Product Operations Manager

BDO USA•Grand Rapids, MI

4d•$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. This role partners closely with Product, Engineering, Delivery, and Business stakeholders to improve intake, prioritization, execution transparency, and outcomes.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, required
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, required
Six (6) or more years of experience in product management, product operations, delivery/PMO, or related technology roles, required
Experience as a Product Manager, IT Project Manager, Business Systems Analyst, Software Systems Analyst, Business Process Analyst, Technology Support Analyst, or Software Developer, required
Experience using a standard project management methodology, required
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
A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected
Strong team-building skills
Demonstrated problem solving skills
Ability to effectively organize and delegate complex tasks
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 (cost/benefit, NPV, IRR, Earned Value metrics)
Ability to facilitate meetings efficiently and effectively
Ability to develop project documentation using diagrams and prose
Ability to develop project plans and related documentation 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, preferred
Experience leading and directing the work of others in a project-oriented capacity, preferred
Experience with the concepts of Project Programs and Portfolios, preferred
Familiar with a web-based applications environment, preferred Experience partnering with senior stakeholders to drive decision-making frameworks and governance, preferred
Experience working in a professional services firm, preferred
Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar certification, preferred
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner or similar certification, preferred
Experience with project planning applications, preferred
Experience managing projects in connection with any of the following, preferred: Oracle Cloud, Onestream, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, ServiceNow, Azure Data Factory, Azure DevOps, preferred

Responsibilities

Defines product strategy, builds, and maintains product roadmaps
Establishes and continuously improves the product operating model (intake, discovery, prioritization, planning, delivery, release, and post-launch learning)
Builds strong relationships with Business Line leaders and executive stakeholders
Builds and maintains constructive working relationships with project team members, vendors, and other departments
Oversees all aspects of assigned IT projects, and takes ownership to ensure their success
Plans and directs the work effort involved with the implementation or upgrade of systems
Responsible for launching new product features and experiences - investigating to define the problem, draft detailed requirements/user stories, plan development sprints, build and implement user testing plans, and support continuous releases
Develops scope documents, statements of work, and other documentation supporting the justification for new projects
Works closely with third-party vendors to ensure that project efforts are controlled and completed on a timely basis
Leads and directs the work of project teams to ensure project efforts are controlled and completed on a timely basis
Works with appropriate subject matter experts, establish resource plans, and expected level of effort and duration to complete tasks
Reviews and understands or prepares, as needed, business requirements and objectives documentation in support of overall business needs
Coordinates with appropriate resources to ensure that product communications and training materials are made available as appropriate
Works with operational teams to ensure a smooth transition from implementation to production and ongoing support phases of a products lifecycle
Works with vendors and stakeholders to understand product subscription, contract terms, and renewal cycles to best manage fiscal budget
Other duties as required
Directly supervises a team of Product Operations Analysts and may include Product Managers based on organizational need, including hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, performance management, and career development
Provides coaching and functional leadership to direct reports and the broader product community by establishing standards for product practices (intake, prioritization, discovery, roadmap hygiene, release readiness) and reinforcing adoption through training and mentoring
Allocates team capacity and assigns work across product operations initiatives and embedded support to PMs (e.g., reporting, tooling/workflow administration, portfolio routines), ensuring timely delivery, quality, and consistent stakeholder communication