Lead Product Specialist

Compunnel, Inc.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Lead Product Specialist to drive the onboarding and training of product teams. This pivotal role involves coaching teams through new operational models, enhancing product execution, and fostering collaboration among product owners and managers. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in product management and agile methodologies, with a strong focus on team development and performance improvement. Join this dynamic environment where your expertise will shape the future of product strategy and execution, ensuring teams are equipped to meet their goals effectively.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in product management or related fields.
• Experience in product ownership and agile execution.

Responsibilities

• Onboard product teams and ensure successful completion of bootcamp.
• Guide teams through organizational redesign and maturity assessment.

Skills

Hands-on coaching

Agile methodologies

SAFe Framework

Lean product development

Workshop facilitation

OKR development

Team transition guidance

Tools

Agile project management software

Product management tools

Job description

As a Lead Product Specialist, you will play a critical role in managing the onboarding of product teams, leading them through essential training, and guiding organizational design and baseline maturity. This role requires hands-on coaching, support in adopting new operational models, and ensuring successful product execution in alignment with company goals. You will collaborate with product owners and product managers to establish roadmaps, set objectives, and ensure teams adopt new ways of working.

Key Responsibilities

1. Onboard Product Teams:
   Ensure product teams successfully complete the product bootcamp.
   Prepare teams for success in the coaching and adoption phase with the Product Specialist.
2. Lead Foundational Training:
   Support teams in establishing product roadmaps, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and product vision.
   Provide foundational training to enhance product understanding and execution.
3. Organization Redesign:
   Guide teams through organizational redesign by validating team composition.
4. Baseline Team Maturity:
   Conduct coaching, track post-coaching progress, and support adoption of new operating models.
   Provide coaching during Program Increments (PIs) to Product Owners and Product Managers.
5. Coaching & Development:
   Help teams write epics, features, and user stories, prioritize tasks, and refine OKRs and product roadmaps.
   Support teams in transitioning to new roles and responsibilities post bootcamp.
6. Identify Gaps & Improvements:
   Identify and address any gaps in team performance.
   Provide targeted coaching to enhance adoption and execution of the new product operating model.
7. Engage Teams & Provide Guidance:
   Work closely with teams to earn their trust and guide them through changes.
   Use a pragmatic approach to help teams adjust to new ways of working, offering tailored support for team-specific challenges.
   Provide weekly status reports on each team’s progress, issues, risks, and escalations, as necessary.

Required Qualifications

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in product management, product strategy, product coaching, or related areas.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in product ownership, backlog management, and agile execution.

Skills & Expertise:

• Hands-on coaching experience in epic, feature, and user story development and prioritization.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, SAFe Framework, and lean product development.
• Ability to lead workshops, facilitate roadmap development, and conduct training exercises.
• Ability to guide teams in the creation of OKRs, product vision, and product roadmaps.
• Ability to help teams transition into new roles and new ways of working.

Leadership & Influence:

• Strong ability to engage with senior leadership and influence decision-making.
• Ability to drive alignment across teams and provide feedback on team effectiveness.

Preferred Qualifications

Process Improvement:
Ability to identify process inefficiencies and provide feedback for continuous improvement.

Additional Skills:
Experience with specific product management tools, Agile project management software, or product development platforms is a plus.

Certifications (if applicable)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or Certified SAFe Agilist is a plus.