Product Manager

Job Title
Product Manager
Location
Global
Position Type
Volunteer
Job Description
Volunteer Position
We are seeking full time and volunteer professional Product Managers to help us lead distributed teams of dynamic software developers. We have product teams that work in various frameworks and platforms.
SIL International is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to serving translation teams worldwide. If you believe, as we do, that all languages are of value, form an integral part of people’s identity, and have the potential to serve them in a rapidly changing world, then you can be part of a software team serving translation teams worldwide.
Summary:
A Product Manager is a holistic, mid-level leadership role for larger teams with responsibilities that encompass the entire product lifecycle, leadership of the team, and fiscal management. Product Managers work closely with the Development team, Language Technology leadership, partners and supporting organizations, user communities, and leaders of field trials. A good Product Manager is expected to be a customer spokesperson, product visionary, team champion, and a strategic leader. The goal of this role is to develop and manage roadmaps and sprint priorities via robust processes for collecting and synthesizing user needs.
Major Responsibilities:
Champion the team, partners, and user community to ensure alignment around overall strategy and direction of the product
Discover what users need by conducting user research and unveiling critical insights
Create the product’s long-term vision and strategy
Align the team around a cohesive product roadmap
Lead creation of targeted promotions: white papers, conference presentations, user videos
Work with Director on yearly roadmap, budget, and funding proposals
Work with Director and Language Technology Leadership to develop and grow partnerships
Provide quarterly reports and requested metrics to Language Technology Leadership
Lead performance reviews and goal discussions for your team
Minor Responsibilities:
Design, develop, and deploy software applications, new features, and defect fixes
Design and develop unit tests and perform code reviews
Adjust and improve each iteration of the product before release
Implement and Manage Agile software development methodology
Participate in regular project status, planning, partnership, and strategic meetings
Report any hardware and software needs to the Director
Be available to travel to meet with the larger development team at least once per year
Be available to travel biannually to the Language Technology Conference
Participate in professional conferences and meetings
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
A servant heart attitude
Demonstrated leadership skills
Demonstrated skills in team and personnel management
Demonstrated skills in software development and algorithms
Demonstrated passion for understanding and resolving complex user-needs into product priorities
Demonstrated appreciation for quality user interface design
Good interpersonal skills of communication
Good organizational skills
The ability to quickly analyze and learn a large existing codebase
The ability to make decisions in a timely manner
The ability to generate/analyze multiple solutions to a problem
The ability to quickly pick up technical concepts
The ability to work both with a team and independently, and to multitask effectively
Education and Experience:
Product Managers should have experience in software engineering, a good understanding of the software development lifecycle, and experience leading development teams. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science or equivalent work experience is preferred, but we care more for a heart and mind that are always learning. 3 to 5 years’ experience leading teams is preferred.
Training and Orientation:
Will complete the initial IT Software Department training program and relevant portions of IT Orientation.
Weekly Hours
40