Product Manager M365

Position summary

The Product Management team within the Network & Communications Business Unit are responsible for the portfolio and services we offer. We analyse the market, identify opportunities and set out the product vision and direction of the portfolio, ensuring we are competitive and differentiated in the market. We are responsible for evaluating and prioritising ideas from a range of sources such as sales, technical teams and customers. We take services from initial concept ideas and transition them into live services. As a Product Manager you will work as part of a much larger virtual team, working with many different departments from finance, support, procurement and sales, driving new product development through to fruition.

You will define the proposition for your suite of services ensuring it aligns with the overall business unit strategy. This role offers the opportunity to deliver new technology solutions helping our customers transform their businesses to new ways of working. You must be passionate about understanding the customers business challenge, have a desire to understand the industry and be aligned to design products and services that are relevant to resolving those challenges.

You are responsible for a creating and managing a portfolio of products and services orientated around the Microsoft 365 suite.

Priority of the role is to grow your portfolio revenues from both existing and new customers by making us the partner of choice within the market.

Essential duties & responsibilities

• Own and continuously develop the Product. Service portfolio and future roadmap for all business application services including Microsoft 365, Hosted Microsoft Exchange, cloud-based Email and Web Security services, Cloud Backup and others as they are developed.
• Ensuring your portfolio is known, relevant and continuously evolving in the market by
  • Understanding the customer challenge and our service opportunity
  • Developing the message (proposition and collateral) with our marketing teams and frequently communicating it both internally and externally
  • Working with vendors/partners to understand their roadmap and how we can evolve.

• Be seen as the expert by providing thought leadership and market awareness within your portfolio, supporting pre-sales activities and customer engagements as well as representing Claranet at industry forums as a speaker and expert.

• Gather market requirements from customers and other key stakeholders including Sales, Marketing, analysts and external vendors.
• Be a key stakeholder in technical & commercial assessment of solutions from suppliers and partners.
• Continually develop our consultancy, managed and professional services around these technologies, built upon a core of bundled, easy to order options that operate alongside other Claranet services.
• Own and develop ranges of collateral, information streams and marketing material around our services.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to ensure quality and speed of product delivery.
• Work directly on customer bids, especially where newly introduced services or bespoke services are being offered.
• Directly support knowledge building, process development and continual improvement within operational teams.
• Develop and maintain our partner and supplier relationships to ensure we benefit from their support and investment and Claranet maintains relevant key partner status.
• Work with marketing and external groups, such as PR companies and Vendor Marketing departments to build and articulate the proposition to market.
• Support sales teams in proposition readiness and strategic customer engagements.
• Creation and delivery of training to all business functions.
• Own the creation & presentation of business cases to support investment decisions.
• Keep up to date with the latest industry trends for cloud computing and any specifically important vertical markets as defined in the go to market plan.
• Maintain a solid understanding of the technology used to deliver cloud hosting services, such as application licensing and security services and options.

Position specifications

Essential

• Demonstrate understanding of Cloud Business applications market particularly Microsoft365, Mimecast, Barracuda and similar suites. Knowledge of Microsoft CSP, SPLA and other licensing programs would also be useful.
• Strong influencing and inter-personal communication skills with the ability to take the lead and show initiative.
• Knowledge of building and articulating collaboration services propositions.
• Strong commercial skills with cost to serve experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail orientated and with a systematic and organised approach.
• Ability to work in and coordinate complex cross functional teams.
• Previous experience in IT professional services and Microsoft cloud services.
• Full driving license.
• Project Management experience.

In addition, the following are highly desirable:

• Previous experience launching consultancy services to market.
• Previous experience in commercial negotiation and managing third party suppliers.
• Experience of working with internal or external marketing organizations.