Software Technical Program Manager

Description

Whisker is the maker of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com. At Whisker, we believe pet parenthood can always get better.

As leading innovators in pet tech and refined pet accessories, we work tirelessly to solve problems and deliver smarter insights for pet parents while enriching the lives of pets. Whether it’s a self-cleaning litter box that automates scooping, an automatic feeder that helps pets develop healthier eating habits, or a modern cat tree that delights both humans and felines, we strive to deliver better solutions for consumers while transforming pet care along the way. To us, having a pet is the best thing ever. At Whisker, life together just keeps getting better.

Whisker is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Juneau, Wisconsin with 600+ passionate team members.

What You’ll Do:

The Software Technical Program Manager will be responsible for managing software focused platform products and product development. The Program Manager will oversee portions of the Digital product roadmap and drive cross-functional programs from inception through completion.

• Works alongside application developers, architects, scrum masters, user experience architects, user acceptance testers and quality assurance testers to deliver mobile app experiences that exceed user expectations
• Responsible for delivery of cross-functional programs including removing roadblocks, identifying risk, resource planning, and prioritization alignment between Product and Engineering
• Represents the Software Program team in day-to-day agile scrum team meetings including: Daily Stand-Ups, Sprint Reviews, Sprint Planning sessions, Sprint Retrospectives, Backlog refinement & grooming sessions, and Product demonstrations.
• Manages the analytics and performance reporting for new digital features
• Supports the SW Engineering Roadmap
• Liaisons with key members of the marketing organization on communication programs that raise awareness and drive usage of the mobile self-service channel
• Identifies emerging trends and stays abreast of the pet industry and connected home products
• Conducts project retrospectives to identify areas for process improvement and proposes relevant process changes for implementation
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required

Requirements

What You’ll Bring:

• BS in computer science or related field
• 2+ years of program management of relevant experience, ideally 1-2 years in a mobile environment (or similar technical field)
• Familiarity with and affinity for agile development, collaboration and test-and-learn environments
• Ability to demonstrate influential leadership and gain buy in from key stakeholders
• Ability to effectively understand data, analyze results, draw insights and conclusions, and recommend appropriate actions in an atmosphere of fact-based decision-making
• Excellent communication and story-telling skills, including the ability to effectively translate and communicate technical information in a meaningful way to non-technical audiences
• Ability to own Programs end-to-end while accounting for cross-functional needs
• Strong understanding of planning and prioritization, as well as when to adjust plans when needed
• Motivated to develop processes, procedure, and automation in support of a growing Project Management Organization
• Demonstrates a collaborative approach to achieving business results
• Passionate about delivering mobile solutions that exceed expectations
• Strong data skills with expertise across multiple disciplines including Data Analytics (Excel, DOMO, SQL, VBA)
• Familiarity with Atlassian products (Jira, Confluence, BitBucket)
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleagues
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs)

Not Required but Nice to Have!

• 1+ years of experience in IoT and/or embedded software and/or other smart home solutions
• Certified Scrum Master
• Experience with IoT devices and an understanding of how they function
• Experience in social networks and mobile applications
• Not required to have pets, but highly recommended!

Benefits & Purrks:

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to