Job Description

A.Organization Context

Position Title: Head - Product Management

Reports to: Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Role Level: Sub-Function Head

B.Job Purpose

• Responsible for directing the overall product development and management to ensure users are more effective in their day-to-day activities
• Take key decisions around product management to ensure they are developed, tested and launched in time to support the business

C.Key Accountabilities

Digital Product Strategy

• Design the develop the overarching product management strategy for various applications/platforms/software that will be used by the business
• Support the team of Product Managers in coordinating cross-functionally to gather requirements for different digital products and assets
• Coordinate with various functional heads with customer touchpoints (Customer Experience-Ground Handling, In Flight Services, Commercial) to identify product needs and lead teams to implement digital solutions for the same
• Lead team of product managers to use customer insights, stakeholder feedback, market research and product analytics to develop product roadmaps for various products in Air Indias digital channels
• Make key decisions around product development, providing opinions if certain products development can be done in-house, or need to be outsourced based on the available capability and capacity of the internal teams
• Have a thorough understanding of the digital product marketplace, with a special focus on products used for airline organizations
• Maintain relationships with external software developers and distributors to ensure that product quality is maintained throughout the production process
• Responsible for strategic partnerships and leading necessary contract negotiations for development and maintenance of products
• Work closely with the Software Development Head to estimate the product development costs and present business cases to the CDTO and relevant Senior Leadership
• Oversee product tests and monitor effectiveness of the software/application before products are launched
• Approve product launch protocols, communications and educational guides on new products so that these can be quickly adopted by the business
• Lead the development of products for all key customer and internal activities in coordination with all functions

Product Management

• Drive and support the product management team to assess the current product portfolio at Air India, their interlinkages, mandatory systems, etc. and gather insights on improvements required from various business leaders
• Drive Product Managers to plan and manage their respective product portfolio; constantly keep an eye on business-critical products
• Monitor the product lifecycles for the business-critical products and ensure business leaders are satisfied with the product features, performance, etc.
• Definition and alignment of the vision, strategy, and roadmap, to establish the company as a golden standard for airlines
• Hold the team accountable for driving product innovations and improvements, that are in alignment with the requirements of the business requirements

Team Management

• Lead the technical team and head collaboration between Business Users and software providers to build product solutions
• Support, nurture and develop the team members’ skills in all product management aspects
• Support in talent acquisition efforts for the Product Management teams, and identify/ promote talent with high potential

1. Skills Required for the role

• Strong Leadership capabilities
• Creative and Analytical outlook to drive process efficiency
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge and expertise on IT and Digital Products used in Airline Industry
• Stakeholder management skills
• Competition awareness & Negotiation skills

E.Key Performance Indicators

• Number of Products developed
• Customer (Business) Satisfaction Score
• Time for Resolution of Product Issues
• Average development to launch cycle time
• Average impact on business process effectiveness due to new/modified product implementation

1. Key Interfaces

Leadership Interfaces

Management Committee           

• Liaise with the management committee to understand the organization’s objectives and its implication/dependencies on development of business-critical products

Internal Interfaces

Multiple Internal Business & Corporate Leaders             

• Coordinate with various departments to identify customer needs and strategize on product development accordingly Commercial (Revenue Management, Network Planning, etc.)
• IOCC systems
• Crew Management System
• HR Technology Head
• Finance Technology/ERP Lead, etc.

External Interfaces

Vendors/Suppliers        

• Manage Vendors and Suppliers relationships; negotiating terms of agreements and defining scope of services offered

1. Educational and Experience Requirements

Minimum Education Requirements       

• Bachelor's Degree in CS/IT or related field
• MBA/PGDM/PGP
• Product Management certification in accordance with Open Product Management Workflow™ is an advantage

Experience            

• At least 10-12 years of experience in the field of product management
• At least 5 years of leadership experience pertaining to IT/Digital & Technology in a cross functional environment

Skills Required

• Management