Product Manager

Key Responsibilities Lead product initiatives for ORCA, the regional transit fare payment system, from inception through completion, ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery within defined scope and budget. Develop and manage product roadmaps, clearly aligning product features with user needs, market trends, and strategic objectives. Facilitate regular multi-agency meetings, workshops, and stakeholder engagements across seven Puget Sound transit agencies. Drive the product and business planning processes for cross-functional and intra-agency teams. Coordinate agile methodologies, including backlog prioritization, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives using the Optimal Product Process as a framework. Manage vendor and consultant relationships, specifically overseeing the main fare collection system integrator. Conduct market analyses, user research, and competitor evaluations to inform continuous improvement of product offerings. Provide comprehensive documentation, training, and ongoing support to stakeholders and operational teams. Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues, proactively communicating potential impacts and developing solutions. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget while maintaining quality. Evaluate and optimize operational processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness of fare collection systems. Prepare and deliver presentations, status updates, and reports to leadership, stakeholders, and partner agencies. Collaborate with technical teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications clearly and effectively. Actively identify market trends, assess peer products, and integrate user feedback to continuously improve product offerings and align product strategies with business objectives. Engage in traditional project management duties, including detailed project planning, scope management, resource allocation, schedule adherence, and risk management to deliver projects within established timelines and budgets. Collaborate with multiple transit agencies across the region, coordinating with representatives from seven participating partner agencies. Oversee vendor and consultant performance to ensure effective implementation and delivery of payment solutions across diverse regional stakeholders. Required Skills and Qualifications Knowledge of product management, project management, and business analysis processes, procedures, and practices. Strong knowledge of product lifecycle management, including roadmap creation, prioritization, and iterative enhancement. Proficiency in agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and tools (Jira, Confluence). Experience in defining product requirements, conducting user research, and translating user needs into clear product features. Expertise in data analysis, user experience (UX) principles, and using analytics to inform product strategy and improvements. Proficiency in detailed project planning, including defining scope, timelines, and milestones. Experience tracking project deliverables, monitoring progress, and ensuring timely completion of project phases. Ability to identify project risks, develop mitigation strategies, and proactively resolve issues to ensure successful delivery. Strong stakeholder communications and ability to build consensus across multiple agencies and teams. Vendor management and negotiation skills, particularly involving technology vendors and system integrators. Proficiency with MS Office, including SharePoint, with at least two years of relevant experience within the past five years. Sound judgment and the ability to escalate issues when necessary. Experience leading organizational change and facilitating conflict resolution, issue resolution, and roadblock removal. Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with department staff, management, vendors, and outside agencies. Strong attention to detail, independent judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness. Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities. Strong oral and written communication skills for diverse audiences, including agency staff, consultants, contractors, the public, elected officials, and regulatory bodies. Presentation development and public speaking skills. Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations. Preferred Skills and Qualifications Knowledge of various payment systems and industry standards (credit/debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, etc.). Familiarity with public transportation systems, ticketing solutions, fare collection methods, and transportation regulations. Familiarity with payment processing technologies, APIs, encryption, and security protocols. Ability to analyze data and trends to optimize payment processes. Experience with market and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and inform strategy. Experience developing prototypes or mock-ups to visualize and validate solutions. Knowledge of testing methodologies, test planning, and quality assurance practices. Knowledge of deployment processes to support smooth software release cycles. Desired Certifications or Licenses Product Manager Certification Project Manager Certification #J-18808-Ljbffr