The mission for this role is two-fold. First, we’re looking for someone to optimize the product, design, and engineering team operations, tools, and processes resulting in increased profitability per project. To achieve this you’ll focus on improving operations with a focus on delivering projects on time and on budget, improving our scoping and proposal process, and insuring proper capacity utilization of both the core team and The Bench - our network of trusted and vetted freelancers.

Second, we’re looking for someone who is a natural servant leader to support the product teams and clients on active product development projects resulting in happier and healthier teams and improved client satisfaction. The Director of Product will act as a senior advisor on client projects partnering with the lead PMs helping to ensure we deliver exceptional consulting, technology, and creative services at all times.

As a leading member of the product team you will work to support the learning and development of fellow PMs including anything from 1:1 mentoring to organizing larger training sessions to further improve the teams skill sets and introduce new growth opportunities.

Key Outcomes for the Role

• High Leverage Servant Leader:Creating the process to bridge communication and efficiency between the Product/Design/Engineering departments and the BD/Strategy team by designing best practices and processes that'll last through 2022 and beyond
• Maximizing Talent + Resources: Making sure the team remains at or above a regular utilization rate of 75%; ability to raise flags and make adjustments to leadership in order to maintain this status quo
• Portfolio Profitability: Manage the scope accuracy and margins in tandem with team and resource allocation and utilization to make sure that we're able to maintain and expand profitability in 2021 and beyond
• Client Satisfaction: By getting the most out of our PDE team via the implementation of best practices and utilization standards, we hope to improve client partner satisfaction by 20% across all projects

Product and Operations Responsibilities

• Collaborate with VP of Product to develop Sidebench PDLC standards and best practices
• Enable, train, and enforce Product Development Lifecycle standards with the Product Design and Engineering teams
• Enhance Business Development and Product team communication to bolster the hand off process
• Improve best practices within our status, risk and P&L reporting
• Assist in improving the scoping and proposal process
• Shape and manage the Apprentice Product Management program

Leadership Responsibilities

• Manage our Manager of Product and Operations and all Associate Product Managers
• Act as a key mentor to the Product and Engineering teams 
• Manage all Associate Product Managers 
• Key contributor to the Partners and Leadership Team in shaping the direction of the business
• Support recruiting, interviewing and hiring efforts
• Support learning and training efforts

Business Operations Responsibilities

• Support the handshake between Product and Operations and all other departments
• Understand the work within the core levers of our business model
• Support leading company events like all hands, team building, team learning, etc.
• Help to improve how we work in a distributed team environment

Qualifications

• You’re a servant leader, both with your internal teams and with both partners and clients 
• You have 5+ years of experience working in a Product leadership role with additional experience in an operational capacity within a consultancy, agency or startup environment
• Created, implemented, and managed internal best practices and/or standard operating procedures
• You have experience creating client or stakeholder deliverables and leading workshops
• Experience in hiring, staffing, mentoring and managing a team of product managers and using their unique abilities to take projects and deliverables to the next level
• Expert level understanding of both the product design and the product development processes 
• Strong experience with custom software solutions, mobile applications, web experiences, or a similar kind of creative product development 
• Hunger to learn quickly, high energy, ability to think on your toes, and motivation to be a key team member within a short period of time with the company
• Proven project management experience and proven ability to motivate proper resources in a thoughtful and timely manner 
• Ability to build rapport with internal teams; a team-oriented culture champion
• Confidence, humility, creativity, a team player mentality, and a positive attitude are a must
• Experience in creating and managing a program for entry level new hires
• Interest in coaching and mentoring young talent