Technical Product Manager

PlanetArt Company and Vision

PlanetArt’s vision is to be the leading seller of personalized and make-on-demand products worldwide. We provide consumers with unmatched tools and content and an unparalleled end-to-end customer experience that result in high-quality, meaningful finished products and memorable celebrations of life events.

The company’s brands include the popular FreePrints and FreePrints Photobooks apps and the industry leading SimplytoImpress card and stationery site, as well as Personal Creations, CafePress and ISeeMe! Visit www.planetart.com to learn more about our brands.

We have more than 500 team members across multiple offices, primarily in Calabasas CA, San Diego CA, Woodridge IL, Minneapolis, MN and Pleasanton, CA. We also have team members in two company-owned offices in China, as well as in Europe.

About I See Me!, a brand of PlanetArt

I See Me! is the leader in the personalized book market, with millions of copies sold through its website www.iseeme.com and high-end retailers. The company has developed an extensive line of award-winning personalized books and gifts that celebrate the uniqueness of each child and make keepsake gifts. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and other media have given I See Me! accolades for its very high quality, unique personalized books. With over a million customers, I See Me! has continued to expand sales by developing personalized puzzles, coloring books, growth charts and other personalized products that feature the colorful and distinctive art from their beautiful books.

Job Overview

PlanetArt is looking for a Technical Product Manager to support the company’s I See Me! brand. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with excellent communication skills, strong technical expertise, and a proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver features on our websites and system improvements that drive business goals. As a Technical Product Manager, you will have responsibility for setting the strategy for website feature enhancements; understanding customer needs through analytics; and creating a coherent product vision, implementation and go-to-market plan. Extensive experience with online consumer-facing products (whether websites or mobile apps), paired with a deep understanding of user experience, is a must.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must be local to or willing to relocate to the Minneapolis, MN area as we operate on a hybrid work model (3 days onsite, 2 remote).

What You’ll Do

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop the roadmap for new features on our domestic and international websites in an entrepreneurial, you-own-it environment.

• Define the development roadmap with the help of both overseas and local developers.
• Monitor analytics for our brands, draw conclusions about pain points and needed improvements to incorporate into a backlog that results in revenue-based prioritized development.
• Manage the process of prioritizing new features relative to what is already in the backlog, to create the development roadmap for each quarter and sprint.

2. Execute the roadmap of new website features and product launches

• Manage and ensure the high-quality execution of initiatives from conception through delivery, including gathering requirements, defining business rules, crafting user flows, writing functional specs and user stories, assigning projects/tickets to developers and ensuring timely execution.
• Interface with our Creative Services department to request and finalize mockups, user experience and other deliverables. Obtain creative assets from Design.
• Respond to developers and QA to address unforeseen scenarios in new functionality
• Proactively communicate with other departmental heads about when they can expect new features and projects to be completed.

3. Directly manage a team of a software engineer in the US and manage the workflow of 5 software engineers in China.

• Supervise and develop our US software engineer who works in the office and remotely. Note: This position does not require knowledge regarding how to code. This position requires someone who is highly proficient at developing feature roadmaps, managing projects, and working with software engineers to manage their workflow and to help them advance in their career. The Lead Developer will provide technical feedback to the software engineers.
• Assign work to software engineers in a way that not only enables the company to meet deadlines but also helps to develop engineers.
• Lead scrum meetings with both the US and China teams to make sure that the developers have everything that they need to complete their projects on time. Be willing to lead 1 weekly meeting during the evening hours with the team that is in China.

What You Should Have

Skills, Qualifications, and Requirements

• 4-year college degree
• 5+ years of experience in product management – We are looking for products that you have owned and delivered, preferably in b2c ecommerce
• 5+ years of experience managing complex, cross-departmental projects from inception to completion
• Strong communication skills

What You Can Expect

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment with low to moderate noise levels
• Occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds
• Position requires regular, continuous use of computer
• Position requires regular sitting and standing
• Position requires regular interaction with team members through the following methods: in-person, phone, WebEx, Slack, or email
• May require occasional travel
• This is a hybrid position; employees are expected to be in the office three days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) with the option of working remotely two days (Wednesday and Friday).

The compensation range for this position is $130,000- $140,000 annual salary + bonus.

PlanetArt offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• Excellent Work/Life Balance – Paid Time Off, Sick Days, Paid Holidays, and Floating Holidays
• Employee Product Discounts