Senior Product Manager - DirectDefense

DirectDefense is a leader in cybersecurity, offering cutting-edge solutions to protect businesses from ever-evolving threats. We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Senior Product Manager to join our innovative team. This is a critical role, focused on defining product strategies and leading initiatives that enhance our customers’ experience, aligning with our growth objectives. If you are passionate about shaping products that make an impact in the cybersecurity world, we’d love to meet you!

The Senior Product Manager will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of our products. From developing user stories and epics to collaborating on product design and go-to-market strategies, this role demands a balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate has a proven ability to translate complex business needs into actionable product plans and enjoys working in cross-functional environments to bring products to life.

Product Vision & Strategy Development

• Define and articulate a compelling product vision aligned with company objectives and market needs.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to set clear, achievable goals for product growth and improvement.
• Identify long-term product growth opportunities through market and customer research.
• Translate high-level business goals into a roadmap and prioritize initiatives based on impact.
• Regularly communicate and reinforce the product vision and strategy to all stakeholders.

Competitive Research & Market Analysis

• Conduct thorough market research to understand industry trends and competitive products.
• Analyze competitor features, pricing models, and market positioning to find differentiation opportunities.
• Synthesize findings to inform product development, positioning, and pricing strategies.
• Regularly update competitive analysis to keep the team informed of market shifts.
• Develop go-to-market (GTM) insights to leverage competitive advantages.

User Story & Acceptance Criteria Creation

• Translate product requirements into detailed user stories, prioritizing the user experience and business value.
• Define acceptance criteria to ensure development aligns with business goals and customer needs.
• Collaborate with design, development, and QA teams to ensure stories are feasible and clear.
• Regularly refine and adjust user stories based on feedback and evolving requirements.
• Conduct user story mapping to visualize user interactions and workflow.

Epic and Feature Definition, Prioritization, and Roadmap Management

• Develop and document epics and product features that clearly outline high-level objectives and key functionalities.
• Work with stakeholders to prioritize features based on business impact, feasibility, and user needs.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive product roadmap to communicate future product direction and timelines.
• Conduct regular backlog management sessions to ensure alignment between roadmap priorities and current development activities.

Release Management & Go-To-Market (GTM) Planning

• Coordinate and manage product release schedules in collaboration with development and operations teams.
• Work closely with marketing, sales, and support to develop GTM strategies for new features and products.
• Create product launch plans, timelines, and collateral to support successful releases.
• Ensure release readiness by overseeing final testing, documentation, and stakeholder training.
• Conduct post-launch analysis and optimize release processes for future improvements.

Product Design & User Experience Collaboration

• Provide input on wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications to meet business requirements.
• Facilitate user testing and gather feedback to refine designs and enhance user experience.

Cross-Functional Enablement and Alignment

• Conduct enablement sessions with sales, marketing, and customer success teams to ensure product alignment.
• Provide training materials, FAQs, and support documentation to facilitate knowledge transfer.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for product-related inquiries across teams.

Collateral Development & Product Training

• Develop product collateral, including demos, feature briefs, white papers, and user guides.
• Work with the marketing team to create compelling content and campaigns for product promotion.
• Create training materials for internal and external stakeholders to drive adoption.
• Deliver product training sessions, webinars, and presentations as needed.

Customer & Stakeholder Feedback Loop

• Gather and analyze customer feedback through surveys, interviews, and support channels.
• Collaborate with customer success and support teams to identify pain points and improvement areas.
• Prioritize feedback for inclusion in the product roadmap based on impact and feasibility.

Service Lifecycle management and Customer-Facing Documentation

• Develop comprehensive service descriptions that clearly define the product’s features, benefits, and unique selling points.
• Create customer-facing documents that provide detailed information on the service, including usage instructions, value proposition, and FAQs.
• Define and document each stage of the service lifecycle, from ideation to launch to sunset and manage service and product lifecycle.
• Collaborate with customer success and support teams to create troubleshooting guides and best-practice documents.

Service Positioning and Differentiation

• Craft a clear and compelling positioning guide that outlines the service's value, use cases, and market differentiation.
• Collaborate with marketing to develop messaging that resonates with target audiences and industry trends.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field; MBA is a plus.
• 5+ years of experience in product management, preferably in cybersecurity or technology industries.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, with a proven track record of translating business needs into actionable product plans.
• Experience in roadmap creation, backlog management, and release planning.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and alignment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience in user story mapping and customer feedback integration.