Associate Product Manager

Big Happy; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Dental

Vision

Unlimited PTO

HSA/FSA match

Laptop provided

Stock program

Parental Leave

Half Day Fridays

Team Happy culture

Job summary

Big Happy is seeking an Associate Product Manager to turn business needs into clear, build-ready requirements for our order management and creative production platforms. You will lead discovery with Sales, Operations, and Client Services and translate insights into PRDs and user stories for Engineering and Design teams.

The role emphasizes strong writing, clear thinking, and ownership of product workstreams, with agile delivery and collaboration across multiple internal teams.

Qualifications

• Wrote requirements and shipped work with an engineering team.
• Experience in agile software or SaaS environments with backlog refinement/sprint planning.
• Ability to elicit needs from stakeholders and map workflows into user stories and acceptance criteria.
• Experience documenting processes and user stories for technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Translate discovery findings into PRDs and user stories for in-house platforms.
• Lead structured discovery with Sales, Operations, Client Services, and other stakeholders.
• Own assigned product workstreams and drive day-to-day execution with limited oversight.
• Create build-ready documentation for UX and Engineering aligned with standards.
• Identify scope, timeline, dependencies, and trade-offs early and elevate decisions.

Skills

Structured discovery

Agile delivery

Requirements writing

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical thinking

Clear written communication

Ownership mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/marketing/CS or related

Job description

Associate Product Manager

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Department: Product

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Chicago

Reporting To: Sr. Product Manager

Description

Big Happy is looking for an Associate Product Manager to help bring our product roadmap to life across our in-house platforms, including the order management system and creative production tool our own Engineering and Design teams build and maintain. Reporting to the Sr. Product Manager, this role turns business needs and discovery insights into clear, build-ready requirements that enable Design and Engineering to move quickly and confidently.

You will lead structured discovery with Sales, Operations, and Client Services to uncover pain points and clarify workflows, then translate what you learn into detailed PRDs, user stories, and acceptance criteria. You will independently own assigned product workstreams, keep momentum through agile delivery, and surface trade-offs and risks early so solutions stay practical, well-scoped, and aligned with platform capabilities and business goals.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer and clear thinker who enjoys untangling complex workflows, asks thoughtful questions, and takes pride in documentation that engineers can build from without guesswork.

Key Responsibilities

• Write Detailed Product Requirements: Translate discovery findings and roadmap priorities into complete PRDs for our in-house order management and creative production platforms, including problem statements, user needs, scope, workflows, dependencies, acceptance criteria, and open questions
• Lead Cross-Functional Discovery: Run structured discovery conversations with Sales, Operations, Client Services, and other internal stakeholders to uncover pain points, validate business needs, and clarify edge cases
• Own Assigned Workstreams: Drive day-to-day execution of defined product workstreams within the broader roadmap by organizing tasks, tracking decisions, and moving initiatives forward with limited oversight
• Deliver Build-Ready Documentation: Synthesize requests, process details, and technical context into specific, unambiguous documentation for UX and Engineering, aligned with Big Happy's product documentation standards
• Surface Trade-offs and Risks Early: Identify scope, timeline, dependency, and technical trade-offs; evaluate their impact on delivery and user outcomes; and elevate decisions promptly rather than waiting for direction
• Support Agile Delivery: Partner with Engineering during backlog refinement, sprint planning, and delivery follow-through by clarifying requirements and keeping tickets aligned with intended product behavior
• Build Platform Knowledge: Develop working knowledge of core platform functionality, user workflows, and system interactions across our in-house order management and creative production platforms so requirements reflect operational realities and integration constraints
• Keep Artifacts Current: Update PRDs, document revisions, and communicate requirement changes to stakeholders as decisions evolve, ensuring agreed outcomes are reflected through delivery

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• 1-3 years of professional experience, including at least 1 year in a product or product-adjacent role where you wrote requirements and shipped work with an engineering team
• Experience working in an agile software or SaaS environment, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, or related delivery activities
• Demonstrated ability to elicit needs from stakeholders and turn them into clear requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria, including mapping and documenting workflows
• Working experience developing user stories, refining backlogs, and mapping and documenting processes
• Enough technical fluency to follow high-level discussions about APIs, integrations, and data flow
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to write clearly for technical and non-technical audiences and build strong working relationships across Sales, Operations, Client Services, Design, and Engineering
• Strong analytical thinking and judgment, with the ability to weigh trade-offs and prioritize effectively
• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset; comfortable taking initiative and driving work forward independently
• Ability to build strong relationships across Sales, Operations, Client Services, Design, and Engineering
• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, computer science, information systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

Nice to Have

• Background in ad tech or digital media, whether ad operations, trafficking, agency, publisher, or ad server side
• Experience with SaaS product operations or systems integration documentation
• Comfortable using AI tools in day-to-day product work, such as research synthesis, drafting, and analysis.

Benefits

• Full-time position with a competitive base salary
• Access to benefits, including Healthcare, Dental, and Vision
• Unlimited PTO - take what you need
• HSA/FSA match program
• Big Happy-provided laptop
• Participation in Big Happy's stock program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Half Day Fridays (except Q4)
• Team Happy camaraderie, celebrating wins, learning from challenges, and fostering continuous career growth
• A workplace culture where you can be yourself, contribute meaningfully, and be valued for your impact

Location: New York, New York (Hybrid) or Chicago (Hybrid). This role works from our NYC or CHI office 3 days per week.

Total Compensation: $85,000-$110,000 base salary + 10% semi-annual bonus. Actual base pay will depend on factors such as experience, skills, and location. The total compensation package may include bonuses, equity, and comprehensive benefits.