We were recently engaged by a client to conduct a search for a Head of Product. Our client is a Canadian consumer electronics company. At the time of our engagement, they employed approximately 200 full time employees.

We conducted a targeted international search on their behalf, seeking out world-class product leaders who had launched a successful consumer product on an international scale. They were looking for a candidate with a technical background, and demonstrated leadership ability. The role required cross-functional leadership, so the ability to influence and drive consensus was essential. 

After an extensive international search, we presented a shortlist of three exceptional candidates:

The Product Prodigy: Base salary of $230K USD, with an expat accommodation allowance of $120K USD per year.

• Running product for one of the world’s most successful consumer electronics brands.
• Worked at a GM level in a completely matrixed environment — owned product strategy and vision, and influenced all departments in the business to execute the successful launch of products at a global level.
• Launched a product which sold over 1 million units through a single channel, becoming the most sold electronic device in it’s category.

The Consumer Champion: Base salary of $270K USD, with a bonus and RSUs, expected T4 of $1MM USD.

• Senior manager at a globally recognized technology brand, with a mandate to apply Design Thinking in their approach to drive innovation through customer empathy.
• Successfully launched a consumer experience on a device.
• As the owner of the product roadmap, responsible for breaking it down and getting it done, they operated as a 3rd level manager — directly leading 20 managers, who led a group of 55 employees.

The Hire: Base salary of $155 USD, with a bonus component that brought on-target earnings to approximately $225K USD.

• Successful VP of a major line of business for an international consumer brand, responsible for launching a line of products — from ideation to the go-to-market strategy.
• Grew the product line to include over 300 SKUs, and grew the team from 1 to 12 direct reports.
• Enjoyed a successful 10 year career at their current company, working up from a line product manager to the VP of Product Management, UX Research and Data Science.

Our client offered an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to be responsible for building a new category of consumer product. In our work placing product managers, we’ve seen that top candidates are often motivated by the opportunity to build, to add new tools and skills to their experience, and to make an impact on the product landscape by launching a net new product in market.

Are you getting ready to hire a Product Manager? We've created a free checklist to help you refine your requirements, plan the interview process, and get aligned on competitive compensation. 

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For organizations and job seekers alike, it can be challenging to understand what a particular position should pay. Often, it’s a calculation between salary surveys that lack all context, what a person has earned in the past, and ad hoc conversations with others in the field.

We’re sharing market insights into current compensation packages for key roles in the tech industry. Our recruiters conduct targeted searches on behalf of our clients, seeking out candidates who fit the requirements of the role, and diligently qualifying them to present only the very best talent. These posts are meant to highlight the contextual elements that make up compensation, and to help our clients and candidates better understand the current market forces that affect earning potential.