Product Manager

JOB SUMMARY: The Product Manager initiates and oversees products from inception through deployment, and throughout the product lifecycle. This includes conducting market research, defining initial product requirements, feature sets, business modeling and marketing planning, creation and prioritization of product backlogs with user stories, ongoing product collaboration with the engineering, operations, sales, and prospective customer site teams. The Product Manager also prepares financial and product forecasts, using Company provided data and market research, monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue projections on assigned products, and provides monthly analysis for actual revenue as compared to projections.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, FUNCTIONS & KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES: (include but are not limited to)

• Manages, promotes, plans, and coordinates activities for assigned product lines
• Manages product portfolio, to include all life cycle stages, pricing and positioning, bundling, advertising, competitive analysis, and tariff evaluation
• Manages and negotiates third party vendor relationships to provide best in class customer solutions for products and services
• Participates in the development of all marketing collateral, including website, product releases, brochures, advertisements, pricing sheets, sales materials, newspaper, radio, direct mail pieces, customer letters, etc.
• Coordinates effective ad campaigns with Marketing Communications
• Responsible for product financial results including revenue streams, anticipation of total cost, ROI projects and overall growth
• Manages and maintains product budget process, including RGUs, revenue, and adds, and ensures budget objectives are met
• Manages expenses related to product including vendor invoices and contacts. Analyzes product profitability
• Recommends cost reduction and revenue enhancement solutions to management
• Tracks industry trends, product segment growth, market share, and other pertinent data to provide basis for strategic planning and product development
• Alerts management to developing opportunities or concerns and provides data to support decision-making
• Maintains an awareness of the competition and other market forces affecting the product line, through effective networking and mainstream research
• Provides key competitive information and product comparisons to market research team. Proactively seeks and analyzes competitive intelligence through personal experience on a consistent basis
• Oversees all aspects of product policies, objectives, and initiatives
• Researches new products, product enhancements, and product redesign that align the product development function with the goals of the organization
• Evaluates the potential and practicality of products in development
• Works closely with the entire company on implementation efforts, to ensure that proper testing, preparations, and training are in place for successful rollout and implementation of new product launches
• Brings new competitive, innovative, and customer-desired products to market
• Integrates product roadmap process into strategic plan and annual budgeting process
• Prepares and refers to business case documents to decide strategies for marketing and selling product and/or services
• Develops product applications and pricing
• Defines and develops promotional activities, plans and assists in implementation of product launch
• Works collaboratively with other groups to roll out new product and enhancements
• Prepares and conducts product specific training for workgroups throughout the Company; Training includes product overview, technical overview, feature descriptions, future enhancements, product applications, benefits of product, overall product positioning, competitive analysis, pricing, and tariffs, promotions, maintenance procedures, and installation procedures, identification of target market, sales collateral, and service order process
• Works with other Product Managers to ensure goals are set, reportable mechanisms are in place and measurable results are monitored
• Develops and/or edits collateral material, brochures, ad copy, pricing sheets, and sales materials; coordinates effective ad campaigns with corporate communications; suggests ad copy, geographic coverage, ad medium, and frequency information
• Responds to requests from Sales to design and price large one-of-a-kind solutions to effectively meet customer needs; requests from Sales may come in the form of a verbal request or a more formal RFP process
• Develops initiatives related to customer acquisition and retention
• Analyzes churn trends, customer satisfaction, and dissatisfaction
• Manages initiatives with internal departments to improve customer retention and churn
• Communicates openly with internal departments to ensure product authenticity and intent are being followed and provides feedback when opportunities for improvement are available
• Manages essential products, ensuring internal policies and external relationships are managed; provides consistent services to customers which meet regulatory requirements
• Communicates relevant information to all internal team members
• Meets deadlines while maintaining attention to detail

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• A demonstrated track record of new product innovations as well as managing the evolution of existing products
• Ability to communicate effectively with all management levels, customers, and other employees
• Proven ability to define and market services offered by the Company
• Ability to motivate teams to work toward common objectives in the face of adversity, time constraints, and resource shortages
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrates financial/forecasting abilities, project management and time management skills

QUALIFICATIONS & PREREQUISITES
Required:

• Minimum of 6 years’ experience in marketing, with at least 2 years in Product or Project Management
• Sound working knowledge of MS Excel
• Database querying skills using Access, SQL, Crystal, etc.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably business, marketing, or related field

Preferred:

• Experience in telecommunication product management
• Minimum of 4 years’ communications industry experience

Job Type: Full-time