Product Lead - Operational Platform

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Product Lead to oversee our flagship operational platform and drive strategic initiatives that align with our long-term business goals. As a Product Lead, you will play a critical role in the tactical execution of our product vision, focusing on delivering value to customers through the optimization and enhancement of a high-performing operational system. Your primary responsibilities will include managing the product backlog, prioritizing features, and defining acceptance criteria, while serving as the voice of the customer and operational stakeholders for the development team. You will collaborate with stakeholders, developers, and Scrum Masters to ensure the successful delivery of mission-critical sprint-level deliverables and long-term strategic initiatives.
Previous experience with operational platforms, process automation, and data-driven decision-making is highly beneficial. Familiarity with the airline, hotel, or travel industry is a plus. Exceptional organizational and communication skills are key to succeeding in this role.
Essential Functions
Strategic Initiatives

• Develop and implement strategic initiatives that align with the overall business objectives and enhance platform capabilities.
• Partner with senior leadership to identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement within the operational platform.
• Drive long-term product planning and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure the platform's strategic evolution supports future business growth and scalability.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics to measure the impact of strategic initiatives.

Product Backlog Management

• Own and manage the product backlog for the flagship operational platform, ensuring it reflects the product vision and delivers maximum value to users and stakeholders.
• Write and refine user stories, including defining clear acceptance criteria, with a focus on operational use cases and process efficiency.
• Prioritize features, epics, and tasks in collaboration with stakeholders and the development team, considering operational requirements like performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Ensure backlog items meet the "Definition of Ready" before development begins.

Customer Advocacy

• Act as the voice of the platform’s end users, ensuring the development team understands the "what" and "why" of their work.
• Gather and translate feedback from operational teams into actionable user stories and system improvements.
• Maintain a customer-focused mindset while aligning deliverables with business goals and operational excellence.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with the Scrum Master, developers, and operational teams to ensure smooth sprint execution.
• Actively participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives, while focusing on operational deliverables.
• Provide daily guidance and clarification on priorities and requirements to the development team, ensuring alignment with operational needs.

Execution & Delivery

• Focus on achieving short-term goals and delivering high-impact operational sprint-level deliverables.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align priorities, resolve conflicts, and ensure the platform meets operational and business goals.
• Ensure that deliverables meet quality standards, performance benchmarks, and acceptance criteria.

Scope & Decision-Making

• Make day-to-day decisions on priorities, features, and scope within the sprint cycle.
• Balance competing priorities to ensure maximum value delivery for operational stakeholders and customers.
• Identify and mitigate risks specific to platform operations, such as performance optimization, system reliability, and compliance requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience managing operational platforms or systems that support business-critical processes.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a Product Lead or similar role in an Agile environment.
• Expertise in Agile frameworks, including Scrum and Kanban.
• Strong understanding of system performance, scalability, and reliability requirements.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to prioritize and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with a focus on delivering operationally optimized solutions.
• Familiarity with the airline, hotel, or travel industry is a plus.

Core Competencies

• Operational Technical Acumen
• Customer-Centric Focus
• Effective Communication
• Strategic Thinking
• Time Management Skills

Supervisory Responsibility
This position has no supervisory responsibilities
Good Faith Compensation
The good faith compensation rate for this role is 120,000 - 150,000.