Technical Product Manager

Senior-level TPM who thrives in ambiguity and can build and manage technology applications and data products that power Clients retail stores and frontline operations and brings: 

• Experience delivering Data or technology solutions for frontline business units, especially Retail, Care, or similarly operationally intensive environments
• Proven ability to manage complex, large-scale Data initiatives across multiple stakeholders, systems, and dependencies
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for senior leaders, technical teams, and business audiences
• Resilience and sound judgment in high-pressure, fast-moving environments
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to evolving work
• Strong learning agility, including the ability to quickly absorb new business, technical, and organizational concepts and apply them effectively

Highly preferred qualifications include a post-graduate degree in computer science, IT, engineering, Data, or a related technical field, as well as experience working with large retail or customer-facing organizations such as Starbucks or similar companies. She is looking for candidates who can operate with ownership, communicate clearly at multiple levels, and drive execution across both business and technical teams.

Implications for Sourcing:

• Focus sourcing on: Data product managers at major retailers (Starbucks, Target, Costco, Best Buy, etc.)
• Look for: Executive-presence candidates who've managed large transformation/data projects in operational environments
• Prioritize: Candidates with both technical foundation (degree) AND Frontline business experience
• Search strategy: Frontline alumni, retail analytics leaders, supply chain/operations technology leads (not just pure PMs)
• Interview focus: Emphasis on ambiguity tolerance, executive presence, large-scale initiative ownership

KEY DIFFERENCES FROM PREVIOUS JD

• Soft Skills
  • Previous -- Communication - Strong executive communication with ability to tailor messaging for senior leaders, technical teams, AND business audiences
  • New
    • Resilience - Resilience and sound judgment in high-pressure, fast-moving environments (NEW)
    • Ambiguity - Comfort operating in ambiguity and bringing structure, clarity, momentum (NEW)
    • Learning Agility - Strong learning agility—quickly absorb and apply business, technical, organizational concepts (NEW)
    • Ownership - Operate with ownership, communicate clearly at multiple levels, drive execution
• Domain & Industry Focus
  • Previous -- General technical product management
  • New
    • Data/technology solutions for Frontline (Retail, Care, operationally intensive)
    • Retail, Care, customer-facing, high-volume operations
    • Large retail orgs (Starbucks or similar)
• Experience
  • Previous --  6+ years hands-on technical (code, solution engineering, architecture) OR 7+ years Product Management in Agile environments
  • New
    • Required: Experience delivering Data or technology solutions for Frontline business units
    • Required: Proven ability to manage complex, large-scale Data initiatives across multiple stakeholders/systems/dependencies
• Education
  • Previous -- Bachelor's Degree Required
  • New -- Advanced Degree preferred (CS, IT, Engineering, Data, related field)
• Skills
  • Previous -- Agile Methodology, Backlog Management, Customer Centricity, Data Analysis, Problem Solving, Product Management, Product Roadmap, Solution Architecture Design, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Alignment, Technical Design Documentation, Technical Writing
  • New
    • Large-scale Data initiatives
    • Executive Communication
    • Resilience & Judgment
    • Learning Agility
    • Ambiguity Management
    • Ownership Mentality
• Profile
  • Previous
    • "A technical product manager with Agile experience who can bridge development and business"
    • Could come from any tech industry
    • Mix of technical depth + PM capability
    • Comfortable in structured, well-defined environments
  • New
    • "A data-driven, executive-ready product leader with Frontline/Retail domain expertise who thrives in ambiguity"
    • Must have Frontline/Retail/operationally intensive experience
    • Strong executive communication skills
    • Comfort with large-scale data initiatives and complex dependencies
    • High tolerance for ambiguity and pressure
    • Advanced technical degree preferred