Vice President of Product Management

Vice President of Product Management Scope

To lead the strategic planning and product management efforts, and working in unison with Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Support and Manufacturing teams, the Vice President of Product Management will help grow the company from $100+M to $500+M.ResponsibilitiesEnsure quarterly and annual targets are met for key corporate objectives, including product revenues, unit sales, profit margins and return on investment
Proactively engage, prioritize and lead the timely development of key strategic planning and product management deliverables with appropriate departments and personnel. Deliverables include competitive analysis, customer analysis, competitive responses, product roadmap, positioning, product and/or solution collateral content and the like. Communicate conclusions and recommendations to the appropriate internal and external audiences
Manage the day-to-day operations of the product management organization, providing leadership, communication, prioritization, and decision-making activities to optimize intra- and inter-departmental performance. Champion product-centric problems and issues, prioritizing and implementing solutions and/or resolutions as quickly and effectively as possible
Establish streamlined processes, communication structures and positive working relationships with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Support, Manufacturing, Finance and Executive Management teams so that all are properly supported and working together to achieve product goals
Proactively engage customers through Sales to identify market trends and priorities, to communicate company's vision, value proposition and solution set, and to resolve high profile customer issues
Proactively engage customers, industry analysts and media through Marketing to communicate product vision, value propositions and solution set
Design, recruit and develop a high quality strategic planning and product management organization, offering on-going training and coaching regarding methods and best practices
Implement processes and tracking tools to measure and ensure operational quality for the department
Operate within expense and capital budgets
Lead and coordinate the development of globally applicable, multi-year, corporate- product- and partner-level strategies to profitably grow the business, based, in part, on a competitive assessment and positioning of the current portfolio. Prioritize opportunities and initiatives and resolve conflicts as necessary
Lead and manage the implementation of product strategies in accordance with approved budget, time and revenue milestones
Lead and facilitate the identification of innovative and differentiated portfolio growth opportunities with new product lines, product extensions, and strategic partnerships
Champion the development and implementation of strategic planning processes and deliverables, from idea generation and conceptualization to strategic proposals and business cases
Lead the identification, evaluation and execution of strategic product alliance/technology partnerships
Champion the development, execution and communication of product life cycle plans, business cases, product requirement documents, product roadmaps and product launch plans
Serve as the company’s product authority responsible for submission of all final product mix proposals regarding product definition, pricing and positioning to the senior management team
In conjunction with engineering, refine and develop the product development process
Coordinate with engineering and other key functions to ensure that company resources are properly deployed, achieving approved objectives, reporting any deviations/concerns
Ensure that approved product development projects are on schedule, within budget, and meet functional and unit cost specifications
Qualifications BSEE or BSCS, along with an MBA (or relevant work experience) required
5 or more years leading product line management and strategic planning teams as Vice President or Associate Vice President for multiple software or embedded firmware/hardware systems products targeting enterprise customers
Willing to travel, domestic and international, up to 30%
Demonstrated experience of setting and meeting target metrics such as product revenues, unit sales, profit margin and ROI. Proven track record of increasing product revenues and unit sales >30% per year while maintaining or increasing product margins
Demonstrated management skills, building and mentoring a product management team
Demonstrated experience leading and motivating Sales, Marketing and Engineering to a common vision, resolving conflicts and creating a constructive work environment
Demonstrated high degree of initiative, creative problem solving, attention to detail, and coolness under fire
Proven professional communication skills and experience, from writing business plans, proposals, value propositions, and marketing collateral, to presenting and speaking succinctly to various internal and external audiences
>10 years experience in the successful socialization and approval of business cases, proposals, strategies, and the like, to executives, both internally and externally
Demonstrated technical understanding of enterprise software, mobile computers and network management systems (e.g. architectures, platforms, applications, hardware, technologies, etc.)
Knowledge of voice-enabled enterprise mobile device competitors
Knowledge regarding customer needs, etc. for voice-enabled enterprise devices and software
Proven track record of setting goals and objectives and of leading strategic planning, including product conceptualization, strategic proposal and business case efforts for high tech enterprise solutions. Must show experience of ensuring customer requirements are translated into innovative, differentiated and valued solutions. Must also demonstrate ensuring awareness of the business value and implications of the proposed solutions in the marketplace.
Proven track record of leading customer and product market segmentation, customer analysis, competitive analysis, positioning experience… complemented by logical, objective, and defendable claims/arguments
Proven track record of managing a portfolio through the entire product lifecycle
Proven track record of leading or working in close conjunction with product marketing efforts and of working with Marketing, Sales, and Channel Partners in meeting product revenue and unit sales goals
Proven track record of identifying, engaging and managing value-add, strategic partner relationships
Interested?If you are interested in this opportunity, please email us a FORMATTED version of your resume including your time frame for starting a new job, " VP, Product Management " in the Subject line of your email, availability for phone and personal interviews, salary expectations, and the best phone numbers and times reach you.