Sr. Technical Product Manager

Senior Technical Product ManagerAs a Senior Technical Product Manager at Panera, you are responsible for owning the strategy, roadmap, and delivery of critical digital platforms across the eCommerce and in-café ecosystem. This role operates with broad scope and high autonomy, leading complex, cross-functional initiatives that span multiple teams, systems, and vendor partnerships.You serve as a bridge between product strategy and technical execution, translating business and customer needs into scalable, high-performing platform capabilities. In addition to driving delivery, you are accountable for product outcomes, platform reliability, and long-term technical evolution.The Sr. TPdM also acts as a senior leader and mentor, elevating product management practices, influencing cross-functional decisions, and serving as a trusted advisor to Product, Engineering, and executive stakeholders.Location: St. Louis, MO (hybrid)Duties & ResponsibilitiesThe primary responsibilities of this job include, but are not limited to:Product Strategy & Roadmap Ownership Own and define the technical product strategy and roadmap for one or more critical domains (Web, Mobile, Kiosk, Shared Services)Partner with Digital Product Managers to translate customer needs and business goals into scalable technical solutionsDrive product discovery, solution design, and prioritization decisionsBalance trade-offs across customer value, performance, scalability, technical debt, and speed to marketIdentify opportunities to evolve platform capabilities and support long-term growth and extensibilityEnd-to-End Product Ownership & Execution Leadership Own the end-to-end lifecycle from ideation through delivery and post-launch optimizationTranslate roadmap initiatives into execution plans, backlog structure, and measurable outcomesProactively identify cross-team dependencies, risks, and architectural constraints and drive resolutionEnsure high-quality, predictable delivery across multiple teams and workstreamsAct as a senior advisor on feasibility, sequencing, and solution trade-ofOutcome Ownership & Product Performance Own and drive measurable product and platform outcomes, including: Conversion and digital revenue impactSystem performance and latencyReliability and stability (99.99% uptime target)Customer and operational experience metricsUse data and insights to inform prioritization and continuously optimize product performanceMonitor platform health and proactively identify areas for improvement and innovationEngineering & Architecture Partnership Partner with Engineering and Architecture to define system design and technical directionInfluence platform architecture decisions to support scalability, resilience, and maintainabilityParticipate in and challenge technical design reviewsEnsure solutions align with enterprise architecture, security, and performance standardsAdvocate for investments in technical health, modernization, and platform sustainabilityAdvanced Prioritization & Backlog Leadership Own a multi-team, outcome-driven backlog aligned to strategic roadmap objectivesDrive prioritization decisions balancing: Feature deliveryProduction stabilityTechnical debt reductionLong-term platform evolutionEnsure consistent quality of user stories, acceptance criteria, and readiness standardsMentor Product Managers/Owners on backlog strategy and prioritization best practicesRelease Ownership & Production Accountability Own execution of complex, high-impact releases across multiple teams and systemsEnsure releases meet readiness standards including: Documentation and traceabilityTesting and certificationRisk and dependency alignmentLead go/no-go decisions, release coordination, and issue resolutionServe as the primary escalation point for production issuesDrive continuous improvement in release quality, predictability, and operational readinessOwn, document, and execute release management process and calls, ensuring the product is deployed successfully and making precise business and technical judgment calls for issues found before or during the callProduct Health, Stability & Technical Debt Strategy Own visibility and improvement of platform health metrics: Stability and crash trendsOrder and transaction performanceCustomer and operational feedbackLead strategic planning and execution of technical debt and platform modernization initiativesEnsure technical investments are proactively planned and aligned to roadmap prioritiesPartner with Engineering to maintain a healthy balance of feature delivery and platform sustainabilityCross-Functional Leadership & Executive Communication Act as a thought partner and decision-maker across Product, Engineering, and business teamsInfluence roadmap trade-offs and investment decisionsProvide clear, concise communication on: Roadmap progressDelivery status and forecastsRisks, blockers, and mitigation plansProduct and platform performanceTranslate complex technical concepts into business-relevant insights for leadershipVendor & Partner Leadership Own delivery outcomes and performance for external vendor partnersLead vendor governance, execution reviews, and continuous improvement effortsEnsure alignment between vendors and internal teams on standards, timelines, and quality expectationsEscalate and resolve vendor-related risks impacting delivery or platform healthMentorship & Team Leadership Serve as a mentor and coach to Technical Product Managers, Product Owners, and cross-functional peersElevate standards across backlog management, delivery execution, and product thinkingDrive consistency and maturity in product management practices across the organizationQualifications (Education & Experience)Required Experience 8–10+ years of experience in Technical Product Management, Product Management, or related rolesProven experience owning product strategy, roadmaps, and delivery for complex digital platformsStrong background in software development lifecycle, system architecture, and scalable systemsExperience leading large-scale, cross-team initiatives and high-visibility product launchesDemonstrated ability to influence technical and business decisions at a senior levelExperience working in Agile / SAFe environments at scaleTechnical & Product Skills Strong ability to translate business needs into technical solutions and architectural considerationsDeep understanding of APIs, microservices, and distributed systemsExperience with performance optimization, scalability, and reliability engineering principlesStrong analytical and data-driven decision-making skillsLeadership & Communication Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skillsAbility to operate as both a strategic leader and hands-on executorStrong cross-functional leadership and influence without direct authorityProven ability to drive alignment in complex, fast-paced environmentsPreferred Qualifications Experience in eCommerce, mobile apps, kiosks, or omni-channel platformsExperience with enterprise-scale, high-availability systemsBackground