Manager of Product Management, IT Store Systems

Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home in the United States. Our family of brands are Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham. These brands are among the best known and most respected in the industry.

Store Systems is looking for a Customer Service oriented person with a Can-Do attitude who is skilled in managing a wide range of people and products. We want someone to join our Product Management team who will be an active, hands on manager in guiding and supporting a small group of Product Managers. We are looking for a person who wants to help shape our Store Systems of the future. Store Systems Product Management is responsible for overseeing the lifecycle from product inception to retirement. Product Management partners with many internal corporate stakeholders and external vendors to define a product vision and strategy and ultimately brings that product to realization. Various areas of product expertise and responsibility within the team include, but not limited to: POS, Labor Work Force Management, Clienteling, Mobile, Gift Registry and Payment Services.

- Responsible for one or more major domains and will serve as the liaison between the business community and the IT organization to provide product and user experience solutions to meet the business needs. - Develop high level business requirements and translate them into functional specifications for the IT organization and manage changes to such specifications - Possess broad knowledge of technical design specifications and work with technology peers to help develop solutions - Negotiates agreements and commitments by facilitating communication between the business and IT from initial requirements to final implementation - Possesses and may share subject-matter expertise or in-depth technical knowledge, uses expertise to further development of company objectives and principles and to achieve goals in creative and effective ways - Assists in Vendor selection and management, including contract agreements. - Planning, developing and executing test plans - Maintains issue logs, tracks/follows up on problems. - Act as point person for production support. **Management Responsibilities:** - Oversees the daily work activities and operations of the Product Management team offering feedback, coaching and development of effective team dynamics. - Accountable for the successful delivery of services of all functions within the Product Management scope of responsibility. - Owns the execution, planning and success of projects within their functional area and support for projects in other areas that are reliant on their team's services. - Possesses the knowledge of relevant technologies, processes and delivery methodologies needed to provide guidance to their team to resolve day-to-day issues, projects and other activities. - Manages the day-to-day service delivery of the Product Management team. - Assists with the acquisition and retention of talent, performance management, and other associate interactions.

**Essential Skill Set:** - Detail oriented, self-organized, and capable of simultaneously tracking multiple issues of varying complexity. - Self directing in their day-to-day work providing the needed direction to their team. - Excellent knowledge of product management best practices, functional design and application delivery methodology - Customer focused with high quality standards. - Strength in presentation, communication and influencing skills required for both technical and non-technical audiences. - Able to recognize the need for and handle conflict resolution with their area and intercede as needed - Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, business communication and writing skills - Using detailed knowledge of application features and functions assesses scope and impact of client business needs. - Ability to synthesize robust and cost-effective technical solutions against business requirements providing buy versus build decision making opportunities. - Resolves issues related to an application (new or current) involving, as required, team members, vendors, clients, etc. and escalates as needed. - Improves upon existing approaches by seeking opportunities to creatively transform current practices into fresh alternative solutions. - Acts as a primary resource in understanding how IT systems carry out business functions. - Positive can-do partnership attitude while working with teams, cross-functional teams and business units. - Continually seeks opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen client relationship. **Requirements:** * Bachelor's or Master's Degree in relevant field of work or equivalent work experience * Minimum of 8 years of related work experience. * Ability to perform complex and varied level work where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of various factors. * Reliable business knowledge, preferably in the retail industry * Knowledgeable on technical data analysis, functional design, modeling, system development processes, and software testing * Advanced interpersonal, business communication, and writing skills * Able to demonstrate effective use of application and PCs * Customer focused with high quality standards * Complex thinking, analysis, and decision making skills * Experienced with technical troubleshooting and problem solving