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Introduction

We are seeking a visionary and experienced Product Manager to lead the evolution and growth of IBM Db2 Cloud Services. In this pivotal role, you will be instrumental in defining the strategy, roadmap, and delivery of our cloud-native database offerings, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of our customers in a hybrid cloud world. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of cloud technologies, database management systems, and agile product development, coupled with a passion for creating innovative solutions that drive adoption and customer success. If you are a strategic thinker who thrives at the intersection of technology and business, and are eager to shape the future of data in the cloud, we invite you to join our team.

Your role and responsibilities

Product Strategy & Vision:

• Define and champion the product vision: Develop a clear, compelling vision for IBM Db2 Cloud Services that aligns with market trends, customer needs, and IBM's overall cloud strategy.
• Develop product strategy and roadmap: Create and maintain a strategic roadmap for Db2 Cloud Services, prioritizing features, enhancements, and new offerings based on market opportunity, customer value, and technical feasibility.
• Conduct market and competitive analysis: Continuously monitor the cloud database landscape, identify emerging technologies, competitive offerings, and customer demands to inform product direction.
• Identify growth opportunities: Pinpoint new market segments, use cases, and business models for Db2 Cloud Services to drive adoption and revenue growth.

Product Development & Execution:

• Translate requirements into user stories: Work closely with engineering teams to define detailed product requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria for new features and services.
• Manage the product backlog: Prioritize and manage the product backlog effectively, ensuring agile development practices are followed and releases are delivered on time and with high quality.
• Oversee the product lifecycle: From ideation to launch and post-launch optimization, manage the complete product lifecycle for Db2 Cloud Services.
• Ensure technical excellence: Collaborate with architects and engineers to ensure the scalability, reliability, security, and performance of Db2 Cloud Services.

Go-to-Market & Business Growth:

• Develop go-to-market plans: Partner with marketing, sales, and enablement teams to create and execute effective GTM strategies for new product launches and updates.
• Define pricing and packaging: Determine optimal pricing models and packaging strategies for Db2 Cloud Services that align with market value and business objectives.
• Support sales and pre-sales: Provide product expertise to sales teams, participate in customer engagements, and assist in closing strategic deals.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs): Track and analyze product adoption, usage, revenue, customer satisfaction, and other critical metrics to measure success and identify areas for improvement.

Customer Engagement & Advocacy:

• Gather customer insights: Actively engage with customers through interviews, surveys, and feedback channels to deeply understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations related to cloud databases.
• Act as a customer advocate: Champion the voice of the customer throughout the product development process, ensuring solutions truly address their pain points.
• Build strong customer relationships: Foster relationships with key customers and partners to gather feedback, validate concepts, and drive early adoption.

Cross-Functional Leadership:

• Collaborate effectively: Work seamlessly with cross-functional teams including engineering, design, marketing, sales, legal, and support to ensure alignment and successful product delivery.
• Communicate effectively: Clearly articulate product vision, strategy, and progress to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Influence and inspire: Lead through influence, inspiring teams to build innovative and impactful cloud database solutions.

Required education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred education

None

Required technical and professional expertise

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related technical field.

Experience:

• 2+ years of experience in product management, with a significant focus on cloud services, SaaS, or enterprise software, particularly in the database or data management domain.
• Proven track record of defining product strategy and roadmaps, and successfully bringing cloud-native products to market.
• Demonstrated ability to translate customer needs and market trends into detailed product requirements and user stories for engineering teams.
• Experience managing product backlogs and leading agile development processes.
• Familiarity with go-to-market planning, pricing, and packaging for cloud services.
• Experience in monitoring and analyzing key product performance indicators (KPIs).

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of cloud computing concepts, architectures, and leading cloud platforms (e.g., IBM Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Familiarity with database management systems (DBMS) concepts, with specific knowledge of relational databases like Db2 being a significant asset.
• Understanding of software development methodologies, particularly agile.
• Proficiency with tools for product management (e.g., Jira, Trello) and analytics.

Business Acumen:

• Ability to identify and analyze market opportunities, competitive landscapes, and business models.
• Strong strategic thinking to align product vision with overall business objectives and drive growth.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, capable of articulating complex technical and business concepts to diverse audiences (engineers, sales, customers, executives).
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence and inspire cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• A strong customer-centric mindset, actively engaging with customers to gather insights and advocate for their needs.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Background in Db2
• An MBA or a Master's degree in a relevant discipline