Director, Product Management; Agentic AI

Appian Overview

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

As the Director, Product Management (Agentic AI), you will lead one of our most innovative and strategic groups. You will take the helm of our agentic AI mission, shaping the future roadmap and ensuring Appian is a leader in this exciting and fast-moving market. This is a strategic role that requires a deep understanding of AI technologies, the business process automation market, and Appian’s competitive positioning.

This role is based at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster collaboration and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork.

• Portfolio Management:
  Take overall accountability for the product strategy and roadmap for the Agentic AI portfolio, including the evolution of Agent Studio and the ideation of future agent-based offerings.
• Define the Group’s Vision:
  Create a clear, customer‑centric vision and "north star" for the Agentic AI Group, aligning it with Appian’s broader product strategy.
• Team Leadership & Management:
  Lead the Agentic AI group in partnership with peers from Engineering and Quality, fostering a culture of learning, innovation, and growth; manage and mentor a team of product managers.
• Strategic Planning:
  Drive the strategic direction of the Agentic AI portfolio, prioritizing investments and creating plans that deliver high‑value, impactful software.
• Customer & Stakeholder
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with customers, engineering teams, and key business stakeholders on the definition, refinement, and business value of new features and capabilities.
• Product Development Lifecycle:
  Oversee the entire product lifecycle from ideation to release, guiding product managers in backlog development, feature specifications, and adoption tracking.
• Market Analysis:
  Keep pace with the rapidly evolving agentic AI landscape, conduct market analysis to identify new opportunities for investment.
• Internal AI Evangelism:
  Champion the use of AI for personal and team productivity, improving processes for the product team and internal partners.

• Have a deep understanding of AI technologies, particularly agentic AI, LLMs, and the broader generative AI market.
• Be genuinely interested in how technology can solve real‑world business problems.
• Be passionate about understanding buyer and user needs and ensuring the product meets them.
• Coordinate continuous planning for multiple teams.
• Have a genuine desire to guide and empower others.
• Define how features will work through close collaboration with engineers in design sessions, mockups, UX review, and usability testing.
• Have a broad understanding of enterprise software architecture and best practices.
• Enjoy thinking big picture while also engaging in the details of execution.
• Be skilled in fostering alignment and teamwork, embracing candid communication and constructive dissent.
• Be ambitious and motivated to deliver impactful results.
• Have a natural curiosity and interest in continuous learning, particularly in evolving AI technologies and their application within large enterprises.

• 10+ years as a Product Manager, and at least 5 years of experience as a manager.
• Prior experience delivering and operating AI features in production.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Strong technical foundation and the ability to engage deeply with engineering and design teams.

• Training and Development:
  Onboarding focuses on equipping new hires with skills for success through department‑specific training; continuous learning is central, with the First‑Friend program widely utilized.
• Growth Opportunities:
  Appian…