Product Manager
WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance
Job Title: Product Manager
Type of Contract: Consultant Level II
Division: Solution Delivery (TECD), Information Technology Division
Duty Station: Remote
Duration: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The WFP Technology Division (TEC) is the nervous system of WFP, connecting staff with each other and with our beneficiaries, donors and partners. Running all vital IT systems, TEC serves as the main driver for continuity of operations, efficiency gains and innovations that empower staff globally to effectively implement the Strategic Plan.
Reporting to the Digital Product Management Lead, the Product Manager is the custodian of the grand vision of the product, responsible for maximizing the value brought by the IT solution by understanding business and end-user requirements and prioritizing the work to be done. The Product Manager aims for an IT solution which achieves the highest quality in terms of technical usability, user acceptability, and domain suitability.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Create and maintain the Product Canvas outlining the vision of the product;
- Create and maintain the Product Roadmap outlining the evolution of the product;
- Present the Product Roadmap for endorsement to the TEC Architectural Board, when updated;
- Perform the role of Scrum Product Owner:
- Gather and validate requirements following a Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach;
- Communicate requirements inwards to the Development Team:
- Identify and categorize stakeholders/customers/users/subject-matter experts;
- Decompose high-level requirements;
- Identify and describe Product Backlog Items (PBI), partnering closely with the Business and the team to ensure everyone understands the items in the backlog;
- Ensure the PBIs pass the Definition of Ready criteria;
- Facilitate the Just-In-Time (JIT) detailed requirements delivery;
- Determine whether PBIs were satisfactorily delivered; and
- Give the Development Team clear guidance on which features to deliver next.
- Communication outwards to Stakeholders:
- Communicate estimates, dependencies and technical issues after grooming sessions, informing and negotiating with the Business;
- Make decisions, in consultation with Stakeholders, regarding the priority of PBIs;
- Inform of progress and host demonstrations to stakeholders; and
- First point of contact between stakeholders and the Scrum team.
- Decide when to deploy the product with the predisposition towards frequent releases;
- Take care of Backlog Grooming: regularly review items on the backlog to ensure the backlog contains the appropriate items, that they are prioritized, and that the items at the top of the backlog are ready for delivery;
- Participate in the Sprint Planning session; a team planning meeting that determines what to complete in the coming Sprint;
- Listen-in at the Daily Stand-up session: a 15-minute mini-meeting for the team to sync-up.
- Chair the Sprint Demo session: A sharing meeting where the team shows what was produced during the Sprint; and
- Participate in the Sprint Retrospective session: a review of what did and did not go well during the Sprint, with actions to make the next Sprint better;
- Manage the product budget, and prepare cost estimates based on the IT Solution Architect’s high- level effort estimates;
- Keep track of the consumption of purchased time-and-materials quotas;
- Provide guidance to vendors concerning the submission of consumption reports and invoices;
- Approve consumption reports for the insertion the corresponding Service Entry Sheets;
- In collaboration with the TEC’s Head of Sourcing, create and renew Purchase Orders
- When required, act as Project Manager:
- Report periodically on progress to the project management office, informing them of any issues/risks requiring attention. Identify and escalate issues that could affect the product outcomes, timeline or budget.
- Any other duties as required for the successful delivery of the product or project.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
- A well-defined Product Vision and an up-to-date Product Roadmap fully aligned with Business Roadmaps and the needs of end-users.
- A well-managed Product Backlog duly groomed and with Product Backlog Items (PBIs) passing the Definition of Ready criteria.
- A product which achieves the highest quality in terms of technical usability, user acceptability, and domain suitability.
- A high level of satisfaction of the Stakeholders, IT Solution Architect, and Development Teams in relation to soft-skills such as effective communication, conflict management, strategic contributions to product’s success, leadership skills, etc.
- Contribute for the improvement of shared processes and tools.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
- University degree in Business Administration, Information Technology or related fields
Experience:
- Minimum five (5) years post graduate experience with product/project management, and a proven track record of planning, leading and executing related projects.
Knowledge & Skills:
- In-depth knowledge and experience with Agile and Scrum. Knowledge of Product and Project Management methodologies and tools. Experience gathering business and user requirements. Ability to influence cross-functionally to manage projects within a matrix environment; Ability to manage budget, resources and risks. Ability to manage Stakeholders also at senior levels
Language:
- Fluency in oral and written English with an intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
WFP offers a competitive compensation package, which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.
http://www.wfp.org Click on: "Our Work" and "Countries" to learn more about WFP's operations.
Deadline for applications: 7 August 2023 at 11:59pm Rome time (CET/CEST)
Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
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