Find the leaders who build what's next
Open roles, search firms and hiring signals for Chief Product Officers, VPs of Engineering and product leaders.
Where product and engineering leaders move next
Live roles with pay, plus the shifts reshaping who runs product and engineering. Data from the 2026 CPO Insights Report, TrueUp and company postings.
See the trends →4 roles, 4 different searches
Pick a role to see what's changing, what it pays and what to screen for.
The CPO now owns strategy and money
CPOs spend far more time on strategy and innovation, and far less on stakeholder management and roadmaps.
- 74% of CPO time goes to strategy, up from 69% in 2025.
- Innovation time rose from 21% to 31%. Stakeholder management fell from 28% to 10%.
- Over half of CPOs hold P&L, and 1 in 3 owns the AI M&A budget.
- Screen for: commercial results, AI investment calls, a team that ships fast.
of CPOs name speed to market as their #1 internal challenge, up from 14%.
base plus incentive in a live remote CPO posting.
1 leader for product and technology
The combined Chief Product and Technology Officer fits some companies far better than others.
- Fits highly technical products, such as AI software or hardware.
- Fits fast-growing and PE-backed companies that want 1 accountable leader.
- Fits CEOs without a product or engineering background.
- Risks: burnout from the scope, and few candidates with both skill sets.
rise in CPTO search demand from late 2023 to H1 2024, mostly at PE-backed companies.
CPTO base, plus a 30% to 50% bonus and equity.
VPs of Engineering are back on the tools
Flatter orgs and AI coding tools change what the role asks for.
- 37% of engineering leaders do more hands-on technical work than a year ago.
- 1 in 3 managers is considering a move back to an individual contributor role.
- 45% work more hours, and 41% say their team is less motivated.
- Screen for: AI tooling rollout, org design, hiring through a tight junior market.
Source: LeadDev Engineering Leadership Report 2026, 600 leaders
base range across the VP Engineering postings we checked that list pay.
of engineering leaders say AI will make it harder for junior developers to enter the field.
VP of Product: more openings, new skills
PM hiring is up, and AI product roles skew senior.
- Over 7,300 open PM roles at tech companies, the most since 2022.
- 23% of open PM roles sit in the Bay Area.
- 93% of 12,397 US AI product postings ask for senior level or above.
- Screen for: AI use-case selection, prototyping speed, commercial judgment.
Sources: TrueUp via Lenny's Newsletter, Mar 2026; Axial Search, 2026
base range across the VP Product postings we checked that list pay.
open PM roles for every open design role.
Hiring now
Checked by hand on November 3, 2026.
Vice President, Engineering
$347K to $435KView role → AAffirmConsumer fintechVice President, Product Management
$370K to $415KView role → GGrünsConsumer nutritionChief Product Officer
$350K + incentiveView role → CCambiumAI for the wood economyVP of Engineering
$250K to $320K + bonusView role →Latest articles
How to hire, and what the role looks like now.
Product builders are replacing PMs: what it means for your next CPO
Product builder roles grew 10x in a year while traditional PM roles fell 30%. The CPO you hire needs to lead that shift.
6 min read · Nov 3, 2026
CPO, VP of Product or CPTO: how to pick the right seat
3 product leadership seats, 3 different candidate pools. A side-by-side guide and a 5-question decision check.
6 min read · Nov 3, 2026
VPs of Engineering are back on the tools
37% of engineering leaders do more hands-on work than a year ago. What that changes in how you hire one.
5 min read · Nov 3, 2026Questions, answered
What is the difference between a CPO and a VP of Product?
A Chief Product Officer sits on the executive team and owns product strategy, often with P&L: over half of CPOs hold P&L responsibility. A VP of Product usually runs the product management team and roadmap, reporting to a CPO, CEO or CTO. (CPO Insights Report 2026)
When should a company hire a CPTO?
When the product is highly technical, when a fast-growing or PE-backed company needs 1 accountable leader, or when the CEO has no product or engineering background. Expect a small candidate pool. Read the CPTO trend.
How much do VPs of Engineering earn?
Among the VP of Engineering roles we checked in November 2026 that list pay, base salaries ran from $250K to $435K, plus bonus and equity. See the roles.
Are product manager jobs disappearing?
The signals point both ways. Open PM roles at tech companies passed 7,300 in March 2026, the most since 2022. The 2026 CPO Insights Report found traditional PM roles down 30%, while product builder roles grew 10 times. The title is changing faster than the demand.
Hiring a product or engineering leader?
Tell us the role, stage and timeline. We'll point you to the search firms that fit.