One of the ways this blog helps me is when readers reach out to me asking for advice and also for help. Recently, Jonathan Hoefler, CEO of Hoefler & Frere-Jones (www.typography.com) reached out asking for help in recruiting his company’s first software product manager. Jonathan and I went through needs analysis to make sure I understand where the product manager would fit into their org and also what would be expected of the product manager. I helped Jonathan write up the job description for the position which is given below. If any of you are interested, please respond directly to Jonathan at hr-spm@typography.com. (I will not be accepting resumes or making recommendations to Jonathan unless I know you personally).
This position reports directly to Jonathan (CEO) and is a highly visible role with great opportunities to define product management in a company that was named one of the most innovative design companies in America by Fast Company. Good luck!
Senior Product Manager, Software
Hoefler & Frere-Jones (H&FJ) is a leading digital type foundry with a body of work that includes some of the world’s most famous fonts. H&FJ works with brand leaders in every sector, developing original fonts for print, screen, and mobile applications, and licensing them through our New York office and our website www.typography.com. Our body of work includes the signature typeface of the Obama campaign, the fonts used by magazines from Wired to Martha Stewart Living, the institutional typefaces of the Whitney and Guggenheim museums, and the Hoefler Text font family that has shipped with 75,000,000 Macintoshes. A leader in the industry for more than 20 years, H&FJ’s mission is to enable people to speak in a unique voice across all channels, always with an emphasis on new and emerging technologies. It’s an objective that’s lead us to create new products and services that bring fine typography to websites, mobile apps, eBooks, and beyond.
As our first ever Product Manager, you will work closely with our senior management and engineering teams to develop product strategy and lead its execution. You will report directly to the CEO, making this a leadership role with significant visibility, accountability, and career growth potential. You will lead the enhancement of existing products, and help to develop new products and services. You must possess both business- and technical savvy, a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality via superior execution. We’re looking for an individual who is passionate, hands-on, and willing to work collaboratively with internal stakeholders to launch successful and profitable products for the company. As an established and well-respected company, H&FJ is free from startup jitters and management fire drills. And as a small company (a team of 17) with a global reach, you’ll have a real opportunity to make a significant impact.
This is a full-time salaried position at our New York office, open to US citizens or those with authorization to work in the US.
Key Responsibilities:
While these responsibilities are what will keep you busy, H&FJ is a place for people ready to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to make our products successful.
- Manage the full product life cycle for our web product offerings ranging from strategic planning to tactical execution.
- Define product strategy and product roadmap for existing and new product offerings, working very closely with the senior management team.
- Define product requirement documents for current and future products based on market research and competitive analysis.
- Drive the execution of the defined solutions by working with senior management, engineering and marketing teams.
- Develop and implement a company-wide go-to-market plan, working with all internal stakeholders to ensure successful execution and product launch.
- Help create marketing materials such as datasheets and white papers that communicate the customer benefits of our product offerings, and reflect our position as an established industry leader.
Required Qualifications:
- A BS/BA degree, preferably in a technology field.
- A minimum of 5 years of software product management experience, with at least 2 years of experience managing SaaS, or software products sold online.
- A successful track record of achieving results with minimal direction and oversight in a very fast paced environment.
- The demonstrated ability to deal with both big-picture strategic activities and detail-oriented tactical activities.
- Superior communication skills: written, verbal, and presentational.
- Ability to articulate and present problems and possible solutions to internal stakeholders.
Since you’re good at articulating and advocating your position, please write directly to Jonathan Hoefler, Founder and CEO, at hr-spm@typography.com, to explain why you’re right for H&FJ. Please include a copy of your résumé, as well as any other material that you feel is relevant.
Software Product Manager by Gopal Shenoy 