Manager, Product Development

Manager, Product Development Railinc Corp - 4.1 Cary, NC Job Details 4 hours ago Qualifications Resource allocation Project team coordination Project reporting Investment Computer science Master's degree in business administration Project portfolio management Managerial strategic planning Budget management Strategic management Microsoft Excel Computer Science Market analysis Product roadmapping Bachelor's degree in business Business analysis Risk mitigation strategy implementation ROI Team development AWS Analysis skills Supervising experience Bachelor's degree Continuous improvement Release management Budget development Requirements analysis Quality standards in production Scope management Project management software IT portfolio management Agile software development Customer support Product strategy Productivity software Business requirements Senior level Cross-functional collaboration Business Bachelor's degree in computer science Master of Business Administration Cross-functional team management Leadership 2 years Implementing cost-saving initiatives Communication skills Technical Proficiency Project stakeholder communication Cloud services Cross-functional communication Stakeholder management

Full Job Description Job Accountability/Responsibilities:

Essential Functions:

Project Planning, Project Management and Maintenance Prioritization:

Lead the prioritization of user stories, features, new products, projects, and process improvements to ensure alignment with business strategy and customer value. Partner with customers and industry stakeholders, including representatives serving on AAR committees, task forces, and Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs), to gather requirements and inform product and project planning decisions. Facilitate the development of business cases and high‑level estimates to support product and project portfolio planning, prioritization, and investment decisions. Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, including scope, schedules, budgets, risks, issues, action items, and status reporting, in accordance with internal methodologies. Lead release planning activities and coordinate cross‑functional readiness to ensure timely, high‑quality product releases. Lead development teams by maintaining strong technical understanding of systems, promoting sound engineering practices, and ensuring high‑quality delivery. Identify, assess, and manage product and project risks; develop mitigation strategies and ensure adherence to quality standards throughout the delivery lifecycle. Support ongoing maintenance prioritization by balancing new capability delivery with operational stability, defect remediation, and continuous improvement needs.

Portfolio Strategic Planning/Road-Mapping, and Execution:

Own and manage an assigned portfolio of software products, with a clear understanding of how products deliver customer value and support critical business processes. Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to define, prioritize, and deliver new industry value through new products, enhancements, productivity improvements, and cost‑saving initiatives. Establish portfolio goals and strategies aligned with Railinc's mission, vision, and annual strategic objectives. Define, secure, and manage investment for portfolio initiatives, including business cases, ROI analysis, budget allocation, and resource planning. Lead planning and execution of initiatives from business case through post‑implementation, managing scope, timelines, budgets, dependencies, and risks. Balance resources and forecasts across multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining delivery commitments, quality standards, and Agile execution. Lead cross‑functional teams in the design, development, integration, release, and ongoing support of software products and systems. Maintain strong technical understanding of products and systems, promoting sound engineering practices and high‑quality, reliable releases. Identify, track, escalate, and mitigate delivery, technical, and operational risks throughout the product lifecycle. Provide ongoing operational oversight, ensuring timely issue resolution, system stability, and continuous improvement. Build, lead, and develop high‑performing product‑aligned teams, fostering T‑shaped skills, collaboration, accountability, and professional growth. Communicate portfolio and delivery status, risks, and outcomes effectively to stakeholders and leadership.

Key Measures:

Project metrics. Delivery performance Quality releases Team engagement Financial targets Customer satisfaction Knowledge, Skills, abilities/minimum requirements/competencies:

Required:

Strong understanding of software development principles, technologies, and the full software development lifecycle. Demonstrated strength in project and product delivery, including planning, prioritization, and execution in Agile or similar frameworks. Ability to understand customer needs from a business perspective and translate them into effective technical and product solutions. Proven analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experience developing business cases and ROI analysis. Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical and business stakeholders at all levels. Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven, cross‑functional environment. Highly organized, flexible, and self‑directed, with strong initiative and adaptability to changing priorities. Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and project planning tools.

Preferred:

Experience in product management and/or technical project leadership with demonstrated people‑management responsibilities. Experience leading cross‑functional and geographically distributed teams, including offshore development teams. Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS or similar), multi‑tier application architectures, and enterprise systems (e.g., Java, high availability, disaster recovery). Experience delivering market analysis and applying business analysis tools and techniques. Familiarity with transportation, logistics, or similarly complex, regulated industries. Advance understanding of Agile, Scrum, or modern software delivery practices. Education, experience, certification/training:

Required:

Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience). Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in software development, product development, or technical project delivery. At least two (2) years of experience in technical leadership, people management, or team lead role. Practical experience working in Agile/Scrum or similar iterative development environments.

Preferred:

MBA or advanced degree. Product management, project management, Agile, Scrum, or PMP certification. Agile certification through PMI, Scrum Alliance, or equivalent (PMP may be required within the first 12 months, if applicable). Experience in both technical and business‑facing roles supporting complex software products.

Values:

Results:

We deliver on our promises to create value for the freight rail industry through talented people, good ideas, business leadership and great technology.

Collaboration:

We collaborate with our teams and our customers to get the job done, respecting individual ideas and contributions and moving forward in pursuit of shared goals.

Service:

We serve the changing needs of our customers and our industry to enhance the value they bring to our community, the environment and our economy.

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work: Assignment involves sitting at workstation (desk) most of the time (up to 8 hours) with only occasional walking and/or standing.

Keyboarding:

Primarily using fingers for typing.

Talking:

Expressing or communicating verbally through use of spoken words (accurately conveying detailed or important spoken instructions to others).

Hearing:

Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Visual:

Through close visual acuity, required to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading (with or without correction).

Environment:

Because the requirements of this position require frequent, often informal collaboration with other Railinc colleagues and external stakeholders, and to maximize the development of the skills and responsibilities essential for this position, Railinc expects that the work required of this role be performed predominantly in the office consistent with Railinc's in-the-office work policies, as communicated by Human Resources and/or Senior Management. Any individual variations on in-the-office work policies will be reviewed by Human Resources on a case-by-case basis. As work is performed predominantly within an office setting, there is no substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions (i.e., extreme heat, cold, noise, etc.).

Disclaimer:

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. The company reserves the right to change, modify and/or delete aspects of this position as needed at any time. Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, veteran status or other legally protected status.