What we believe

In the past few years, private equity investors have invested more than a trillion dollars in software and tech-enabled companies. And in many cases, the underlying tech is the greatest enabler to the business strategy. But has the approach to govern technology value creation caught up to the magnitude of the risk?

We believe a better way is possible – a more programmatic, proactive approach to actively manage technology throughout the investment lifecycle – and that’s what we do.

Our role

We know that technology can create truly transformative change, and its role in business is only growing. Crosslake is here to support the changemakers and help them buy, build and run better technology.

What we value

You could be a good fit for Crosslake if you see yourself reflected in our guiding values:

Service. We effect change by empowering others.
Curiosity. We believe great advice starts with deep understanding.
Credibility. Our expertise is earned and proven.
Commitment. It’s our privilege to serve clients in their critical moments.
Creativity. We are inspired by the constant pursuit of better.

The Opportunity

This is a role for a senior product leader who wants to apply deep expertise at the intersection of product strategy, AI, product commercial success and private equity ownership.

As a Product Management Lead Consultant, you will bring your product expertise to bear on the most consequential questions facing investors today: Is this product defensible? Is the AI strategy credible? Can this team execute? Where is the real growth opportunity?

You will work directly with investment teams helping them understand investment risks, and what it will take to realize the upside. Engagements move quickly, the companies are diverse, and the work demands both analytical precision and strategic judgment.

What You'll Do

Lead and contribute to product assessments for investment firms and portfolio companies across the full investment lifecycle. From pre-close diligence through post-close value creation and exit preparation.
Evaluate the strength, credibility, and competitive defensibility of a target company's product strategy, roadmap, and go-to-market approach.
Assess how AI and machine learning are embedded in a company's product distinguishing genuine capability from surface-level positioning, and articulate the implications for competitive advantage, risk, and value creation.
Analyze product-market fit, customer segmentation, expansion opportunity, and the assumptions underlying growth projections.
Review product team structure, delivery capability, execution track record, and organizational readiness for growth.
Conduct primary research including executive interviews, customer discovery conversations, and expert network engagements.
Synthesize findings from documentation, market research, and interviews into structured, investment-grade deliverables.
Communicate complex product and market dynamics clearly and concisely to deal teams, investment committees, and company leadership.
Advise portfolio company product leaders on strategy, prioritization, and capability development post-close.

A Note on AI Expertise

AI is no longer a feature, it is rapidly becoming the central axis of competitive advantage and disruption risk in B2B software. We are specifically looking for practitioners who have shipped AI-powered products or built AI strategy at the product leadership level, and who can evaluate the credibility, maturity, and risk surface of another company's AI approach with firsthand authority. The ability to distinguish genuine AI differentiation from vendor-dependency or marketing narrative is a core skill for this role.

Who Thrives Here

This role is not for everyone and that's intentional. The practitioners who do their best work here tend to share a few things in common:

They've operated at a level where they were responsible for outcomes, not just recommendations, and that accountability shows in how they think and communicate.
They are genuinely curious about businesses they've never seen before, and energized by the challenge of forming a credible view quickly.
They can hold strategic and operational thinking simultaneously understanding both the "what" and the "how hard".
They've wrestled with AI in product contexts firsthand, and can bring that lived experience to bear on someone else's AI strategy with real authority.
They communicate with precision and confidence, and they know the difference between a finding and an opinion.

Required Qualifications

15+ years of product management experience, with significant time in senior or executive leadership roles (Director, VP, CPO, or equivalent) at B2B software or SaaS companies.
Demonstrated track record shipping products at scale, including ownership of product strategy, roadmap prioritization, and cross-functional delivery in agile environments.
Hands-on experience building or leading AI/ML-powered products — not just roadmap familiarity, but direct involvement in defining AI product strategy, making build/partner/buy decisions, managing model risk, and navigating the user trust and experience challenges unique to AI.
Ability to critically evaluate a company's AI strategy from the outside. Assessing data assets, model dependencies, technical differentiation, competitive vulnerability, and the realism of AI-driven roadmap assumptions.
Strong analytical capability: fluency using market research, customer data, and competitive intelligence to form defensible, evidence-based conclusions.
Exceptional written and verbal communication; able to translate product and technology complexity into concise narratives for non-technical executive audiences.
Broad experience across enterprise software, B2B SaaS, and the full SDLC from discovery through delivery and growth.
Comfort working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and high accountability for output quality.

Preferred Qualifications

Prior experience in management consulting, investment due diligence, or advisory roles serving PE-backed companies.
Familiarity with private equity investment models, deal processes, and value creation frameworks.
Experience at or advising PE-backed software companies through periods of rapid growth, operational improvement, or M&A.
Vertical domain depth in one or more relevant markets (FinTech, HealthTech, GovTech, LegalTech, MarTech, HR Tech, etc.).
Experience building or scaling product organizations, not just leading individual product lines.
Exposure to sell-side advisory, exit preparation, or investor-facing product storytelling.