Product Planning Manager - Skype

Skype is hiring a Product Planning Manager. Join the Skype Talent Network: Join our Talent Network: http://bit.ly/PA4HsW

 

Skype is …

We are the company that has significantly changed the whole communications business; taking simple ideas about how we communicate and turning them into reality. And now, as a part of Microsoft, we have much more to do. Skype is embarking on the next phase of the evolution of communications and is looking for great talent to help drive both Skype and Microsoft to the next level; in the process becoming the largest global service provider for communications and collaboration.

At Skype you’ll work in a collegial atmosphere — supportive, collaborative, animated, and decidedly vocal. Strong engineering talent and principals are critical to our goals, and what you say genuinely counts. You’ll be surrounded by some of the best in business, not just in the UK or the US, but throughout the globe. Skype provides you with the best tools, the best environment, and the best people to work with — and with that kind of environment you will be delivering the best work of your life; and genuinely touch the lives of millions of people around the globe.

The Role is …

 Skype is looking for a driven and creative Product Planning Manager to drive the global planning and release process across Skype and manage the coordination of Skype and our partner teams within Microsoft; delivering the next revolution in communication and collaboration. The future of Skype is in your hands; you have the opportunity to carve out Skype’s direction and the roadmap of new and innovative offerings to our customers.
In this role, you and your team will be working with individual product teams within Skype and Microsoft to collect and analyze critical business data to support and influence the planning process. Additionally, you will be pivotal in aligning product backlogs across teams and within Microsoft to ensure efficient and on-time delivery of the Skype products to our customers and into larger Microsoft offerings such as Windows™ and Office™.

The Challenge is …

 Microsoft is a global organization and Skype exemplifies that at its core. You and your team will be responsible for driving the planning and alignment of teams across the globe; including, but not limited to, Stockholm, Prague, Tallinn, Moscow, London, Palo Alto, New York and Redmond. Additionally, teams as Skype employ agile development practices and are heavily invested in Scrum. The challenges of aligning backlogs and tracking progress across sprints are intensified by distance and remote offices. However, the rewards of bring a global product together and on time are equally amplified. Get this right and Skype and Microsoft will be leading the communications and collaborations space for the foreseeable future.

The Product Planning Manager is …

 At Skype, Product Planning Managers have responsibility for a product and all the supporting systems throughout the full lifecycle (from concept to end-of-life) and significant contribution and ownership of the product’s commercial success as defined by revenue, user growth, engagement and customer lifetime value. For product planning and delivery, the Product Planning Manager‘s product is the future of Skype; owning the strategic and tactical planning for the whole Skype division as well as the coordination of releases and deliverables across Microsoft. Additionally, you and your team are responsible for alignment, process and reporting across the Skype division; driving best-practices to the individual teams and assisting in progress reporting and delivering comprehensive updates to our internal and external partners and executives within Microsoft. You are Skype’s ambassadors to the world and have an impact in both Skype’s direction and is Skype’s perception as a global service provider; influencing how Skype does business now and in the future.

The Responsibilities are …

 You, and your team, are responsible for:

• Gathering and analyzing business data (and assisting teams in generating needed data) to help shape and mold Skype’s portfolio of products and offerings; driving the Skype division’s strategy for the next generation of products and new product offerings designed to bring tremendous value to Microsoft and our customers
• Coordination and consolidation of product planning across the Skype division; including regular reporting and reviews with Skype and Microsoft executives
• Working closely with individual product teams to assist in the planning process and rolling up individual product roadmaps into a consolidated global Skype roadmap and strategy
• Evangelizing the value and benefits of the a coordinated delivery of products and features by creating a “better together” value proposition for Skype and aligning teams to deliver against that plan
• Evangelizing and driving best-practices in engineering and agile development across Skype and working with teams to implement consistent and predictable sprint plans
• Developing clear plans and budgets for Skype’s services and maintaining clear resource, ongoing support and operating costs along with investment requirements
• Traveling globally to different development sites to and interact with Skype’s globally distributed work force; bringing the full potential of the Skype division together as a single team

Qualifications and Experience

 The candidate must have experience working within a large organization or company of diverse ideas and products. The role requires a highly motivated self-starter with the ability to think strategically about business issues; understand new technologies and their benefits to customers – ultimately synthesizing large amounts of information into crisp recommendations to be presented (and defended) to a variety of audiences including senior leaders from operations, site management, product teams and executives. The candidate needs to be able to recognize and evaluate new business opportunities backed by solid analysis.

Additionally:

• A B.Sc. or equivalent in Computer Science
• Strong background building and delivering products and / or platforms
• Strong product management experience and experience driving at least 2-3 complex solutions across large organizations through partnering and collaborative relationships; ensuring that the organization is delivering to expectation and time on a complete platform and solution
• Background working with data analytics platforms is strongly desired
• Proven record in stretching oneself to support the delivery of great products and features as well as to drive high standards of achievement and delivery
• Demonstrated experience building and shipping software via Agile software development methodologies
• Experience working with products in a global setting and with a broad international user community; demonstrating cultural sensitivity and a proven ability to work with teams and partners across multiple geographies
• Demonstrable management experience
• Full SDLC experience, including release to operations and production, in a world class development environment
• Demonstrated skill working in, contributing to, and managing high performing teams
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
• Creative and passionate about generating new ideas

To apply:

Join our Talent Network: http://bit.ly/PA4HsW

Skype – London, UK