Remote Product Operations Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

NorthStar, a division of Harris; is seeking a Director of Product who will lead the Product organization within R&D.

You will report to the VP of R&D and lead a team of five spanning Product Managers, Product Owners, and Subject Matter Experts across our full product portfolio (CIS7, Customer portal, Mobile workforce management system, and adjacent products).

We have strong people and a demanding portfolio, but not yet a mature Product operating system. Intake, discovery, prioritization, roadmap communication, and outcome measurement happen, but inconsistently. We need a leader who can install that system while raising the bar on the product judgment behind every decision it produces.

You will be measured on two things: the quality of product decisions coming out of the organization, and the predictability with which we deliver on them.

This remote role welcomes candidates anywhere in Canada and the US. Travel is required as needed, approximately 20%. Candidates must hold a current, valid passport and be legally eligible to travel internationally. This includes either passport based visa exemption or possession of any required travel visas for entry into Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. Expect travel to Ottawa roughly once a month, plus periodic travel to customer sites and industry conferences. Preference will be given to candidates who can work in EST timezone.

Salary:

110K - 150K CAD

78K - 107K USD

AI & Innovation Mindset

We are committed to leveraging emerging technologies to improve how we work, serve our customers, and drive business outcomes. The successful candidate will demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to actively adopt and leverage AI tools to improve workflows, solve problems, and increase efficiency. Candidates should be comfortable using AI enabled technologies, including copilots, chat based AI assistants, and automation tools, as part of their everyday work while maintaining appropriate judgment, security, and compliance standards.

What your impact will be:

Product judgment and outcomes

• Lead customer discovery, validate problems before we commit engineering, define success metrics up front, and measure realized value after release.
• Set the standard for what a well-reasoned product decision looks like at NorthStar.

The Product operating model

• Design and implement the intake, discovery, prioritization, roadmap, and governance processes the team runs on.
• Make them repeatable enough that good decisions happen consistently, and light enough that they do not slow us down.

The team

• Coach five product professionals into strategic product leaders.
• Establish clear roles and accountability.
• Build a culture of ownership, curiosity, and customer focus.

Cross-functional trust

• Partner with Engineering, Professional Services, Sales, Support, and executive leadership.
• Improve forecast accuracy, communicate roadmap decisions clearly, and make Product a source of clarity rather than friction.

Why This Role

• You will build the Product function at a company investing seriously in AI and platform modernization, serving customers whose work matters. The mandate is broad, the portfolio is real, and the executive team wants this function to succeed.

What we are looking for:

• 10+ years in Product Management, including 5+ leading Product teams.
• A track record of shipping products customers actually value, not just running the process around them.
• Experience building or maturing a Product operating model in a scaling organization.
• Strong product instincts: you can tell a good bet from a bad one and explain why.
• Executive communication and the ability to influence without authority.
• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

What would make you stand out:

• Enterprise B2B SaaS.
• Experience introducing modern product practices into an established organization.
• Fluency with AI-enabled product development.
• Direct experience in the utilities industry. Familiarity with utility operations, regulatory context, and the vendors and customers in this space will let you move faster and earn credibility sooner.

What we can offer:

• 3 weeks' vacation and 5 personal days
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits starting from your first day of employment
• Employee stock ownership and RRSP/401k matching programs
• Lifestyle rewards
• Remote work and more!

About NorthStar:

NorthStar Utilities Solutions is a unique company that has served the utility community in North America and the Caribbean for more than 50 years. Our team members have enabled us to have continuous growth and innovation. We pride ourselves on delivering impressive customer service and standing apart as an industry leader. We are looking for people who are avid problem solvers, crave challenges, embrace technology and grasp complex ideas.

Click here to learn more about NorthStar Utilities Solutions.

About Harris:

Harris is a leading provider of mission critical software to the public sector in North America. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc. ("CSI", symbol CSU on the TSX), Harris has become the cornerstone for CSI's investment in utility, local government, school districts, public safety, and healthcare software verticals. Our success has been realized through investments in our proprietary software and market expertise. This focus, combined with acquiring businesses that build upon or complement our offerings, has helped drive our success. Harris will continue to growth through reinvestment - both in the people and products that we offer and making investments in acquiring new businesses.

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