Software Product Manager

About the role

The role serves as the primary software product management focal point between the Kronos FoS Program Office, NSDC users, software development teams, systems engineering organizations, test organizations, and mission partners.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary software product management focal point between the Kronos FoS Program Office, NSDC users, software development teams, systems engineering organizations, test organizations, and mission partners to ensure product priorities remain aligned with operational outcomes.
• Engage directly with NSDC operators and mission partners to understand mission needs, workflows, pain points, capability gaps, and desired outcomes, and translate those needs into a clear product vision, measurable objectives, product requirements, features, and development priorities.
• Own or support development and continuous refinement of product roadmaps that connect operational priorities to software increments, releases, milestones, dependencies, testing, deployment, and modernization activities.
• Prioritize product features, capabilities, initiatives, and Agile backlogs based on mission value, user impact, technical feasibility, risk, dependencies, and program priorities; identify execution issues and provide actionable recommendations to product and program leadership.
• Create, refine, and manage product initiatives, epics, features, user needs, and milestone tickets in Jira and related tools, maintaining traceability from the operational problem through development, test, deployment, and user acceptance.
• Facilitate frequent developer-user engagements, discovery sessions, demonstrations, design reviews, and feedback activities to support user-centered design and ensure the user perspective is maintained throughout software development and delivery.
• Carefully coordinate product participation in developmental and operational test events, exercises, mission rehearsals, demonstrations, and release activities to evaluate usability, mission utility, readiness, and achievement of intended user outcomes.
• Apply knowledge of the Software Acquisition Pathway, Agile, DevSecOps, and continuous delivery practices to support iterative product development, rapid user feedback, automated delivery pipelines, and frequent delivery of operationally relevant software increments.
• Develop polished presentation materials, product status briefings, roadmaps, decision products, and strategic communications that clearly tell the story of the user need, product vision, execution status, risks, and expected operational outcome.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree with 14+ years of relevant experience, or Master's with 12+ years, or PhD with 9+ years of experience in software product management, software acquisition, program management, systems engineering, software development, or related Department of Defense (DoD) mission areas.
• Demonstrated experience engaging operational users or customers to identify desired outcomes, define software needs, and translate those needs into prioritized product requirements, features, user stories, or Agile backlog content.
• Experience working with cross-functional software product teams and coordinating activities across product management, software development, systems engineering, test, cybersecurity, acquisition, and operational stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Jira and Confluence or comparable Agile product-management and collaboration tools, with the ability to manage product backlogs, initiatives, requirements, dependencies, decisions, and user feedback.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including demonstrated ability to brief product vision, software execution status, risks, priorities, and recommendations to senior leaders and large audiences.
• Must have an in-scope security background investigation (T5), adjudicated for SCI eligibility and rolled in the Continuous Vetting program (if applicable).
• Must be willing to be nominated for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Access Programs and consent to a polygraph examination (as required).