Product & Program Manager
DEPARTMENT: Product
JOB TITLE: Product & Program Manager
REPORTING TO: Head of Product
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
DATE PREPARED: July 2025
GRADE: 14N
JOB SUMMARY
The successful Product & Program Manager will partner with others in the organization to understand the external environment, identify high-impact product innovation opportunities, translate product vision into strategies and tactics, manage a development backlog, and deliver solutions contributing to the attainment of business objectives.
They will assist in the analysis of complex problems, identify and document user and system requirements, and provide input to the evaluation and development of new solutions, ensuring consistent program management, cross-platform alignment and effective cross-functional communication for all assigned product initiatives.
This position is strategic and tactical, and requires close interaction internally – with marketing, sales, technical development and operations, customer service and, externally, with customers and partners.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Partner with Innovation Committee stakeholders as well as with Partners, Vendors and Customers to execute and monitor delivery of approved product initiatives (“Product Roadmap”).
- Work with Innovation Committee to build, prune, and prioritize the initiatives funnel (“Product Backlog”).
- Collaborate with product stakeholders to translate business requirements into user stories and acceptance criteria with enough detail for development teams to deliver.
- Support the Product team by managing assigned product initiatives to completion.
- Support product requirements lifecycle for assigned product initiatives.
- Support the Product team in developing plans, scope, schedule, and tasks for product initiatives.
- Validate releases against acceptance criteria to receive into product baseline.
- Function as the champion and SME of assigned products.
- Work closely with client-facing constituents (e.g. Sales or Partner Support) to understand market trends, anticipate market needs, document emerging requirements and translate into tangible solutions.
- Identify key opportunities for ongoing product innovation and enhancements to ensure Saddleback/Reinvent meets its clients at their highest point of need.
- Perform market study and competitive analysis to identify product value proposition and market differentiation opportunities.
- Plan, monitor, and report on product performance KPIs.
- Researches and understands price/value in each respective segment and optimizes gross profit margin by driving cost reductions, adjusting price, or exiting markets.
- Develop business cases supporting roadmap items and monitor ROI of investments.
- Monitor product lifecycle and organize cross-functional teams to conduct end-of-life analysis and implement identified strategies and tactics.
- Monitor, analyze and adjust end-to-end business processes relating to product to ensure maximum profitability, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Support the development of sales tools and collateral.
- Engage the internal organization (e.g. Implementation, Training, Design & Engineering, Field Services, Customer Support) to deliver elegant end-to-end go to market plans.
- Oversee alpha and beta deployments of new offerings by aligning cross-functional resources.
- Support sales and marketing by communicating business requirements and system capabilities, attending client visits, and supporting sales efforts.
- Prepare and deliver product presentations and sales trainings.
The above cited duties and responsibilities describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to the job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that an incumbent may be expected or asked to perform.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum 5 years of demonstrated product leadership experience with a track record of consistent innovation
- Minimum 3 years of experience launching cross-functional product initiatives for SMBs and/or Enterprise customers in the US market
- Minimum 5 years of strong technical experience, preferably in telecommunications or software development
- Experience with SD-WAN, SASE, Managed Security, Managed Networking (WAN/LAN/Wi-Fi) and/or Agentic AI products are a plus
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES
- Strong understanding of telecommunications products and technologies including, but not limited to voice, data and layered services in a cloud infrastructure.
- Strong understanding of the direct and wholesale sales models.
- Experience driving cross functional teams across all levels and functions.
- Capability to think commercially to drive business cases, product pricing and packaging strategies and margin improvement initiatives.
- Excellent skills in critical thinking, problem solving and analysis.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Must be able to effectively and persuasively present complex information in a simple way to executive level audiences.
- Solid written & verbal communication skills and gifted in interpersonal interactions (e.g., collaboration, consensus building, conflict management, etc.).
- Excellent documentation, analytic, modeling, financial skills using the Microsoft suite of software (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Outlook, OneNote and Teams).
- Experience using Confluence and/or Jira is a plus.
- Ability to function in a fast-paced, dynamic environment – managing diverse priorities
- Confident self-starter with integrity and accountability.
- Highly motivated, competitive, and entrepreneurial individual with a desire to tackle challenging opportunities.
SKILL REQUIREMENTS
- Typing/computer keyboard
- Verbal communication
- Utilize computer software (specified above)
- Written communication
- Retrieve and compile information
- Public speaking/group presentations
- Maintain records/logs
- Research, analyze and interpret information
- Verify data and information
- Investigate, evaluate, recommend action
- Organize and prioritize information/tasks
- Operate office equipment
- Basic mathematical concepts (e.g. add, subtract)
- Advanced mathematical concepts (fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, graphs)
- Abstract mathematical concepts (interpolation, inference, frequency, reliability, formulas, equations, statistics)
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Normal office environment
HAZARDS
- Normal office environment
Saddleback is an “Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.” Preference will be given to a qualified Community Member, then a qualified Native American and then other qualified candidate.