Freelance Senior Product Manager

At AKQA (part of WPP) we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

Product Managers at AKQA provide cross functional leadership to ensure delivered work meets the needs of the client and their customers. This involves not only consuming the information and direction we receive, but looking beyond and demonstrating thought leadership and critical analysis to guide the team towards creating the best possible solution. AKQA offers teams the opportunity to produce innovative work that moves companies, and their communities forward. All disciplines collaborate to find the best solution while delivering each aspect to the highest standard. From products and services to imaginative storytelling, our shared vision is to create experiences that drive progress and results. We are fortunate to partner with forward-thinking clients,
including Verizon, IBM, Mayo Clinic, HSS, Volvo, and Campari.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Lead process of identifying and clarifying product requirements for clients using interviews, workshops, and surveys across stakeholders
• Collaborate with UX and Strategy leads to discern customer problems and pain points for a workflow, individual existing product, new product concept, or ecosystem or products
• Create and maintain the following deliverables:
  • Use Cases
  • Business Requirements
  • Functional Requirements
  • Product Backlog
• Liaison between the business, creative and technology teams to ensure a common understanding of business requirements and solutions
• Catalogue background knowledge and develop subject matter expertise to share with the internal team, resolve questions the team may have that impacts the direction of the work
• Work side-by-side with our creative team to refine/clarify requirements as well as provide guidance on proposed solutions
• Understand how proposed solutions may impact technical implementation and highlight potential challenges early so that dependencies may be resolved
• Interface with internal and external development teams to ensure product vision is carried through to the final product
• Ensure the accuracy of all project deliverables against approved requirements
• Help establish scope of work and prioritize high-level requirements, working with Client, Project Manager, and Technical Architect
• Develop a tactical product roadmap by conducting prioritization exercises
• Provide recommendations on product direction based on expertise and analysis
• Outline delivery needs based on requirements, product knowledge, and approved creative concepts
• Assist in writing functional specifications defining the proposed creative solution
• Participate in the communication of solutions to clients and third-party partners
• Generate and maintain a backlog of epics and user stories to support a development lifecycle

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• 5+ years of experience preferably within a consulting or agency environment, implementing innovative, interactive and consumer-focused solutions
• End to end project lifecycle experience across multiple digital platforms
• Adaptable to a variety of workflows based on client and project needs, including waterfall and agile approaches
• Effective communication skills at all levels, (presentation, written, verbal)
• Ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with peers and external client staff, and the ability to achieve results under potentially difficult circumstances
• Strong organization skills; responsive to colleagues for overall clarity and understanding
• Passion for creating innovative solutions that help companies connect and engage with customers is essential
• Ability to work well under pressure and to have an objective focused and positive approach and be comfortable working independently. Is self-motivated and self-driven
• Strong customer service ethos, a commitment to quality and the will to constantly drive improvements

OTHER DETAILS

• Hybrid role, must be located in the US
• Freelance temp W2 only, not 1099 or corp-to-corp
• Full-time schedule, 40-hours per week
• Pay rate expected to range from $3,000-$3,800 per week