Media Product Development Manager jobs in Minnesota

The Star Tribune is the Upper Midwest’s largest news organization, with audience numbers consistently in the top five in the country among regional and national peers. Building on an extraordinary legacy that includes seven Pulitzer Prizes and hundreds of other awards, the Star Tribune is an unrivaled force for journalistic excellence in Minnesota. It is also a company under transformation – realigning to better serve its digital audience through innovative partnerships, technology strategies, and a refreshed strategic direction. Our company has a vision to create the leading model for local news in America – driving innovation in media to make every Minnesotan’s life better. We are looking for dynamic leaders to help create that model. We are excited to work with people who care about journalism and democracy and are eager to re-invent one of our state’s most trusted companies for an era of growth that embraces advanced technologies and strategies for excellence.

Job Summary:

An Associate Product Manager is responsible for maximizing the value of a product, serving as liaison between the business and development teams. You are the subject matter expert for your products, ensuring the voice of both our advertising and reader customers are represented. You will need to leverage the knowledge of your product, as well as customer feedback, industry and technology trends, and relevant data points to assess value and prioritize the direction and desired outcomes for your product.

You will be the “voice of the product” soliciting input from key stakeholders to ensure their needs are met and the product is getting the direction and support it needs to be successful. The Associate Product Manager will develop product requirements and prioritize the product backlog to lead projects to successful completion.

Responsibilities:

• Develop product requirements, write, and prioritize user stories, epics, and themes to ensure work focuses on those with maximum value that are aligned with product vision.
• Identify product goals working with manager on developing roadmaps for identified products.
• Write and capture user stories that communicate the product objectives and are granular enough to be achieved in a single sprint.
• Create, refine, and continually evaluate product backlogs prioritizing all user stories to ensure work focuses on those with maximum business and customer value.
• Participate in daily Scrums, Sprint Planning Meetings and Sprint Reviews/ Retrospectives led by a Scrum Master that will enable engineering teams to deliver value as efficiently as possible.
• Define acceptance criteria for each product initiative and develop User Acceptance Testing (UAT) plan. Accountable for UAT testing and final product approval.
• In consultation with your manager define what is in and out of scope for product enhancements.
• High-level understanding of end-to-end customer experience. Identify product gaps and generate ideas that will improve the experience.
• Work with UX design team to develop optimal experience to ensure that overall design and functionality of the finished product delivers value and drives customer success.
• Work with manager to plan A/B testing strategies in collaboration with the Data and Analytics Team.
• Communicate with stakeholders across the company including News, Advertising, and Consumer Growth providing timely updates on product status and scope changes.
• Manage relationships with vendors staying abreast of new features or product changes, resolving issues, and developing relationship with the key account team members.
• Create and maintain business requirement documentation for your products in Confluence.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

• Support product growth initiatives. Work with manager direction to set priorities, take ideas from concept to execution stage.
• Show understanding of key metrics and levers that drive performance. Understand impact changes have on product performance, report risks, and make recommendations for evolving product to manager.
• Possess flexibility and can adapt to change.
• Prioritize product enhancements that maximize growth in line with company goals.
• Actively stay abreast of digital/media trends and competitive challenges. Adapt product goals in response to evolving needs.
• Share product expertise in a helpful manner with others across the company.

More about the Star Tribune:

At the Star Tribune, we believe that our employees are our most valuable asset. We go above and beyond to ensure their happiness, growth, and overall well-being. Here is a glimpse into the exceptional benefits we offer:

Modern downtown office with a free fitness center and rooftop patio. Commuting subsidy, medical, dental, and vision insurance. Wellness program with financial incentives. Paid time off which includes flexible holidays to honor the preferences of employees, plus one volunteer day and 2 wellness days. 401(k) with company match, parental and caregiving leaves, flexible work arrangements, employee assistance program, pet insurance, tuition reimbursement, flexible spending, and health savings accounts.

Selected in 2023 to Diversity MBA's inaugural list of Top 25 Outstanding Leadership and Diversity Impact Awards.

Equal Opportunity Employer: If you're interested in this role but don't meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. The Star Tribune is dedicated to fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.