Lead Product Manager

Company Overview

Wherever you work and whatever role you fill, when you represent the Bridgestone name you know that you are a valued teammate who is part of our larger mission to Serve Society with Superior Quality. We start by offering each teammate more than just a salary. We provide formal training, competitive performance incentives, paid vacation and holidays, healthcare packages for full-time and part-time employees, and a 401k plan to help build your future. We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they are allowed to bring their whole selves to work and know they are supported. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. So, show us what you are made of. Show us the smart stuff, the tough stuff, the bold, beautiful and brave stuff. Because who you are is what we need. Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone Americas and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Position Summary

At Bridgestone Retail Operations the Customer is #1. BSRO operates more than 2,200 stores and employs over 21,000 teammates nationwide and is the industry leader in Complete Auto Care. Our locations include the Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires and Wheel Works brands.

The Lead Product Manager spearheads product evolution by conveying the vision to agency partners and outlining and prioritizing work based on business and customer value. They convey product business cases clearly and succinctly to executive leadership. This role liaises with business stakeholders ensuring their interests are included in releases and the team to ensure deadlines are met. The Lead Product Manager works at a high level across multiple products and/or experiences to manage priorities and balance customer desires with business needs. They serve as the team's primary contact for product information, work prioritization, and decision-making.

The role thrives in a fast-paced environment, through collaboration with partner agencies, to make the digital experience the best it can be for the consumer.

**A person has been identified as a preferred candidate for this role. While all applications will be reviewed, the hiring manager may choose not to hold interviews and select the preferred candidate. In this case, all internal applicants will be notified of the decision. **

Responsibilities

• Manage agency partner workflow and product lifecycle including design and development
• Manage product backlog and prioritize items in sprint releases, as well as participating in leadership alignment and scrum-of-scrum exercises to prioritize across multiple teams and experiences
• Evaluate and action on identified opportunities from benchmarking results and UX research to create a best-in-class customer experiences
• Implement policy and strategy for short-term results and influence others regarding policies, practices, and procedures
• Develop strategies and execution plans to lead partners in improving targeted customer experience journeys
• Influence others outside of own job area regarding policies, practices and procedures
• Must be able to communicate effectively with executive leadership
• Build collaborative, influential internal and external relationships with Product, PMO, Store Ops, and other critical stakeholders to gather information, set priorities, and monitor stakeholder execution to improve the vision for the experiences and products supported
• Collaborate with internal teams to understand and anticipate their needs and translate them into product features or outcomes
• Collaborate with Senior Manager of Experience to create product roadmaps
• Manage multiple workstreams of Products, Projects, and Features which may require product knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Retail Customer Attraction, Product Recommendations, Appointment Scheduling and Management, Online and Retail Shopping, Online and POS Checkout, Customer Care, Mobile Retail Experiences, and/or B2B Loyalty and Retail.
• Maintain product strategy roadmaps and artifacts detailed above over time, bringing an iterative approach to continuous improvement across areas of responsibility
• Provide support for more junior product managers to elevate the practice of product management principles across the entire Experience Team, while developing and implementing best in industry practices for Product Management overall.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; 8 years of relevant experience including 3-5 years customer/user experience design and/or product management experience
• Large chain digital retail product management experience preferred
• Experience leading complex experiential and strategic initiatives and large-scale change management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proactive, self-motivated, and curiosity about performance with a ‘customer back’ mindset
• Experience evangelizing and implementing design thinking methodologies
• Team-player who is collaborative with an eye for detail and a commitment to quality

Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent work experience.

We are relentlessly focused on empowering you with unique opportunities to make a meaningful impact and help shape your career. What really matters at Bridgestone is providing our teammates with the tools, support and autonomy to ensure you feel fulfilled and have clear direction to reach your goals. We offer a variety of experiences to help you build the career that matters to you.