VP, Product Management, AI Data Security

About the role

Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work: At Proofpoint you'll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities Accountable for results and best in class outcomes Visionary in future focused problem-solving Exceptional in execution and impact We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We're driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work: At Proofpoint, you'll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity, guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate, Responsive to feedback, challenges, and opportunities, Accountable for results and best-in-class outcomes, Visionary in future-focused problem-solving, Exceptional in execution and impact. Reporting to SVP , Product Management, Data Security, this leader will own the product vision, strategy, and execution for our fastest-growing portfolio: AI Data Governance, Security & Identity Posture Mgmt, and Data Protection for AI. This leader will operate with a startup founder mentality - moving fast, learning fast, and driving differentiation in a rapidly evolving market. This is an entrepreneurial, build role, not a maintain role. Your day-to-day Product Strategy & Vision - Define and execute the product strategy for the AI Data Security portfolio ( AI Data Governance, Security & Identity Posture Mgmt, and Data Protection for AI ), driving market leadership in a category growing 22-41% CAGR - Own the roadmap, prioritization, and business outcomes for the Blue portfolio - Identify and pursue organic innovation and targeted M&A opportunities to accelerate growth and close competitive gaps - Establish Proofpoint as the leader in AI Data Security through differentiated capabilities and compelling market narrativeStartup Execution - Operate with urgency and a bias for action - this is an early-stage business within a scaled enterprise - Build rapid feedback loops with customers, field teams, and engineering to learn fast and iterate - Drive a culture of experimentation, innovation, and calculated risk-taking - Balance long-term vision with short-term wins that build momentum and credibility AI-Native Product Development - Embed AI/GenAI throughout the product experience - classification, remediation, user experience - Drive AI-powered differentiation that creates distance from competitors - Ensure products leverage modern cloud-native architectures for scale and reliability Go-to-Market Partnership - Partner closely with sales, marketing, and customer success to drive adoption, win rates, and retention - Develop compelling positioning and competitive differentiation against Cyera, Microsoft, Varonis, and emerging players - Build lighthouse customer relationships and secure public references Team Leadership - Attract and develop top talent - you're a magnet for A-players and you get hands dirty alongside your team - Build, develop, and inspire a high-performing product team - Establish clear accountability, rigorous execution, and a culture of ownership - Partner cross-functionally with engineering, design, and GTM leaders What you bring to the team - 10+ years of product management experience, with 5+ years leading product teams in cybersecurity or data security - Direct experience in AI Data Governance, Security & Identity Posture Mgmt, and Data Protection for AI , data classification, or closely adjacent domains - this is non-negotiable - Proven track record of building and scaling early-stage products or businesses within larger organizations - Deep understanding of the data security landscape: AI Data Governance, Security & Identity Posture Mgmt, and Data Protection for AI , DLP, cloud security, and/or compliance - AI/ML fluency - experience embedding AI into product experiences, not just using AI as a buzzword - Owner mentality - you build, you don't just manage. You get into the details when needed. - Startup mentality - comfortable with ambiguity, moves fast, learns fast, decisive - Strong technical acumen - can go deep with engineering on architecture and trade-offs - Excellent communication skills - can articulate vision to