Chief Product & Technology Officer
Job Description
<div class="content-intro"><p>Banyan Software is the best permanent home for software businesses that serve specialized industries, their employees, and their customers. With a buy-grow-and-hold-for-life approach and a permanent capital base, Banyan acquires and grows companies worldwide, honoring founder legacies and helping portfolio companies modernize through shared AI expertise and operational discipline. Founded in 2016, Banyan operates more than 120 portfolio companies across North and South America, Europe, and APAC, and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. The Banyan Software Foundation, endowed with $100 million in Banyan stock, leverages technology to build a greener and more equitable world.</p></div><p> </p> <h2 class="mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" data-sourcepos="9:1-9:23;862-884">About ZAP Solutions</h2> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal" data-sourcepos="11:1-11:612;886-1497">ZAP Solutions is the market leader in admissions and enrollment management software for medical, health professions, graduate, and undergraduate programs. Our flagship AMP platform, along with our CRM, SAMS, and Schedule Today modules, is trusted by more than 175 higher education programs across the US, Canada, and Australia to run applicant recruitment, review, interview scheduling, and matriculation. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, ZAP was acquired by Banyan Software and is entering a new phase focused on platform modernization, AI-enabled workflows, and expansion of its customer base.</p> <h2 class="mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" data-sourcepos="13:1-13:19;1499-1517">The Opportunity</h2> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal" data-sourcepos="15:1-15:658;1519-2176">ZAP is at an inflection point. The company has built a durable market position on the strength of deep client relationships and customization, but that model now needs to evolve into a modern, scalable SaaS platform capable of doubling the customer base without doubling the codebase. The engineering organization has operated without a formal leadership layer for years, and there is no formal product management function. The incoming CPTO will unify product direction and technology execution under a single accountable seat, bring structure and product management maturity to a team of experienced developers, and establish an AI-first operating rhythm.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal" data-sourcepos="17:1-17:368;2178-2545">You will join ZAP Solutions directly as a core member of the leadership team, reporting to the CEO. You will set product direction, own the technical foundation, shape culture, and drive transformation with your own hands on the work. The platform has to be reliable, the data has to be an asset, and the opportunity to create competitive distance through AI is real.</p> <h2 class="mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" data-sourcepos="19:1-19:21;2547-2567">What You Will Own</h2> <h3 class="mt-2 -mb-1 text-base font-bold" data-sourcepos="21:1-21:37;2569-2605">Product Direction and Discipline</h3> <ul class="[li_&]:mb-0 [li_&]:mt-1 [li_&]:gap-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3 print:block print:space-y-1" data-sourcepos="23:1-27:86;2607-3307"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="23:1-23:155;2607-2761">Own product direction as the synthesis of customer signals, usage data, and market insights, moving the roadmap from customer-reactive to market-facing.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="24:1-24:179;2762-2940">Run product discovery personally: focus groups, customer advisory c