Job Description:
Responsibilities:
Product Strategy and Backlog Management:

• Develop and maintain product roadmaps that align with organizational objectives and IT strategic plans.
• Prioritize and manage the backlog of enhancement requests, bug fixes, and technical debt items.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather, analyze, and prioritize requirements.
• Balance new feature development with system stability, performance, and technical debt reduction.

IT Service Management:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations and support of assigned enterprise applications.
• Implement and refine IT service management processes, adhering to best practices (e.g., ITIL).
• Manage service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for IT services.
• Coordinate incident management, problem management, and change management processes.

Technical Enhancements and Business Support:

• Work closely with business units to understand their evolving needs and translate them into technical requirements.
• Collaborate with development teams to design and implement technical enhancements.
• Oversee the resolution of critical issues and bugs, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Provide regular updates to stakeholders on the status of enhancements and fixes.

Vendor Management:

• Manage relationships with software vendors, cloud service providers, and consultants.
• Manage enhancements and scope of work with vendors.
• Ensure vendor deliverables meet quality standards and align with client s needs.
• Coordinate vendor activities with internal teams for seamless integration and support.

Quality Assurance and Release Management:

• Establish and enforce quality assurance processes for all product releases.
• Oversee the development of test plans, test cases, and acceptance criteria.
• Manage the release cycle, including planning, scheduling, and coordinating deployments.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to ensure successful adoption and identify areas for improvement.

Product Management Practice Maturation:

• Develop and implement standardized product management methodologies across the enterprise technology and digital teams.
• Mentor and coach team members on product management best practices.
• Establish metrics and KPIs to measure the effectiveness of product management practices.
• Drive continuous improvement in product management processes and tools.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership, end-users, IT teams, and vendors.
• Facilitate discussions and prioritize competing interests, balancing technical constraints with business needs.
• Regularly communicate product strategy, roadmap updates, and release plans to all relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with change management teams to ensure smooth adoption of new features and processes.

Must Haves:

• 7+ years' experience in IT product management, with demonstrated success managing enterprise-scale applications (FMS, HCMS, or similar systems) and implementing ITIL-based service management processes.
• Proven track record developing product roadmaps and managing complex backlogs, with expertise in translating business requirements into technical solutions and overseeing enterprise-wide enhancements.
• Strong technical leadership background with deep understanding of enterprise architecture, quality assurance, and release management, plus experience minimizing business disruption while managing critical issues.

General Skills:

• Strong expertise in IT service management principles and practices (e.g., ITIL certification).
• Proven experience in managing enterprise-scale applications, preferably in finance, HR, or analytics domains.
• Excellent understanding of software development lifecycles and Agile methodologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, capable of engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience in vendor management and contract negotiations.
• Proficiency in project management and product management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps).
• Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, cloud technologies, and integration patterns.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on, tactical execution.
• Experience in implementing and maturing product management practices within an organization.

Desirable Skills:

• Deep knowledge of financial management systems, human capital management systems, or data analytics platforms.
• Experience with public sector IT governance and compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with cloud migration strategies and cloud-based enterprise solutions.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies relevant to enterprise systems (e.g., AI/ML, RPA).
• Experience in implementing or managing API-led integration strategies.
• Certifications in relevant areas (e.g., PMP, Scrum Master, ITIL, TOGAF).
• Understanding of data governance, privacy regulations, and cybersecurity best practices.
• Experience with business process reengineering and digital transformation initiatives.

Deliverables:

• Develop and maintain comprehensive product roadmaps for FMS, HCMS, and Analytics Platform.
• Create and execute strategic plans for system improvements and upgrades.
• Establish product management frameworks and best practices.
• Provide recommendations for technology investments and improvements.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for each system.
• Develop business cases for major enhancements and initiatives.

Operational Management:

• Prioritize and manage the product backlog across all systems.
• Oversee release planning and deployment schedules.
• Manage vendor relationships and service level agreements.
• Monitor system performance and reliability.
• Coordinate incident response and problem resolution.
• Ensure compliance with IT governance and security requirements.

Process Improvements:

• Establish standardized release management procedures.
• Implement quality assurance frameworks and testing protocols.
• Create and maintain documentation for all key processes.
• Develop and implement change management procedures.
• Establish metrics for measuring process efficiency.

Stakeholder Management:

• Regular status reporting to executive leadership.
• Coordination with business units for requirements gathering.
• Management of vendor relationships and deliverables.
• Communication of system changes and updates to all stakeholders.
• Facilitation of cross-functional team collaboration.

Technical Leadership:

• Guide technical decision-making for system enhancements.
• Oversee integration strategies between systems.
• Manage technical debt and system optimization.
• Ensure system scalability and performance.
• Lead technical problem resolution.

Risk Management:

• Identify and mitigate potential system risks.
• Manage security and compliance requirements.
• Oversee disaster recovery planning.
• Monitor and report on risk metrics.
• Develop contingency plans for critical systems.

Financial Management:

• Track and manage system-related budgets.
• Monitor and optimize vendor costs.
• Develop ROI analyses for major initiatives.
• Manage resource allocation across projects.
• Provide financial reporting on technology investments.

Team Development:

• Build and mentor product management capabilities.
• Establish best practices and standards.
• Provide guidance on Agile methodologies.
• Foster collaboration between technical and business teams.
• Lead by example in implementing product management practices.

Quality Assurance:

• Establish quality metrics and standards.
• Oversee testing processes and procedures.
• Monitor and improve system reliability.
• Track and report on quality metrics.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives.

Performance Metrics:

• Reduced incident resolution times.
• Increased user satisfaction scores.
• Successful release implementations.
• On-time project delivery.
• Reduced technical debt.
• Improved vendor performance.
• Enhanced process efficiency.
• Stronger team capabilities.
• Better stakeholder alignment.
• Strong track record in similar enterprise technology environments.
• Experience with financial and HR systems.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Technical depth in enterprise systems.
• Success in implementing process improvements.
• History of successful vendor management.
• Experience in public sector or regulated environments (preferred).