Job Description

Overview:

As the Pet segment for General Mills, Blue Buffalo is developing a best-in-class Sales & Trade capability suite that helps drive growth now and into the future. An integral part of this capability is developing scaled analytics to inform and measure revenue optimization opportunities. The team is seeking a Solutions Manager, that will play the critical role of linking business objectives to core technological capabilities and lead Pet Sales & Trade Capabilities product team’s focus on delivering the product through agile methodologies.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Partner with D&T Engage and cross functional sales & trade leadership and Product Owners to match technical solutions to business objectives.
Team leadership, people management and development of highly talented D&T team working to create and optimize Sales & Trade Capabilities delivery
Build strong relationships within D&T and Pet business teams to enable effective management of solutions portfolio, and continuously improve operations and support
Drive portfolio/Product development from conception to launch.
Define, prioritize, and communicate short- and long-term product goals.
Breakdown goals and strategies into actionable deliverables and milestones
Support prioritization of product backlogs and support management of development queues.
Drive metrics-based optimizations to the product – striking right balance between fixing bugs while enhancing and launching new features
Create Pet Sates & Trade systems delivery roadmaps - Technical, Sustainability, Support, Maintenance, etc.
Provide clear status of solutions portfolio for product team - manage CAPEX, OPEX budgets (labor and capabilities) and adhere to policies.
Manage vendor landscape in support of Sourcing portfolio, in partnership with Engage, and maintenance roadmap
Effectively manage stakeholder expectations and communication
Develop quarterly portfolio metrics reporting
Use external perspective and internal relationships to improve how we work and what we deliver – keeps abreast of what’s happening within the Commercial space and proactively shares strategic insights with the leadership team.
Develop Pet business acumen and ability to articulate and translate business requirements
Prioritize and manage work and secure appropriate talent.
Responsible for identifying and securing project resources and owning the roadmap for solutions.
Attract, develop, and retain team members – modeling engaging leader and one team
Leadership and mentorship of broader cross-functional product team.

KEY DELIVERABLES INCLUDE:

Understanding sales and trade priorities, including data foundation needs, and creating roadmap for solutions delivery.
Value delivery pipeline, prioritization, and reporting.
Team leadership and development.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

2-5 years of product, portfolio, and/or program solutions management experience
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
Experience with Azure DevOps, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint
Proven track record of working in cross functional matrix teams to drive results
Knowledge and demonstrated experience leading change and delivering value
Leading teams or leading through others. Ability to set direction and effectively influence others to drive results without direct reporting relationships
Demonstrates maturity and leadership with the ability to serve as a collaborative and unifying force and to position communications discussions at both the strategic and tactical levels
Strong ownership, communication, and presentation skills
Identifying business needs and successfully implementing solutions
Strong interpersonal skills and influencing skills
People development skills
Experience with recruiting, hiring, recognizing accomplishments, terminating, and delivering actionable feedback to employees
Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment yet be independently productive and self-managing
High initiative; self-starter with a learning mindset and eye towards continuous improvement
A strong sense of accountability, ownership and pride in work performed
Self-starter with ability to work with little direct supervision

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s Degree and/or PMP/SCRUM certification
Desire to manage a team – attract, develop, retain
5 years of Information Technology experience focused on product development and data base development
Experience coaching others to leverage and adhere to standards to produce consistent, repeatable results
Ability to align processes across organizational boundaries and the total value stream
Experience identifying and removing barriers that prevent teams from achieving success.
Experience with SaaS technologies and/or cloud architecture.
If based in the Wilton office, must be comfortable working in an environment with free roaming pets
Travel Required: 10%; based on the business needs e.g., critical in-person workshops.

DEVELOPMENT THE CANDIDATE WILL RECEIVE IN THE ROLE

Experience working on a global team and supporting a global function
Team leadership, people management
Pet expertise and knowledge
Solution delivery and operations