Manager, Product Management

Sphera•Chicago, IL

5d•$127,000 - $203,000

About The Position

As the Product Manager, Platform, you will lead the strategy and direction of the SpheraCloud platform product. You will guide product priorities and enhancements from the idea stage to full production and help to develop new ideas based on your industry experience and feedback from our partners and customers. You will collaborate with other solution areas to develop and deliver key functionality to our existing SpheraCloud product, further enabling a modular set of cloud-based solutions. The selected individual will partner closely with the customers (internal and external), the business lines and Agile teams to drive the evolution of the assigned products. The Product Manager is responsible for defining a product vision with a prioritized product backlog to deliver on business vision and priorities. The PM provides constant feedback to the business lines and Agile teams in support of delivery and evolution of the product. The PM must develop a well-rounded understanding of the customer’s needs that are aligned with business objectives as well as an ability to develop close relationships with key stakeholders. You will shape the software development roadmap for the product and communicate it to internal and external stakeholders. You are also the key member of the team responsible for both defining and prioritizing the release backlog in close collaboration with engineering counterparts and product owners/managers. You will work closely with the development and engineering team to define architecture, user experience, and product capabilities. You are responsible for the overall quality delivery of the solution to our customers. Using your skills, talents, efforts, and influence, you will deliver positive business outcomes for both our customers and Sphera.

Requirements

5+ years of experience with software platform design concepts and components
5+ years of Product Management experience is desirable.
3+ years of people management experience
Experience managing enterprise software applications and/or large-scale product initiatives, in particular SaaS applications.
Strong understanding of Agile Product Management and Software Development methodologies
Proven ability to communicate with customers, stakeholders, salespeople, and executives.
Knowledgeable in modern technology and architectural patterns
Knowledgeable in product development in Cloud environment
Knowledgeable in products based on services and APIs’
Strong conceptual and analytical skills to form the basis of well-researched and documented plans
Proven record as a self-motivated, performance-driven professional
Demonstrates sound business judgement, common sense and insight
Behaves consistently with Sphera values and ethical principles

Responsibilities

Assist in the research of market requirements and forecasts for new portfolio opportunities and platform advancement strategies
Document and maintain key competitor profiles
Work with branding and marketing teams to help them understand market positioning
Work with sales and marketing teams to document the buying process and identify sales enablement tools, including partner channels
Assists in the creation of the training and tools necessary to ensure the Sales, Services, and Customer Care are educated on the feature/functionality of products
Provide product and domain content focused on the market
Maintain product success metrics for the Platform
Develop and maintain a roadmap for the Platform including: Developing a list of initiatives and epics; Balancing priorities between maintenance requirements, architecture, and new features, and maximizing the value of each release; Recommending market-specific enhancements for all portfolio products
Defining the planned date and content for a product release to customers
Actively work directly with the development team
Serve as the customer representative in all team meetings
Partner with product portfolio and develop personas and related product capabilities
Participate in release and product retrospectives with engineering, UX teams
Drive discussions to surface issues, identify fixes and advance projects
Participate in product planning and forecasts with the product management team
Maintain and report product status such as burn up/burn down and velocity charts
Participate in sprint retrospectives with the Agile team
Maintain a release backlog and focus on product deliverables
Influence and partner with stakeholders to create a shared platform vision and optimal product outcomes
Lead cross-functional teams for key company initiatives
Contribute to Go-To-Market teams