Product Operations Manager

BDO USA, P.C. • Oak Brook, IL

3d • $120,000 - $160,000

About The Position

The Product Operations Manager enables consistent, scalable product delivery by designing and improving product management processes, coaching product managers and cross-functional teams, and establishing operating rhythms, standards, and metrics across the product lifecycle. The role partners with Product, Engineering, Delivery, and Business stakeholders to improve intake, prioritization, execution transparency, and outcomes.

The position defines product strategy and maintains product roadmaps, improves the product operating model across intake, discovery, prioritization, planning, delivery, release, and post-launch learning, and oversees assigned IT projects and system implementations or upgrades. It supports launching product features and experiences, from problem definition and detailed requirements or user stories through sprint planning, user testing, implementation, and continuous releases. The role also prepares project documentation, coordinates resources and vendors, facilitates product communications and training, and supports smooth transitions into production and ongoing operations.

The manager directly supervises Product Operations Analysts and may supervise Product Managers depending on organizational needs. Responsibilities include hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, performance management, career development, coaching, functional leadership, allocating team capacity, and assigning work across product operations initiatives and embedded support for product managers.

BDO provides assurance, tax, and advisory services to clients in the U.S. and around the world. The company describes itself as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company and says the ESOP is part of its comprehensive compensation and Total Rewards offerings. Benefits may be subject to eligibility requirements.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Six or more years of experience in product management, product operations, delivery/PMO, or related technology roles.
• Experience as a Product Manager, IT Project Manager, Business Systems Analyst, Software Systems Analyst, Business Process Analyst, Technology Support Analyst, or Software Developer.
• Experience using a standard project management methodology.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer relationship skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and in a self-directed capacity.
• Strong team-building skills and demonstrated problem-solving skills.
• Ability to organize and delegate complex tasks effectively.
• Ability to develop project plans and accomplish goals based on experience, educated assumptions, and limited information.
• Ability to adapt rapidly to new developments.
• Familiarity with project ROI techniques, including cost/benefit, NPV, IRR, and Earned Value metrics.
• Ability to facilitate meetings efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to develop project plans, project documentation, and related materials using diagrams and prose, based on customer collaboration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Scrum and other agile development methods.
• Experience leading and directing the work of others in a project-oriented capacity.
• Experience with the concepts of Project Programs and Portfolios.
• Familiarity with a web-based applications environment.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders to drive decision-making frameworks and governance.
• Experience working in a professional services firm.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar certification.
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner or similar certification.
• Experience with project planning applications.
• Experience managing projects involving Oracle Cloud, OneStream, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, ServiceNow, Azure Data Factory, or Azure DevOps.

Responsibilities

• Define product strategy and build and maintain product roadmaps.
• Establish and continuously improve the product operating model, including intake, discovery, prioritization, planning, delivery, release, and post-launch learning.
• Build strong relationships with Business Line leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with project team members, vendors, and other departments.
• Oversee assigned IT projects and take ownership of their success.
• Plan and direct work involved in system implementations and upgrades.
• Launch product features and experiences by investigating problems, drafting requirements and user stories, planning development sprints, creating and implementing user-testing plans, and supporting continuous releases.
• Develop scope documents, statements of work, and other documentation supporting the justification for new projects.
• Work with third-party vendors to ensure project efforts are controlled and completed on time.
• Lead and direct project teams to control project efforts and complete them on time.
• Work with subject matter experts to establish resource plans, effort estimates, and task durations.
• Review, understand, or prepare business requirements and objectives documentation in support of business needs.
• Coordinate resources to make product communications and training materials available as appropriate.
• Work with operational teams to support smooth transitions from implementation to production and ongoing product support.
• Work with vendors and stakeholders to understand product subscriptions, contract terms, and renewal cycles to manage the fiscal budget.
• Directly supervise Product Operations Analysts and, as organizational needs require, Product Managers; handle hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, performance management, and career development.
• Coach and provide functional leadership to direct reports and the broader product community; establish product practice standards and reinforce adoption through training and mentoring.
• Allocate team capacity and assign work across product operations initiatives and embedded support for product managers, ensuring timely delivery, quality, and consistent stakeholder communication.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) participation, described as beneficial ownership and an opportunity to share in the firm’s success.
• Comprehensive compensation and Total Rewards benefits offerings; specific benefits are not detailed in the posting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager