Senior Product Manager - State Program Administrator, Coordinator

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is the State of Minnesota's principal economic development agency. DEED's mission is simple: to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. We are driven to find talented and innovative public servants, motivated by the opportunity to serve businesses, people, and the greater good. At DEED you will join a diverse team, inspired by challenging work and united by shared values that guide our work every day. At DEED we live our values by; focusing on the customer, communicating early and often, seeking solutions, creating inclusion, encouraging new ideas, and being gracious. DEED is a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon agency and committed to proactively supporting service-members, veterans, and military families. DEED offers great employment opportunities with a meaningful mission to truly make a difference in the lives of those under our care and for those in communities throughout Minnesota. Working Title: Senior Product Manager Job Class: State Program Administrator, Coordinator Agency: Department of Employment and Economic Development Job ID: 80636 Location: St. Paul Telework Eligible: Yes, may be eligible to telework up to four (4) days per week Full/Part Time: Full-Time Regular/Temporary: Unlimited Who May Apply: This vacancy is open for bids and for all qualified job seekers simultaneously Date Posted: 10/03/2024 Closing Date: 10/09/2024 Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit: Department of Employment and Economic Development -MAPE Division/Unit: Paid Family & Medical Leave Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift Days of Work: Monday - Friday Travel Required: No Salary Range: $36.71 - $54.60 / hourly; $76,650 - $114,004 / annually Classified Status: Classified Bargaining Unit/Union: 214 - MN Assoc of Professional Empl/MAPE FLSA Status: Exempt - Administrative Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities : Yes The work you'll do is more than just a job. At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities. Job Summary About the Paid Leave Division: Paid Leave is a new program launching in 2026. The program will provide partial wage replacement to Minnesota workers who are out of work due to a qualifying condition, such as a severe health condition that prevents them from working, or when they need time to care for a family member or a new child. We are building a program that will be easy for every Minnesotan to use. We are engaging the people who depend on us-workers, employers, caregivers, and insurers-to learn from them and build the program around their needs. We are using modern service delivery and product practices to deliver the program. The Paid Leave team has high standards and an unrelenting commitment to serving Minnesotans. It is a start-up environment without legacy systems or preconceived ways of working, so we have a unique opportunity to create human-centric processes and systems to deliver this new benefit to Minnesotans. Position Purpose: We are looking for an energetic, self-motivated Senior Product Manager who is excited to work through ambiguity and deliver exceptional user experiences & lasting value to Minnesotans. The Senior Product Manager will play a key role in helping us continue our innovative approach of building and delivering a modern, intuitive, easy-to-use Paid Leave Product and Program. You will collaborate closely with engineering teams, business stakeholders, and user experience design teams to develop the Paid Leave product. You will communicate and drive strategy as well as day-to-day decisions regarding product development and product releases. Key Responsibilities: Partner closely with the Chief Pr duct Officer and Deputy Chief Product Officer to create a short term, clear product roadmap of prioritized features and initiatives that work toward the overall product vision. Socialize this roadmap with the engineers, designers, and business analysts to create alignment and focus within the team. Lead prioritization for your backlog and regularly facilitate discussions with leadership around the "what, why, and how" of these decisions with supporting details. Collaborate with Design, Customer Engagement, Legal, and Policy teams to ensure the product is in-line with all relevant statutes, regulations, and rules while still meeting user and business needs. Define success metrics and consistently measure the impact of the team's work. Work with Product Leadership, stakeholders, and architects to define product scope and prioritization and be flexible to iterate/change per latest developments to meet deadlines. Break down complex product requirements into clear, functional specifications that can be used to create detailed and thorough user stories. Have a deep understanding of the "why" behind the work you and your team are doing and the impact it will make, regularly share and socialize this, generating energy and buy-in for the Paid Leave product. Participate in Agile ceremonies like sprint planning, daily scrums, product demos, test phases, retrospectives to ensure on time high quality delivery. If you're a leader passionate about customer experience, being part of a high-performing team, and making a difference in Minnesotan's lives, we want to hear from you! This posting may be used to fill multiple positions. This position is telework eligible and is occasionally required to be on-site at the St. Paul office. Staff are provided with the tools and equipment to be successful in a virtual work environment and may telework from anywhere in Minnesota or a neighboring state. Please note, the telework policy could change with notice based on business needs. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Only applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for this position. Four (4) years* of experience in a Product Manager/Product Owner role. *Bachelor's degree in Product Management, Public Policy, Business, Communications or other closely related field as determined by the agency may substitute one (1) year of experience; master's degree substitutes for eighteen (18) months of experience Applicants that meet the above minimum qualification will be further evaluated on the following: Experience determining and communicating the critical next steps needed to create and maintain momentum on a project. Experience building working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Experience working as a Product Manager within an agile product team. Ability to prioritize work and clearly communicate your prioritization strategy. Preferred Qualifications Experience building a product from 0-1. Experience building a product roadmap and socializing it across teams. Experience influencing without authority to drive alignment and buy-in. Our employees are dedicated to ensuring cultural responsiveness. Preferred candidates will have a variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures. Additional Requirements A job offer will be contingent upon successfully passing a background check. The background check may consist of the following components: Criminal Background Check Employment Record Review (current and former State employees only) Employment Reference Check Conflict of Interview Review Driver's Record Check The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will not sponsor applicants for work visas. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U