Senior Manager, Product Management - Solutions

Senior Manager, Product Management - Solutions

As a Senior Manager, Product Management you will be a strategic leader on the product management team. You will be leading our AI & Industry Solutions group, overseeing the vision, product portfolio backlog, and the career growth of a talented team of product managers. This role combines senior product management leadership with the pivotal responsibilities of a Group Product Lead, offering a unique opportunity to shape both product strategy and team excellence.

You'll form strong relationships with counterparts within the Engineering department as well as stakeholders in other departments. You will oversee the creation of an impactful vision and ensure alignment between the product managers you supervise and the roadmaps of the feature teams that rely on the services and frameworks provided by your organization. You will be accountable for the product strategy and feature backlog, the effectiveness and adherence to standard processes of the product management staff that reports to you, and above all else, the business impact of the features your group delivers. This is a strategic role that requires a deep understanding the business process automation market, Appian's competitive positioning, and the AI market

Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio Management: Overall accountability for the product strategy and roadmap for the group, which includes solutions for Insurance, Board markets, and help drive our AI adoption.

Define the Group's Vision: Create a clear, customer-centric vision and "north star" for the group, ensuring it aligns with Appian product architecture and strategic goals.

Team Leadership & Management: Led the group with peers from Engineering and Quality, ensuring cohesion and alignment, modeling Appian values, and establishing a culture of learning and growth. Manage a team of product managers, mentoring them in product management practices and contributing to their professional and personal development.

Strategic Planning: Drive the strategic direction of the product portfolio, partnering with your product management team and engineering leaders to prioritize investments and create and execute quarterly and annual plans that ensure the delivery of high-value, impactful software.

Customer & Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with customers, engineering teams, and key business stakeholders on the definition, refinement, and business value of features.

Product Development Lifecycle: Oversee the entire product lifecycle from ideation to release, guiding product managers in the development of backlogs, writing feature of specifications, and tracking of feature adoption.

Market Analysis: Keep pace with evolving market needs and standards. Conduct market analysis to understand the competitive landscape and identify opportunities for investment.

To be successful in this role, you need to:

• Have a deep understanding of the business process automation market.

• Be genuinely interested in how technology can solve real-world business problems;

• Be passionate about understanding user needs and ensuring the product meets them;

• Coordinate quarterly and annual planning for multiple teams;

• Have a genuine desire to guide and empower others;

• Define how features will work through close collaboration with engineers in design sessions, mockups, UX review, and usability testing;

• Enjoy thinking big picture while also engaging in the details of execution;

• Be skilled in fostering alignment and team work, embracing candid communication and constructive dissent;

• Be ambitious and motivated to deliver impactful results;

• Have a natural curiosity and interest in continuous learning, particularly in the area of evolving technologies and their use within large enterprises.

Basic Qualifications:

• 8+ years as a Product Manager, and at least 3 years of experience as a manager

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field.

• Strong technical foundation and the ability to engage deeply with engineering and design teams.

Tools and Resources:

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the new hire program being widely utilized resources for new hires.

• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills- based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.

Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups . These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

This role is based at our ​headquarters in ​McLean, Virginia. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.