Manager, Product

Location & Flexibility

Our Product Architecture Director role will be an integral part of our leadership at WillowTree. To help retain our deep culture of collaboration both among ourselves and our clients, this role will maintain an in-office presence in a hybrid (Work From Near) capacity from our Durham, North Carolina office.

Learn more about Work From Near.

Who We Are

WillowTree is an award-winning digital product agency driven by innovation and grounded in strategy and user-centered design. We create long-term partnerships with the world’s leading brands to design and build digital flagship products crucial to their core business. We are one of the largest independent digital firms in the US. Some of our clients include HBO, National Geographic, Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and many more.

The Opportunity

The Product Architecture Director is a highly collaborative role with endless opportunities to impact our teams, clients, and company. You’ll form close relationships with client stakeholders to understand their goals and vision and will lead multidisciplinary teams to iteratively bring that vision to life. You’ll play a key role in shaping the future of the Product Architecture discipline, while coaching individuals and teams, and still having the opportunity to build unique products with our partners. 

We understand our responsibility to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive place within the tech industry, while pushing to make our industry more representative. Because of this responsibility, we need candidates who value diversity and inclusion through their work, team collaboration, or mentorship. So in your cover letter, we encourage you to reflect on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Build strong client relationships and lead teams in building solutions that align with product vision and outcomes
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to iteratively deliver products that are in line with time and budget constraints
• Coach internal and external teams on improved processes and practices
• Establish and manage complex requirement backlogs that consider multiple platforms
• Facilitate discussions and create processes for scope management and feature prioritization
• Collaborate with product designers and engineers to create best-in-class user experiences
• Lead technical discussions with engineers to help define system architecture and data flows in order to guide feature development
• Organize and lead journey mapping, user story mapping, and other product-oriented workshops
• Manage and mentor other Product Architects to help further their career growth
• Help drive improvement and development of the Product Architecture discipline within the organization 
• Embody a growth mindset and apply it in your leadership style

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in the software development industry as a Product Owner, Technical Business Analyst, Requirements Manager, Product Manager, or related position 
• 2+ years of leadership experience - including leading teams and developing individuals in their career
• Demonstrated experience managing software projects with complex scope
• Experience conducting 1:1s with individuals and coaching colleagues and teams on their craft, while always contributing toward a psychologically safe environment
• Working knowledge of frontend and backend technologies (i.e. web/native apps, APIs, databases) and ability to quickly spin up on new technologies
• Ability to size solutions based on project constraints, i.e. time/scope/budget
• Strong documentation and technical writing skills, with proficiency in using user stories, acceptance criteria, requirements documentation methods, flow diagrams, and API documentation
• Experience working with clients to elicit and define requirements for multiple platforms: iOS, Android, Web, Backend technologies, etc.
• An understanding of and deep appreciation for the topic of user experience (UX) and a drive to stay up-to-date with the continually evolving landscape

Even if you don’t have expertise in all of the qualifications listed, we value new perspectives and backgrounds and encourage you to apply. We’re committed to building a diverse company that reflects the diversity of our users. We’re committed to growth-mindset.

Bonus Points

• Agency and/or consulting experience with a variety of clients and industries
• Management experience
• Experience with product research and strategy
• Knowledge of UI/UX platforms and design thinking
• Certified ScrumMaster and/or Certified Scrum Product Owner

Why WillowTree?

We offer a place to be yourself.

Our differences, both visible and invisible, benefit our teams, our communities, and the products we craft. That’s why WillowTree strives to build a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You’ll work hard here; however, we’ll balance that with a culture that supports your growth and cares about your well-being. We’re committed to creating an environment of inclusion — a place where every Tree can thrive.

We want you to reach your fullest potential and part of your professional development at WillowTree will include dedicated time to innovate on passion projects and an annual stipend to fund your professional pursuits.

WillowTree celebrates our differences and provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Diverse teams build better products. We acknowledge that the tech industry especially lacks opportunity for those who are of non-traditional backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. In order to create the best products for everyone, we know that it's important for our team to reflect the diversity of our users, and we are committed to being the change we want to see.