Sr Product Development Manager

DIRECTV is a leading provider of digital television entertainment services. The Sr. Product Development Manager is responsible for leading and managing complex product development initiatives within an Agile Release Train framework, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with organizational goals.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage product development projects within Agile Release Trains, ensuring alignment with Program Increment (PI) objectives, sprint goals, and release schedules
• Facilitate ART ceremonies including PI Planning, System Demos, and Inspect and Adapt workshops
• Monitor and track ART-level dependencies, risks, and impediments, proactively resolving blockers that may impact delivery timelines
• Partner with Release Train Engineers (RTEs) and Scrum Masters to maintain ART health and velocity
• Own end-to-end project management for multiple concurrent product development initiatives of moderate to high complexity
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, milestone tracking, and status reporting for leadership and stakeholders
• Manage project scope, schedule, and resource allocation to ensure on-time delivery within defined parameters
• Identify and mitigate project risks before they escalate into delivery issues
• Coordinate and align cross-functional teams including engineering, design, QA, product management, and business stakeholders to drive cohesive product delivery
• Serve as a central point of contact for project communications, ensuring all team members and stakeholders remain informed and aligned
• Facilitate cross-team collaboration sessions to resolve dependencies and maintain delivery momentum
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal partners and external vendors as needed
• Collaborate with Product Owners and Product Managers to support feature prioritization and backlog refinement activities
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of development processes, tools, and delivery frameworks
• Analyze team performance metrics and delivery data to identify trends and recommend process enhancements
• Champion Agile best practices and coach less experienced team members on methodology and execution
• Prepare and deliver regular project status updates, executive summaries, and performance dashboards to leadership
• Manage stakeholder expectations through transparent communication of project progress, risks, and trade-offs
• Escalate critical issues and decisions to appropriate leadership levels in a timely manner
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and day-to-day support to junior and mid-level Product Development Managers
• Contribute to team capability building by sharing best practices, lessons learned, and domain expertise
• Support onboarding of new team members and help establish consistent project management standards

Requirements:

• 3 – 5 years of progressive experience in product development, program management, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional product development projects within an Agile or SAFe framework
• Proven track record of successfully delivering product enhancements and development initiatives on time and within scope
• Deep understanding of Agile methodologies including Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
• Strong familiarity with Agile Release Train operations, PI Planning, and ART-level coordination
• Proficiency with project management and Agile tools such as Jira, Rally, Confluence, or equivalent platforms
• Solid understanding of software development lifecycles and product development processes
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex issues creatively and independently
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups
• Strong attention to detail balanced with the ability to maintain a strategic, big-picture perspective
• Experience mentoring or guiding less experienced team members
• Ability to work with a high degree of independence while knowing when to escalate decisions
• Collaborative leadership style with a focus on team performance and continuous improvement
• SAFe Agilist (SA), SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), or SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification
• PMP or PMI-ACP certification
• Experience in a specific product domain such as financial services, technology, healthcare, or retail
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field