We’re a global team of over 400 people, working together to push the boundaries of open-source technology and multi-cloud solutions. Our vision is to become the trusted Data & AI Platform for everyone, leveraging the most popular open-source technologies like Apache Kafka®, Aiven for PostgreSQL®, Aiven for Clickhouse®, and Aiven for OpenSearch®. to help companies accelerate time-to-market, drive efficiency, and build innovative solutions across any cloud.
The Role:
As Vice President of Databases, you will own the full lifecycle of our database offerings—from product strategy and marketing, to engineering execution and community advocacy. Reporting directly to the CPTO, you will lead and unify cross-functional teams with clear accountability for delivering innovation without compromising stability, accelerating customer adoption and revenue growth, and securing Aiven’s position as the category leader in open-source database services.
What You’ll Do:
- Define the vision and strategy: Shape the long-term direction of Aiven’s database portfolio, setting a 3-year roadmap that aligns innovation, customer needs, and company goals.
- Lead cross-functional execution: Oversee Product Management, Product Marketing, Product Advocacy, and Engineering, ensuring they operate as one cohesive organization with clear priorities.
- Drive customer adoption and revenue growth: Own key product metrics such as signup rate, time to value, conversion rate and ARR, identifying opportunities that strengthen customer value and portfolio profitability.
- Balance innovation with reliability: Make strategic trade-offs to deliver new capabilities while safeguarding the world-class stability and performance our customers expect.
- Shape the market presence: Represent Aiven externally in the open-source and database communities, acting as a thought leader through speaking engagements, publications, and strategic partnerships.
- Develop the organization and culture: Recruit, mentor, and scale high-performing teams, fostering a goal-driven, customer-centric culture of accountability and impact.
- Ensure financial discipline: Manage the portfolio’s financial performance—budgets, cost structures, and margins—ensuring efficient and sustainable growth.
What We’re Looking For:
- Proven track record of leading multiple products within a portfolio.
- Deep experience in product management leadership.
- Demonstrated success leading multi-disciplinary teams toward shared outcomes.
- Strong technical understanding of database systems and how they power modern application architectures.
- Ability to balance innovation and operational excellence in high-availability, mission-critical environments.
- Strong business acumen, with experience owning portfolio performance, driving adoption, and expanding revenue.
- Ability to leverage open source as a core business driver to boost adoption, trust, innovation, and sustainable growth.
- Excellent communicator—able to influence executives, inspire teams, and build trust with customers, partners, and the open source community.
Our Offer:
If you ask us what’s the best thing about working for Aiven, many will probably say it’s the high concentration of talent from around the world that we have here. Enjoy the agile environment of a hyperscale scale-up where you can truly make an impact and have fun while at it.
We invest in you:
- Participate in Aiven’s equity plan.
- With Aiven locations spanning the globe, we want all of our crabs to find the right balance with our hybrid work policy.
- Get the equipment you need to set yourself up for success.
- Step up your career game with real employer support (use one of our learning platforms, annual learning budget, and more).
- Get holistic wellbeing support through our global Employee Assistance Program.
Make a difference at Aiven:
- Contribute to open-source projects that you find meaningful outside of work - and get paid for it! Our Plankton program recognizes extra work to the open-source ecosystem for developers and non-developers alike.
- Use up to 5 days per year to volunteer for a good cause of your choice.
- Join one of our team member resource groups - empower yourself and others in missions that resonate with you.
What else:
Your wellbeing matters: we provide extensive Occupational Health Care, Dental Care, as well as sports, culture, massage and lunch benefits
- Love breakfast? So do we! Join us at our regular office breakfast.
- We also have you covered by statutory accident insurance.
Amazing! What’s next?
Once applying you should hear from our Talent Experience team within five days regarding the status of your application. If you are selected to move forward you can generally expect these stages with us:
- 60-minute call with one of our Talent Experience Partners
- 60-minute Domain Leadership interview with the hiring manager
- 60-minute People/Dept Leadership interview
- 60-minute Case Study/Panel interview
- 60-minute Crabby Principles interview
How to Recognize and Avoid Employment Scams:
There has been a rise in fake job postings used by scammers to get personal information. Please familiarise yourself with the red flags of a potential scam.
Here at Aiven, all of our emails relating to recruitment come from an @aiven.io, @greenhouse.io or @eu.greenhouse.io domain and all of our interviews are conducted over video call or in person, our interviews will never occur over text or chat. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a job opportunity/offer pertaining to Aiven, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at recruitment@aiven.io.
Equal Opportunities:
Aiven provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, marital and family status or without regard to any other similar personal attributes. Aiven complies with applicable local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, training and any other terms and conditions related to employment.
At Aiven we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in our working environment and job application procedures. We make all reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or who otherwise need support to thrive in the workplace. We are committed to continuously improving workplace accessibility. There is an option to request a discussion in the application process but if you have any questions before applying please write to us at recruitment@aiven.io.
