Senior Manager R&D, Product Enablement

Axon•Boston, MA

1d•$151,714 - $242,742•Onsite

About The Position

Join Axon and be a Force for Good. At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other. Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter. As the Senior Manager, R&D Product Enablement, you will own how Axon's product knowledge reaches customers. You will lead a team of ~8 direct reports, aligned to various Axon product lines, that produces and governs the content customers rely on to understand, adopt, and get value from Axon products: release notes, help and technical documentation, localized content, and the communications that accompany product launches and updates. You will partner closely with Product, Customer Success, Support, Professional Services, Marketing, and Training to make sure the right information gets to the right audience at the right time, at global scale and with consistent quality. You will also help shape how AI is used to create and maintain that content, making the team faster and more effective.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
5+ years of experience in technical documentation, product content, product communications, enablement, or program management
2+ years of experience as a people manager
Experience leading a team of 8 or more direct reports, ideally spanning multiple product lines or content domains
Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams and stakeholders simultaneously in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment
Experience owning content or communications quality standards and governance processes
Experience using project and work-tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet) and ensuring on-time delivery
Clear, concise, and effective communicator, written and verbal, including with senior stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to partner across teams and hold others accountable to a plan
Occasional travel may be required

Nice To Haves

Experience managing technical writing or documentation teams
Experience leading content for Saas, hardware, or software products
Experience with localization and translation programs, including working with vendors or a Localization Center of Excellence
Hands-on experience applying generative AI tools to content workflows
Experience with release communications for SaaS, hardware, or software products
Experience in a product or customer enablement function
Experience leading teams through organizational change or transition
Experience working with public safety customers
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification

Responsibilities

Own the Product Enablement strategic plan and annual roadmap, bringing a clear point of view on where the function is headed and why
Translate operational work (documentation, release communications, localization, AI investment) into a coherent narrative told in terms of business impact, including adoption, support deflection, and customer satisfaction
Build and maintain relationships with senior leaders across Product and customer-facing pillars, and represent Product Enablement in strategic planning forums
Establish prioritization frameworks that align content investment to the highest business and customer needs across product pillars
Lead the team responsible for the Help Site, technical documentation, and product knowledge content across Axon's product portfolio
Set quality standards, style guidelines, and standard operating procedures for content creation, review, and maintenance
Ensure content is accurate, timely, and kept current as products evolve, in partnership with Product and Engineering
Own the Release Notes process and governance, including the internal-only Release Notes Hub, so that customers and internal teams receive clear, consistent, and timely information on product changes
Establish and run regular stakeholder communications for major product areas and launches, including quarterly updates
Lead content and communications response for high-visibility product events and incidents, maintaining quality while managing competing stakeholder priorities
Own the sequencing and delivery of localized content, including the Help Site, working with Axon's Localization Center of Excellence and external vendors
Balance global market needs, budget, and release timing to deliver accurate translated content on schedule
Drive responsible adoption of AI tools (e.g., Claude) across content creation, review, and maintenance workflows
Document use cases, define guardrails and best practices, and lead cross-team forums that share learning and raise AI fluency across content-producing teams
Identify opportunities to use AI to increase throughput, consistency, and quality
Directly manage a team of ~8 direct reports (technical writers, instructional designers, and/or program managers) aligned across various product lines
Ensure each product line has clear content ownership, consistent standards, and appropriate coverage, and balance team capacity across software and non-software products as priorities shift
Lead, coach, and develop the team, building product and role-specific expertise
Build a deliberate delegation and ownership model so every workstream has a clear owner and the team scales without depending on any single person
Manage performance, compensation, career development, and retention; advocate for your team with data and a clear narrative
Onboard new team members and integrate newly acquired or transitioning teams
Partner with Product Managers, Engineering, Customer Success, Support, Professional Services, Training, and Marketing to gather inputs, resolve blockers, and align on timelines
Manage intake, tracking, and prioritization of content work using Jira and related tools, with clear visibility into status and risk
Handle escalations and stakeholder concerns with tact, clarity, and accountability
Set priorities and review progress across documentation, release notes, localization, and communications workstreams
Lead and coach your direct reports across multiple product lines and remove blockers so work keeps moving
Meet regularly with Product, Customer Success, Support, and pillar leaders to align on upcoming releases and content needs
Monitor quality, timeliness, and customer feedback metrics, and adjust the team's approach accordingly
Communicate status, risks, and impact clearly to senior leadership
Explore and pilot new tools, workflows, and AI use cases that improve how content is produced and delivered