VP – Products & Technolog

About Optimized Solutions

Optimized Solutions is part of Optimized Group, an Indian sovereign deep-tech enterprise with over two decades of expertise in developing mission-critical technologies across Defence, Space, Aerospace, Strategic Electronics, Industrial Automation, and Critical Infrastructure.

The Group combines indigenous research and development, advanced engineering, product innovation, and technology integration to deliver solutions for complex operational environments. Through its business units, including Strategic Electronics Division (SED) and Advanced Systems and Test Equipment (ASTE), Optimized Group focuses on building high-performance, reliable, and scalable technology solutions for strategic and industrial applications.

About the Role

The Head – Product Strategy & Technology will be responsible for defining and executing the long-term product vision, technology roadmap, and product business strategy for the Division. The role will drive end-to-end product development, technological innovation, engineering excellence, and commercial growth while building a sustainable portfolio of differentiated products and reusable intellectual property.

The incumbent will work closely with business leadership, engineering teams, R&D, Sales, and Marketing to identify emerging market opportunities, strengthen product capabilities, and deliver commercially viable solutions aligned with the Group’s strategic objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy and Vision

• Develop and own the multi-year product strategy and technology roadmap for the Division.
• Identify and evaluate market opportunities across Defence, Aerospace, Space, Industrial Automation, and AI-driven solutions.
• Prioritize product investments based on market demand, profitability, competitive positioning, and strategic alignment.
• Build and maintain a balanced product portfolio with clearly defined value propositions, market positioning, and competitive differentiation.
• Translate business objectives and customer requirements into actionable product strategies and development priorities.

2. Product Development and Innovation

• Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from concept development and design to prototyping, validation, and commercial launch.
• Establish engineering best practices, design governance frameworks, and stage-gate review processes to ensure disciplined product development.
• Drive the development of modular, scalable, and reusable product architectures, platforms, and intellectual property.
• Identify opportunities to integrate AI-enabled capabilities and emerging technologies where they deliver measurable customer and commercial value.
• Ensure products meet defined performance, reliability, quality, safety, and applicable regulatory requirements.

3. Technology Leadership and Governance

• Define technology architectures, engineering standards, and technical governance frameworks for the product portfolio.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and drive technology adoption, transfer of technology (ToT), and strategic partnerships with vendors, research institutions, and startups.
• Develop reusable IP, technology platforms, and engineering capabilities that can be leveraged across the Strategic Electronics Division (SED) and Advanced Systems and Test Equipment (ASTE) business units.
• Oversee product cybersecurity, technology risk management, and compliance with applicable technical and security standards.
• Drive continuous technological advancement while balancing innovation, product maturity, development costs, and long-term maintainability.

4. Commercial Product Ownership

• Own the product business P&L, with accountability for revenue growth, margins, and overall portfolio profitability.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing teams to define go-to-market strategies, pricing models, product positioning, and commercial packaging.
• Identify opportunities for product expansion, new revenue streams, and market penetration.
• Support strategic bids, key customer engagements, and business development initiatives requiring in-depth product and technology expertise.
• Monitor product performance, customer feedback, market trends, and competitive developments to inform portfolio decisions.5. Engineering Team and Talent Development
• Build, lead, and scale the product engineering and R&D teams in alignment with business and technology priorities.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain high-performing technical talent across product development, systems engineering, and emerging technology domains.
• Establish clear performance expectations, technical competency frameworks, and succession plans for critical technology leadership roles.
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration between engineering, R&D, manufacturing, quality, and commercial teams.

6. Operational Excellence and Performance Management

• Establish product engineering KPIs, performance dashboards, and structured governance reviews to monitor progress and outcomes.
• Ensure product development milestones, releases, and technology programmes are delivered on schedule and within approved budgets.
• Drive effective resource allocation, development cost management, risk mitigation, and engineering productivity.
• Implement continuous improvement practices across product development, design quality, validation, and release management.
• Track product lifecycle performance and ensure alignment between engineering execution, business objectives, and customer expectations.

Key Success Measures

• Execution of the multi-year product and technology roadmap.
• Product portfolio growth, revenue generation, gross margins, and profitability.
• Successful and timely product development, validation, and launch.
• Development and reuse of proprietary IP, platforms, and scalable product architectures.
• Product quality, reliability, customer satisfaction, and compliance.
• Engineering team capability, productivity, and talent retention.
• Achievement of approved budgets, development milestones, and operational KPIs.

Desired Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a strategic technology leader with strong experience in product strategy, engineering leadership, R&D, and commercial product ownership. The candidate should demonstrate the ability to translate emerging technologies and market opportunities into scalable products, build high-performing engineering teams, and deliver sustainable business growth.

Experience in Defence, Aerospace, Space, Strategic Electronics, Industrial Automation, or other complex technology-driven industries would be highly relevant.