Product Manager, Proprietary Products

EBSCO Information Services (EIS) provides a complete and optimized research solution comprised of e-journals, e-books, and research databases — all combined with the most powerful discovery service to support the information needs and maximize the research experience of our end-users. Headquartered in Ipswich, MA, EIS employs more than 3,300 people worldwide. We are the leader in our field due to our cutting-edge technology, forward-thinking philosophy, and top-notch workforce. EIS, a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., based in Birmingham, AL, is ranked in the top 200 of the nation’s largest, privately held corporations according to Forbes magazine. EBSCO is a company that will motivate you, inspire you, and allow you to grow. We are looking for the best. If you are too, we encourage you to explore our unique opportunities.

Mission

The mission of the Product Manager for Proprietary Products is to help advance EBSCO’s position as a trusted source of high-quality, innovative products.  S/he will work closely with EBSCO product management leadership to evaluate and manage existing products and take them to the next level.   S/he will develop, manage, and coordinate activities focused on evidence-based new product development.  This includes idea generation, market research, and getting feedback from the EIS Sales team, customers, and end users as needed to evaluate product ideas and develop associated Business Cases. This will include collaboration across the organization with key internal stakeholders and senior management. S/he will manage new products that are brought to market.

Responsibilities

• Manage assigned products/product lines, including evaluating current state and developing future plans for maintaining/growing these products. Ensure content on products is up-to-date and products are
• Manage the production process for products, including the editorial production process related to the content for these products.This includes the editorial production process from preplanning and scheduling to delivery of final product.  Ensure overall consistency, clarity, and completeness of content creation projects on budget and on schedule.
• Conduct competitive analyses of related products on the market.
• Work with Product Management leadership to evaluate and market test new product ideas following Design Thinking and Lean/Agile principles. This will include working collaboratively with the EBSCO Research Team to plan and implement research as needed for evidence-based decisions related to new product development.
• Represent the voice of the user and customer from outside the company to the rest of our organization.
• Work with Product Management leadership to evaluate the market potential of new product ideas and develop Business Cases for those that are determined to have significant market potential.
• Shepherd ideas through the new product development process.
• Collaborate effectively across groups and departments in an open, transparent, and fact-based manner.
• Present results and plans to key stakeholders.
• Assess business needs and goals and get consensus on project costs and projections.Work on and help to create Business Cases and product-line P&Ls.
• Work to develop go-to-market plans, including collaborating with Product Management and Sales leadership on pricing and positioning strategies.
• Provide input into and influence long range plans.

• Work closely and collaboratively with leaders in Product Management, Sales & Marketing, Customer Satisfaction, Technology, Content Management, and other teams across the business.

• Manage new products brought to markets as required.

Required Qualifications

• 5 relevant years’ experience managing products and/or projects and processes related to product and/or content development with a software company, information services company, or publishing company. 

• Understanding of product development processes and working with teams in a Lean/Agile environment.

• Ability to understand qualitative and quantitative market research approaches.
• Demonstrated qualities around strategic thinking and planning.
• Experience/ability to conduct analytical and financial analysis, market analysis, create P&Ls, revenue forecasts, etc.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders across the company.
• Ability to workeffectivelyexternalpartners, dvisory boards.
• Flexibility/Adaptability: Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions, copes effectively with complexity and change.
• Able to take initiative with confidence, knows when to ask for guidance.
• position may require occasional travel.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• SAFe trained/experience a plus.
• Comfortable using collaboration tools, e.g. MS teams, etc.
• Passionate about developing and building great products.
• Sound business judgement.

Cultural Competencies

1. Drive: Cares intensely about EBSCO’s success, is tenacious and will not be denied success, finishes and persists until the task is complete, gives 100%, inspires others with thirst for excellence.
2. Positive Attitude: Displays a ‘can do’ attitude, sees ‘bad news’ and problems as opportunities to improve, doesn’t tolerate negativity, doesn’t complain but provides constructive criticism, sees the glass ‘hall full.’
3. Eagerness to Understand: Learns rapidly and eagerly, seeks to understand our strategy, markets, customers and suppliers, is broadly knowledgeable about business and strategy, contributes effectively outside of specialty, contributes effectively outside area of specialty, understands how work relates to company goals to make improvements consistent with these goals, follows facts and draws logical conclusions even if those conclusions differ from the status quo.
4. Sound Judgement: Makes wise decisions despite ambiguity, identifies root causes and gets beyond treating symptoms, separates what must be done well now and what can be improved later, displays solid logic and common sense, focuses on long-term consequences and not just the short-term
5. Collaboration: Collaborates with others to help maximize work accomplished by the group, embraces individual’s different styles and finds time to help colleagues, realizes that seeking and listening to the opinion of others gains insight and builds team accountability, shares information broadly so that everyone benefits, seeks the best ideas for EBSCO regardless of their source and understands that ego is a career killer.
6. Open Communication: Communicates directly with fact-based positions while avoiding unnecessary confrontation, willing to tell people what they need to hear in a respectful way, is concise and articulate in speech and writing, treats people with respect independent of their status or views, says what you think in a professional manner, listens well to better understand.
7. Accountabilty: Self motivating, self-aware, self-disciplined and self-improving, proactively does what needs to be done, acknowledges problems, takes responsibility, determines what can be done to solve the problem, takes action and demonstrates the ‘See It, Own It, Solve It and Do It’ characteristics described in The Oz Principle.
8. Trust & Respect: Assumes the best in people and their intent to do the right thing, communicates professionally at all times, treats others as though they like to be treated, experiments, takes initiative and learns from mistakes, doesn’t look to blame individuals, but rather seeks fault in the systems and processes that allow problems to occur and fixes them, gives credit to those deserving of it.

EBSCO Industries, Inc.is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws.  EBSCO strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.

EBSCO complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, and all applicable state or local law.

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