Details: The Vice President of Product Management for a Global Platform Organization (GPO) is responsible for developing the strategy and roadmap for all GPO offerings. The VP leads the collection of competitive intelligence and market knowledge to gain critical insight into industry trends and support the development of strategic initiatives and platform enhancements. The VP collaborates with internal teams, business units, and strategic partners to ensure defined strategies continually produce revenue and exceed market demands. The VP supports initiatives through the development of a professional staff, procurement of financial resources, establishment of cutting-edge processes, and continuous incorporation of new, innovative technologies. Activities of the Vice President of Product Management include: gathering competitive intelligence and industry knowledge to support GPO objectives; defining and owning the platform strategy and roadmap for all GPO offerings; driving revenue growth through platform enhancements and strategy execution; managing and controlling expenditures within agreed budgets; contributing to GPO Sales and Marketing initiatives; establishing and improving standards and processes for GPO Product Management; developing an optimal organizational structure; managing a team of professionals; participating in organizational activities to meet or exceed company objectives; and representing the company within the industry.• Gathers competitive intelligence and industry knowledge to support GPO objectives by conducting on-going, in-depth research and analysis of GPO offerings; learning how GPO products and platforms fit into client processes and contribute to their business performance; collecting and reviewing competitor product sheets, press releases and other public sources of information; collaborating with sales to review and analyze deals won or lost to key competitors; assessing product/platform strengths and weaknesses relative to the competition; obtaining and maintaining a deep understanding of business unit processes and products; obtaining and maintaining a deep understanding of vendor platforms and products; identifying, developing, and maintaining relationships with experts and leaders in the field; and obtaining and mastering strategic information critical to the market (e.g., interests, priorities, technology trends, financial requirements).• Defines and owns the platform strategy and roadmap for all GPO offerings by staying abreast to corporate and division missions and strategies; initiating and engaging in strategic planning meetings; applying competitive intelligence and industry knowledge to develop and maintain multi-year platform strategies and an overall platform roadmap; developing strong relationships with strategic vendors and incorporating strategic knowledge into GPO strategies and roadmaps; leveraging strong relationships with business unit leaders to drive specific platform innovation strategies; and communicating all strategies, goals and objectives to staff and associates.• Drives revenue growth through platform enhancements and strategy execution by gathering and documenting data to support platform enhancement and strategy execution; conducting due diligence to determine ROI (including benefits, investments, revenue forecasts and cost savings); determining execution feasibility (e.g., scope, resources, timelines) of strategies and enhancements; developing proposals and business cases to present strategies and enhancements to key stakeholders; ensuring proposals comply with corporate standards and goals; prioritizing opportunities such that investments are made logically, do not exceed available resources, and optimize the overall health of the business; and assuming final accountability for the success of platform initiatives.• Manages and controls departmental expenditures within agreed budgets by driving the development and analysis of multi-year forecasts for business operations and opportunities; justifying and documenting assumptions used in the forecasting process; compiling financial resources required to support the activities and tools of the department; capturing and iterating budgets in standard templates; securing budget approvals; authorizing, tracking and reconciling spending against a budget throughout the year; justifying and securing unplanned resources as necessary to maintain business operations; and ensuring the consistent, accurate, and timely development and communication of all financial data.• Contributes to GPO Sales and Marketing initiatives by collaborating with internal teams to develop marketing strategy for GPO offerings (e.g., market segment, product positioning, pricing and profitability estimates) based on market trends, customer needs and competitive analysis; contributing to the development of pricing strategies for GPO offerings that create a strong value proposition for Wolters Kluwer and ROI for business units and customers; driving marketing and pre-sales engagement with businesses to sell GPO platforms; generating interest within the market for GPO offerings; and producing and relaying all viable leads to the VP of Innovative Solutions.• Establishes and improves standards and processes for GPO Product Management by maintaining an expert knowledge of industry standards, methodologies and best practices; tracking and reviewing metrics to identify continuous improvement opportunities; considering recommendations for efficiency and process improvements from all sources (e.g., staff, associates, business units, strategic partners); designing and implementing changes to achieve identified improvements; utilizing consistency of best practices and processes across all teams/platforms; aligning and coordinating major change initiatives within a common framework; and ensuring all activities meet or exceed organizational requirements for management, health and safety, legal stipulations, and general duty of care.• Develops an optimal organizational structure by recruiting, developing, motivating and retaining a high performance team; providing training and work opportunities to resolve issues and develop talent; mentoring and coaching staff and associates on all levels; evolving the organizational structure to meet business needs (e.g., staffing, allocating resources, delegating); and integrating organizational design and development practices to ensure appropriate partnerships and skill sets are leveraged to achieve business results.• Manages a team of professionals by monitoring key performance indicators and team member activity; analyzing data for patterns and indicators of performance slippage; documenting and discussing performance issues with underperformers; working with the HR Business Partner to establish Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) and proactive hiring plans; working with staffing team to fill open positions (e.g., providing information on candidate requirements, being available for interviews, making decisions quickly); making staff changes and additions with speed and quality; and facilitating the on-boarding/training of new team members to shorten learning curves.• Participates in organizational activities to meet or exceed company objectives by applying knowledge from background area of expertise to special projects that will help drive profitability and growth; participating in thought provoking, strategic discussions with executive management; sharing analytical, quantitative, and conceptual insights to enhance the organization; sharing insight with other leaders regarding team/department operation (e.g., performance management, strategies, company policies and procedures); identifying opportunities to collaborate across divisions and/or leverage partnerships; collaborating with peers to develop and advance company-wide initiatives and strategies; participating as a functional member of committees; and serving as a key business leader, thought leader, and role model within the organization.•1. Proactively pursues professional development activities (e.g., attending seminars, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks).2. Manages time and company resources appropriately.3. Performs other duties as requested by the President, Global Platform Organization.  EducationMinimum: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline; OR, if no degree, 9 years of product management experience.Preferred: Master’s Degree in Business Administration or Information Science.ExperienceMinimum Experience: 5 years of product management experience, including:• 3 years leading and managing a team of 10 or more professionals.• Gathering and applying competitive intelligence and market knowledge.• Creating and implementing product strategies.• Developing and implementing process improvements.• Managing financial operations and budgets.• Managing Business-to-Business (B2B) products and solutions.• Working with web-based technologies (e.g., java script, web services).• Managing products that are highly customized by customers.• Demonstrating strong written and verbal communication.• Utilizing the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).Preferred Experience: 9 years of product management experience, including:• Working for a competitor or other platform/software company (e.g., Oracle, West)• Working with an open platform model.• Global Platform Management experience.• Delivering revenue and profit growth.• Optimizing an organizational structure.• Domestic and international travel between 25% and 35% of work time.• Ability to travel independently.• Must have a valid driver’s license.• Must have a valid passport.• Ability to travel by air.• Ability to obtain an American Express card.

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