Head.Product Management Assurance at 9Mobile

Job Summary       

• Responsible for converting concepts to actual products & services and overall product management;
• Contribute to shaping product platform strategy and capabilities roadmap for traditional and digital services;
• Coordinate with other functions, most notably service design, to ensure the right level of utility, user experience and adoption;
• Lead the Business Readiness Assurance effort for products, services and other related requirements ensuring objectives are met and no impairment to profitability, customer satisfaction and corporate brand.
• Drive continuous improvement, quality and high performance across these domains.  

Principal Functions       

• Define and establish the product management vision, goals, supporting business metrics, and success indicators;
• Contribute to shaping and influencing the long-term product roadmap;
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) covering planning, introduction (execution) and post- launch (strategic and tactical management of existing portfolio). Measure and analyse existing products for opportunities to innovate and improve in order to enhance adoption, profitability and deliver more value to customers;
• Responsible for the product concept to launch (C2L) process by:
• Leading the development of business requirement documents (BRD) based on intimate knowledge  of  the  product  portfolio,  associated  business  cases,  industry  trends, customer preferences, the market, and internal dependencies within the company;
• Ensuring rigor in the translation   of concepts   into detailed   specifications   for development, ensuring new business rules (as they relate to products, services and related solutions) do not contradict/conflict with existing ones;
• Planning,  scheduling  and  collaborating  with  stakeholders  within  and  outside  the enterprise in the day to day product & services implementation activities.  Work cross- functionally with designers, software developers, business development, other product managers, and external partners to guarantee a smooth and efficient product & service delivery process;
• Leading all business readiness testing (BRT) effort covering user acceptance testing (UAT), operational acceptance testing (OAT) & compliance acceptance testing to ensure new implementations are implemented in line with requirements, and are fit for purpose before implementation in a 'live' business environment;
• Manage, monitor and evaluate the team's on-going performance as per agreed KPIs, as well as the quality of its output and services;
• Implement actions, where necessary, to ensure expected performance levels are attained;
• Ensure prompt communications and delivery of operational reports, product management insights and updates for various levels of management;
• People management and resource planning, ensuring timely escalation and resolution of risks and issues;
• Contribute to periodic business and financial analysis in relation to product management;
• Stay abreast of and apply best practices related to telecom product innovation / product management discipline across the enterprise;
• Contribute to maintaining the organisation's ISO QMS and other relevant certifications;
• Perform other duties as assigned by line management

Educational Requirements             

• A good university first degree or equivalent.
• Relevant postgraduate (preferably MBA) and/or professional qualification with strong supporting experience in a related field will be an added advantage;

Experience, Skills & Competencies               

• Nine (9) to Twelve (12) years of work experience in a product management discipline and preferable in the Telecom/IT industry with progressive levels of responsibilities;
• At least five (5) of these should be in a mid to senior level role;
• An ownership, get-it-right-first-time mentality, with strong user advocacy and a history of teamwork and willingness to roll up sleeves to get the job done;
• Demonstrable solid knowledge and experience in the following areas are strongly desired:
• Agile solution development approach;
• Demonstrable knowledge, (and optionally, certifications) in the platforms supporting the deployment of Etisalat Nigeria's products and services, VAS, protocols and technologies are strong requirements;
• Business readiness assurance, business analysis, usability considerations;
• Limited system analysis experience;
• Sound knowledge of internal business processes, especially those that relate the mobile telecommunications industry;
• Strong experience and ability to influence the product & service platform vision, goals, and priorities;
• Highly developed business communications skill (verbal and written), team management, excellent project management skills and the ability to drive performance, and compliance with adjacent processes from all areas within the company;
• High attention to detail including precise and effective communications and proven ability to manage multiple,  competing  priorities  simultaneously;  Continuously  seeks  ways  to  deliver  tangible operational efficiencies;
• Ability to adapt well, initiate change in the organization, and deliver at satisfactorily high levels under intense pressure;
• Proven analytical, critical thinking and quantitative skills and an ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions and analyse business cases