Position: Product Management Operations, Associate Director
Position Type: Full-Time
Department: Marketing
Location: Colorado-based, Boulder preferred; open to remote
Experience: Bachelor's required, 12+ years relevant experience, including 2-4 years in people management
Position Summary
Watchmaker Genomics is inviting applications for the full-time position of Product Management Operations Associate Director, based in Colorado (Boulder preferred; open to remote), reporting to our Vice President, Marketing.
Working across NGS, molecular diagnostics, and enzymes, the Associate Director will strengthen the systems, analytics, processes, and cross-functional operating mechanisms required to manage products throughout their lifecycle.
The Associate Director will lead a Product Management Operations team and partner closely with Core Product Management, Commercial Operations, Finance, Operations, Quality and IT. The role has particular responsibility for product and portfolio analytics, demand and business planning, pricing analytics, product health and Product Care & Quality (PCQ), lifecycle operations, and the custom product portfolio. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capability and business judgment with the ability to simplify complex cross-functional work and build scalable, repeatable ways of operating.
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Management Operations team, building a scalable cross-portfolio capability that provides operational leverage to the Product Management organization.
- Develop and continuously improve Product Management processes, tools, systems, metrics, and operating practices to increase efficiency, consistency, visibility, and scalability.
- Lead product and portfolio performance analytics, integrating relevant commercial, operational, financial, and quality data to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and actions.
- Support Product Management business and portfolio reviews by establishing consistent analytics and surfacing meaningful trends in product performance, demand, pricing, margin, quality, and other indicators of portfolio health.
- Lead the Product Management organization's contribution to demand planning and forecasting across standard and custom products, working with Product Managers, Operations, Finance, and Commercial Operations to develop a well-informed product demand view.
- Support pricing strategy and decision-making through structured pricing analytics, including ASP and margin trends, pricing frameworks, and scalable governance processes, in partnership with Product Management, Finance, and Commercial Operations.
- Lead the operational processes that support product health and Product Care & Quality (PCQ), including trend monitoring, cross-functional coordination, action tracking, and escalation of issues requiring Product Manager input or product decisions.
- Provide operational leadership for the custom product portfolio, supporting intake, evaluation, planning, cross-functional execution, forecasting, pricing inputs, and ongoing lifecycle management in close partnership with Product Managers and Commercial stakeholders.
- Coordinate operational activities across the product lifecycle, including on-market changes, product documentation, stability and regulatory requirements, customer communications, and discontinuation or end-of-life activities.
- Represent Product Management in relevant cross-functional systems, data, and process initiatives, ensuring product and portfolio requirements are understood and incorporated into business processes and systems.
- Identify opportunities to standardize, simplify, and automate recurring Product Management operational activities as the portfolio and organization scale.
Skills and Requirements
The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 years of relevant experience in product management, product operations, portfolio operations, commercial operations, or a related role. Experience in biotech, life sciences, genomics, molecular diagnostics, or another technically complex and quality-driven environment is highly desirable.
The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to integrate product, commercial, operational, financial, and quality data into clear business insights.
- Demonstrated experience in product or portfolio operations, including areas such as product performance, demand planning, forecasting, pricing analytics, lifecycle management, or business planning.
- Strong understanding of product lifecycle management and the cross-functional requirements associated with managing on-market products in a quality-driven environment.
- Demonstrated track record of improving processes, systems, tools, and operating practices and turning fragmented or ad hoc work into scalable, repeatable approaches.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and influence skills, with the ability to align teams across Product Management, Commercial, Operations, Finance, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and IT.
- Experience with business systems and analytical tools, including advanced proficiency in Excel and familiarity with ERP systems, Power BI, Sales Force and other supporting tools.
- Strong business judgment and commercial acumen, including the ability to understand the implications of pricing, demand, product performance, quality, and portfolio complexity.
- People leadership experience with the ability to coach, develop, and effectively lead a small team.
- Excellent organizational, problem-solving, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and bring structure to ambiguous situations.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of independent decision-making in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences, engineering, business, marketing, or a related field required. Advanced degree such as an MS or MBA preferred.
- 12+ years of relevant experience in product management, product operations, portfolio operations, commercial operations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience; 2-4 years of direct people management or equivalent functional leadership experience preferred.
- Experience in biotech, life sciences, genomics, molecular diagnostics, or another technically complex product environment preferred.
Compensation
The base compensation for the Product Management Operations Associate Director role starts at $140,000 - $160,000 + bonus + equity; actual pay will be adjusted based on skills and experience. Employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off and holidays, employer covers 75% of the base medical plan with buy-up options, EAP (employee assistance program), employer-paid dental, employer-paid vision, employer-paid $25,000 life/AD&D policy, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% match.
Application Requirements
To apply for the position, please submit the following in PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com:
- Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)
- Resume or Curriculum vitae highlighting relevant qualifications and experience
Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Local candidates preferred.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled; however, early submission is encouraged as review will begin immediately.
If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who can assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested.
*** NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE
We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics.
*** WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.
All applicants will be asked if currently eligible to work in the United States of America; and if now or in the future will require visa sponsorship to continue working in the United States.
This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
