The posting
OPSWAT, a global leader in IT, OT, and ICS critical infrastructure cybersecurity, delivers an end-to-end platform that gives public and private sector organizations and enterprises the critical advantage needed to protect their complex networks, secure their devices, and ensure compliance. Over the last 20 years our commitment to innovative technology has earned the trust of more than 1,700 organizations, governments, and institutions globally, solidifying our role in protecting the world’s critical infrastructure and securing our way of life.
The Position
Join a pre-IPO, global cybersecurity leader at the forefront of innovation. We protect the unseen — the infrastructure that powers our way of life. OPSWAT protects the world’s critical infrastructure across IT, OT, and ICS environments, trusted by more than 2,000 organizations, governments, and institutions worldwide.
We are seeking a Vice President, Products to own OPSWAT’s diode business end to end. You will operate much like a general manager would — accountable for the full business — strategy, portfolio, hardware and software product management, partnerships, go-to-market, and commercial results. You lead the product management function for diodes as a player-coach, with product managers reporting to you, while personally owning every decision that moves the business forward.
The Product & Portfolio
OPSWAT’s diode portfolio — the MetaDefender Optical Diode and MetaDefender NetWall families, expanded through the acquisition of Fend — delivers hardware-enforced, one-way and controlled data transfer that protects OT, ICS, and segregated networks while keeping operational data flowing to where it is needed.
- Hardware-enforced data diodes: optical diodes across a range of form factors and performance tiers, from rack-mount to DIN-rail and compact industrial models, built for demanding operational environments.
- Unidirectional and bilateral security gateways: gateways that pair one-way enforcement with protocol handling and replication for OT systems, with connectivity spanning Ethernet, serial, and cellular for modern and legacy networks.
- The software layer: management, configuration, protocol connectors, monitoring, and integration with the broader MetaDefender platform — the experience customers live with every day.
- Certifications and assurance: the security, safety, and regulatory certifications that customers in critical infrastructure, government, and defense depend on.
Customers span energy and utilities, manufacturing, transportation, government, and defense — environments where reliability, assurance, and long product lifecycles matter as much as features.
About This Role
This is a hands-on, business-ownership role — not a pure strategy seat. You are the single owner of the diode business: you set its direction, run it with a general manager’s breadth and accountability, and are accountable for growth, margin, and customer success. At the same time, you lead the product management function as a player-coach, building and developing a team of product managers while staying in the details yourself.
You are equally at home in hardware and software product management. You work closely with hardware engineering and supply chain on everything from evaluating and validating hardware vendors and components to final selection, sourcing, and lifecycle — and with software engineering on the experience that runs on top. You build the partnerships and go-to-market motion that carry the entire business, grounded in a thorough understanding of the diode market, its customers, and the comparable vendors within it.
You will work alongside OPSWAT’s Diode CTO, who brings deep technical insight and strategic perspective and helps shape critical decisions, as you continue to drive OPSWAT’s success in this space. You bring an AI-first mindset, embracing AI-transformed product management processes across the team — from research and requirements to the user experience and the packaging experience.
What You Will Be Doing
- Own the business end to end: take end-to-end ownership of the diode business, with the breadth a general manager would bring — owning strategy, revenue, margin, forecasting, and investment decisions, and accountable for commercial outcomes across the portfolio.
- Set portfolio strategy and roadmap: define the vision and multi-year roadmap across hardware and software, balancing new products, platform evolution, and lifecycle management for long-lived installed bases.
- Lead hardware product management: own the hardware lifecycle — requirements, new product introduction, BOM cost and margin targets, certifications, product transitions, and end-of-life planning.
- Lead software product management: own the software experience — management, configuration, protocol connectors, monitoring, and integration with the MetaDefender platform — so the product is as easy to deploy and operate as it is secure.
- Manage hardware vendors with engineering and supply chain: partner with the hardware engineering and supply chain groups to evaluate, validate, qualify, and select hardware vendors, contract manufacturers, and key components — managing cost, quality, lead times, and supply risk.
- Build business and partnerships: develop OEM, technology, system-integrator, and channel partnerships that extend the portfolio’s reach, and identify business development opportunities that strengthen OPSWAT’s position.
- Own go-to-market: lead positioning, pricing, packaging, and launches; arm sales and channel teams with the story and the proof; and engage directly with key customers, partners, and field events.
- Know the market: maintain a rigorous, current view of the diode and cross-domain market — customer needs, buying criteria, competitive offerings, and the strengths and weaknesses of comparable vendors — and use it to guide portfolio decisions.
- Partner with the Diode CTO: work alongside the Diode CTO on technical direction, strategy, and critical decisions, combining business ownership with deep technical insight.
- Drive AI-transformed product management: embed AI across the team’s daily work to raise speed and quality, and apply it to how the team shapes the user experience and the packaging experience — from commercial packaging and licensing to the out-of-box and deployment experience.
- Lead the team as a player-coach: hire, develop, and lead the diode product managers while personally owning the most important work.
- Communicate with stakeholders: clearly articulate strategy, performance, and results to executive leadership, customers, and partners, fostering alignment and confidence.
What We Need From You
- End-to-end business management: extensive end-to-end business management experience — comparable in scope to running a business unit or a product line as a general manager — with accountability for revenue, margin, and strategy. 12+ years in product and business leadership is typical.
- Hardware and software product management: a well-rounded product management background spanning both hardware and software, including taking hardware products from requirements through manufacturing, certification, and lifecycle.
- Hardware vendor and supply chain experience: a strong track record working with hardware vendors and contract manufacturers — from validation to selection — alongside hardware engineering and supply chain teams.
- BD, partnership, and GTM leadership: demonstrated success building partnerships and leading go-to-market — pricing, packaging, channel, and launches — for a business you owned.
- Diode market knowledge: full knowledge of the data diode and cross-domain market space, including customers, competitive offerings, and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of comparable vendors.
- Player-coach leadership: experience leading product managers while staying hands-on and owning outcomes directly.
- AI-first ways of working: you fully embrace AI-transformed product management processes and apply AI to your own and your team’s daily work.
- Critical infrastructure customers: experience serving customers in OT/ICS, energy, utilities, manufacturing, government, or defense, and an understanding of their assurance and lifecycle expectations.
- Exceptional communicator: outstanding executive presence and communication skills, with credibility across engineering, sales, partners, and customers.
- Travel: willingness to travel regularly to customers, partners, hardware vendors, and R&D sites.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; MBA is a plus.
It Would Be Nice If You Had
- Certification experience: hands-on experience bringing products through security and industry certifications such as Common Criteria or IEC 62443.
- OT protocol depth: familiarity with industrial protocols and the systems diodes connect to, such as historians and SCADA.
- Government and defense: experience working with government and defense customers; eligibility for a security clearance is a plus.
- Integration experience: experience integrating an acquired product line or bringing hardware and software teams onto a common platform.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
- Run a complete business — hardware, software, and go-to-market — with real ownership at a pre-IPO, global cybersecurity leader.
- Work alongside a seasoned Diode CTO and dedicated hardware, software, and supply chain teams.
- Protect the networks that power energy, manufacturing, transportation, and national security.
- Shape how AI transforms product management in a hardware-and-software business.
- Attractive compensation with regular performance assessments and flexibility for the right candidate.
OPSWAT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing an environment where equal employment opportunities are extended to all employees and applicants, free of discrimination and harassment of any type. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications, job requirements, and business needs without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Recruiting Agencies: we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third party agencies for any of our open positions. To submit resumes for our jobs, there must be a recruiting contract approved by our legal team and endorsed by both parties. We are currently not accepting additional 3rd party agencies at this time.
