Senior Director IT Product Management - Marketing & Customer Technology

Overview

The Senior Director of IT Product Management serves as a key leader responsible for owning and developing strategic plans for IT products throughout the organization in partnership with SVP, IT Product Management. This position directs and cultivates a team of IT product managers, ensuring technology initiatives are closely aligned with overarching business objectives. The Senior Director is tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive product roadmaps, overseeing the delivery of complex, high-quality portfolios, and leading cross-functional teams to drive business growth, foster innovation, and achieve operational excellence with short to mid-term impact on results.

Overview

The Senior Director of IT Product Management serves as a key leader responsible for owning and developing strategic plans for IT products throughout the organization in partnership with SVP, IT Product Management. This position directs and cultivates a team of IT product managers, ensuring technology initiatives are closely aligned with overarching business objectives. The Senior Director is tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive product roadmaps, overseeing the delivery of complex, high-quality portfolios, and leading cross-functional teams to drive business growth, foster innovation, and achieve operational excellence with short to mid-term impact on results.

The role reports to our Store Support Office in Phoenix, AZ, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring in-office presence Tuesday through Thursday.

Overview Of Responsibilities

• Own and develop a strategic, multi-year product vision for a portfolio of IT offerings that supports organizational goals and addresses customer requirements, while integrating analysis of relevant industry developments.
• Provide leadership in strategic planning and roadmap development, prioritizing initiatives that deliver business value, enhance operational efficiencies, and address customer needs.
• Proactively engage with stakeholders to collect insights, manage expectations, and communicate the progress of strategic initiatives.
• Oversee the IT product portfolio to ensure effective resource & cost allocation, robust risk management, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Initiate and collaborate on strategic changes that create lasting impact across IT, business functions, and vendor partnerships, extending beyond individual areas of responsibility.
• Manage and lead, mentor, and develop a team of IT product managers, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and ongoing improvement.
• Responsible for making significant improvements in best practices across product management, as well as agile methodologies.
• Work to influence others through collaborating closely with cross-functional teams and external vendors to ensure comprehensive end-to-end product management—from ideation through development, testing, launch, and post-launch optimization.
• Proactively assess and anticipate cross-functional team requirements, inform departmental leaders accordingly, and serve as a thought leader within the organization.
• Demonstrate ownership of complex and diverse portfolios.
• Determine work prioritization by offering critical insights into value, scope, cost, and resource allocation.
• Manage both project budgets and Cost Center budgets as required.
• Ensure team adherence to project management and Scrum processes, working closely with the IT & Enterprise Project Management leadership, providing guidance, and coaching to support proper governance of change management initiatives.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all product-related matters, ensuring ongoing stakeholder alignment and a unified understanding of product objectives.
• Establish a support operating model designed to address escalated calls when On Call team members are unable to resolve issues independently.
• Define for new solutions and maintain accountability for SOX Controls as required.
• Drive the implementation and continuous improvement of agile methodologies to foster iterative development and expedite feedback cycles, leading to enhanced product outcomes.
• Develop and enforce processes and standards that promote efficient and consistent product management practices throughout the organization.
• Collaborate with the AI Center of Excellence team to conceptualize and deploy AI solutions within their respective portfolios, either through strategic in-house development initiatives or by integrating essential partner technologies into routine operations.

Qualifications

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Bachelors in business, computer science, engineering, or equivalent experience
• 15+ years in product management, 7+ in senior leadership roles
• Experience leading complex IT product portfolios and large-scale strategies
• Knowledgeable in product frameworks and Agile methods
• Excellent leadership, mentorship, and team building
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills
• Effective communicator with proven stakeholder management

Experience With The Following Marketing Technology Applications Is Important

• Braze Customer Relationship Management (or similar platforms)
• NCR LoyaltyPro or other Loyalty and Offer Orchestration solutions
• CDP & Customer Intelligence Platforms powering personalization (e.g., Databricks)
• eCommerce & marketplace Platforms (e.g., Instacart StorefrontPro, DoorDash, Uber Eats)
• Paid media partners and platforms
• Retail Media Network programs
• Microsoft PowerBI or similar reporting tools
• AI platforms/tools driving workplace efficiency (standalone and embedded in above applications)

Core Competencies

Communication: Convey information, ideas, and feedback clearly and concisely in an engaging manner that helps others understand and retain the message; listening actively to others.

Customer Focus: Place a high priority on the customer’s perspective when making decisions and taking action; implementing service practices that meet the customers’ and own organization’s needs.

Driving for Results: Set SMART goals and measure progress; tenaciously working to meet or exceed goals and making continuous improvement. Seeking innovative ways to solve problems that result in unique and differentiated solutions.

Positive Approach: Demonstrate a positive attitude in the face of difficult or challenging situations; provide an uplifting (yet realistic) outlook on what the future holds and the opportunities it might present.

Coaching and Developing Others: Engaging team members and teams in developing and committing to individual development plans that target specific behaviors, skills, or knowledge needed to ensure performance improvement or prepare for success in new responsibilities; planning and supporting the development of individual skills and abilities.

Leading Change: Encouraging others to implement better approaches to address problems and opportunities leading to the implementation and acceptance of change. Strategic Planning: Obtaining information and identifying key issues and relationships relevant to achieve a long-range goal; committing to a course of action to accomplish a long-range goal after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and organizational values.

Benefits

In addition to a rewarding career, Sprouts offers a comprehensive program to help support you and your family. These programs include:

• Competitive pay
• Sick time plan that you can use to support you or your immediate families health
• Vacation accrual plan
• Opportunities for career growth