Freelance Senior Product Manager

AKQA•Washington, DC

2d•Remote

About The Position

At AKQA, we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital products and services that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients. Product Managers at AKQA provide cross-functional leadership to ensure delivered work meets the needs of the client and their customers. This involves not only consuming information and direction but looking beyond and demonstrating thought leadership and critical analysis to guide teams towards creating the best possible solution. They embody an entrepreneurial spirit, delivering impactful results in dynamic environments. We are currently seeking experienced and highly skilled Freelance Product Managers for a couple of exciting remote opportunities. You will have the chance to apply your expertise to innovative digital products and services for nationally recognized brands with whom we have longstanding relationships. In these roles, you will provide critical product leadership, working to identify and clarify requirements, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and ensure product vision is carried through to exceptional customer experiences.

Requirements

5+ years of experience, preferably within a consulting or agency environment, implementing innovative, interactive, and consumer-focused solutions.
End-to-end project lifecycle experience across multiple digital platforms.
Adaptable to a variety of workflows based on client and project needs, including waterfall and agile approaches.
Effective communication skills at all levels (presentation, written, verbal).
Ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with peers and external client staff, and the ability to achieve results under potentially difficult circumstances.
Strong organization skills; responsive to colleagues for overall clarity and understanding.
Passion for creating innovative solutions that help companies connect and engage with customers is essential.
Ability to work well under pressure and to have an objective-focused and positive approach, comfortable working independently.
Is self-motivated and self-driven.
Strong customer service ethos, a commitment to quality, and the will to constantly drive improvements.

Responsibilities

Lead the process of identifying and clarifying product requirements for clients using interviews, workshops, and surveys across stakeholders.
Collaborate with UX and Strategy leads to discern customer problems and pain points for workflows, individual existing products, new product concepts, or ecosystems of products.
Create and maintain essential deliverables such as Use Cases, Business Requirements, Functional Requirements, and Product Backlog.
Act as a liaison between business, creative, and technology teams to ensure a common understanding of business requirements and solutions.
Catalogue background knowledge and develop subject matter expertise to share with internal and client teams, resolving questions that impact the direction of the work.
Work side-by-side with creative teams to refine/clarify requirements and provide guidance on proposed solutions.
Understand how proposed solutions may impact technical implementation and highlight potential challenges early, ensuring dependencies are resolved.
Interface with internal and external development teams to ensure product vision is carried through to the final product.
Generate and maintain a backlog of epics and user stories to support a development lifecycle.
Ensure the accuracy of all project deliverables against approved requirements.
Help establish scope of work and prioritize high-level requirements, working with Client, Project Manager, and Technical Architect.
Develop tactical product roadmaps by conducting prioritization exercises.
Provide recommendations on product direction based on expertise and analysis.
Outline delivery needs based on requirements, product knowledge, and approved creative concepts.
Assist in writing functional specifications defining the proposed creative solution.
Participate in the communication of solutions to clients and third-party partners.