Looking For A Few Good Product Managers
Recently, two folks have left my team -- my C++ product manager and my WinFX product manager. Both of these positions spend their days thinking about how to win the hearts and minds of developers and doing the right thing for our developer customers. If you know anybody who'd be a fit, feel free to email me.
Product Manager: WinFX and Longhorn
One of the biggest challenges Microsoft faces is to prepare our developers for the Longhorn and WinFX wave by building on .NET momentum. There are two challenges critical to that: ensuring that WinFX provides a great developer experience, and preparing the developer base so they have the skills to make the leap to WinFX and see the value in making that leap. This role work closely with the evangelism and product teams to be a technical expert on WinFX and to help build the plan that will take developers to it.
The primary commitment for this position is to create a great value proposition for WinFX by deeply engaging with the program management organization and evangelism teams create a clear story for developers today about how and why they will want to make the leap to WinFX. This has to go well beyond simply training or creating a simple message. This position will need to work with the evangelism teams and marketing organizations to create a compelling value proposition for developers around WinFX so that developers want to upgrade.
The second commitment is to make it easy for developers to get to WinFX. This commitment involves working with partners to prepare systems integrators, publishers, training companies, and ISVs for WinFX. It also involves working with the product teams to ensure that WinFX, Visual Studio, and other products provide a great developer experience.
The final commitment is to work with the evangelism team and others to create a strong community around WinFX. To do that, you’ll meet with customers in users groups, EBCs, and online and facilitate others having positive experiences of WinFX.
Qualifications should include a minimum of 2 years experience in the business and marketing of commercial software to developers. Additional qualifications include: strong knowledge of the software development marketplace; solid understanding developer technologies and Microsoft’s developer solutions – specifically Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework; superb analytical and data driven decision-making skills; the ability to think strategically about business issues and develop business cases; strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills; the ability to work across groups and across disciplines. Applicants need to have a flexible can-do attitude, be self-sufficient, and be able to create solid working relationships across other business and technical teams.
Visual C++ Product Manager
Are you passionate about software development? Are you interested in playing a crucial role in the future development of Microsoft Visual C++? Behind every great product is a great product manager, someone who combines deep technical know-how with excellent communication skills, long-term strategic thinking with effective tactical execution.
As the Visual C++ Product Manager, you will own marketing strategy, product planning and work closely with technical evangelism to make Visual C++ the premier C++ development environment for students, hobbyists, and professional developers. To succeed in this role, you must be able to create a compelling value proposition and a winning go-to-market strategy. You will be the public spokesperson for Visual C++ - delivering technical presentations at developer conferences and briefing industry press/analysts on product news and information. In addition, you will evangelize Visual C++ to internal audiences throughout Microsoft, ensuring company-wide product understanding and support. As a member of a fast-paced, dynamic team, you will forge solid relationships with other Visual Studio product managers as well as with the Visual C++ development team. Key product planning responsibilities include acting as a customer, partner and community advocate, analyzing product usage across the Visual C++ customer base, providing in-depth customer feedback to the Visual C++ development team, and ensuring that future versions of Visual C++ deliver the winning mix of features.
An undergraduate degree in a technical field is required (Computer Science, Computer Engineering preferred). Real world software development experience with C++ is preferred but not required. Additional job qualifications:
· Must have excellent verbal and written communication (public speaking experience preferred)
· Must be highly motivated, possess a strong passion for technology, be self-sufficient, and be able to operate effectively under tight deadlines without close supervision
· Should have deep familiarity with Microsoft software development technologies (including exposure to Microsoft Visual Studio, .NET)
· Should have ability to work effectively with a variety of people ranging from product team members to customers to Visual C++ community leaders
· Should be capable of understanding and analyzing feedback from a variety of customer segments and identifying key areas for product improvement
· Strong project management along with resource and budget management skills a plus