We were recently engaged by a client to conduct a search for their first VP Product Management. Our client is a Canadian based, Series A funded, B2B SaaS vendor. They sell their platform to enterprise customers across multiple industries, globally.
Their ideal candidate would need to have experience pivoting a business from being engineering led to one that is product management led. It was also important that this person introduce processes and methodologies appropriate to the current state of the business while building the foundation to advance growth in a consistent repeatable manner.
Our client recognized the need for an executive who was comfortable working in a “start-up” environment – early stage of development, working in and through ambiguity, and willing to be hands-on.
We presented a range of candidates to our client:
The Tenured Titan: $180K base + 25% bonus + equity
- Functioning in a dual role as EVP Product and R&D Leader for a B2B SaaS vendor.
- Employed by this organization for 9 years with intent on a successful exit.
- 23 years experience working in a product capacity, long before product was ever a defined function in most organizations.
- Experience working with founder-led companies, managing large teams, and releasing world-class enterprise software to market.
- Obtained a Business degree.
The Growth Genius: $200K base + bonus + equity
- The CPO of a B2B enterprise SaaS company.
- Responsible for Product Management, Product Marketing, and Design.
- Joined as the first product leader and championed the product management function with a mandate to develop a roadmap to revenue growth; grew revenue x4 over 2 years.
- Experience working with founder-led companies and leading Presales, Sales and Operations for enterprise software companies.
- Obtained a STEM degree.
The Popular President: $250K base + 25% bonus + equity
- A high profile and popular VP Product working for a high profile SaaS startup.
- Over 12 years product management experience and 5 years leadership experience.
- During their tenure, they worked on a wide variety of both B2B and B2C products across many industries.
- Experience working with founder-led companies, growing and leading large teams of Product Managers, and working in close collaboration with Design and Engineering.
- Obtained a Business degree.
The Hire: base + bonus = $250k + significant equity
- Employed by a high-profile Toronto based software and services firm that provides applications to enterprise customers.
- Responsible for leading Product Management and Design and championed product management by pivoting to a model that enabled predictable growth through MRR.
- 15 years professional work experience and 6 years Product Management experience.
- Experience working in founder-led companies and leading Engineering teams as well.
- Obtained a Masters and STEM degree.
To attract the candidate they hired, our client offered a $200k base plus bonus and significant equity.
As you can see, compensation for these candidates varies significantly based on the length and scope of experience, as well as their ability to thrive in similar environments.
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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.
Is your organization hiring key sales talent that will drive your growth? Book a consultation with our friendly and knowledgeable team today—we live and breathe the tech talent ecosystem every day, and can help you understand the market for the talent you need.