geography/GIS, or a related field is expected; an advanced degree is desired.

This key position requires 10 years of business leadership with a demonstrated track record of success in positions of increasing managerial responsibility, including proven results in driving strategic and organizational decisions that create value and enhance the overall success of a business. Exceptional leadership skills are essential, characterized by a drive to succeed through staff development and talent recruitment.

Additionally, this individual must have the capacity to collaborate with other leaders within GeoComm and the Granite community, taking advantage of resources throughout the organization and becoming an integral part of the overall team.

Additional qualifications include:

• Strong understanding of cloud technologies, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), content as a service, (CaaS), and software as a service (SaaS) models.
• Knowledge of geospatial data, systems, analysis, and visualization tools and platforms.
• Passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems and drive customer success.
• Demonstrated success translating comprehensive and strategic goals into actional items.
• Experience leading and managing high-performing teams in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, evolving industry and drive innovation and change.
• Strong business acumen and judgment; the ability to think strategically, identify areas of opportunity and make bottom line-oriented decisions to improve results.
• Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to translate operating and strategic concepts into clear and concise language, for implementation at all levels.

The ideal candidate will have a balanced management approach and be capable of leading change and driving an already successful company to its highest potential.

Location

The CPTO would ideally reside in Minnesota, in either the greater Twin Cities region or in the St. Cloud region. The St. Cloud area is home to many of the company’s employees. However, remote, out-of-state candidates with an ability to travel periodically to Minnesota are encouraged to apply.