Job description

Job Summary The Senior Director, Product Management is responsible for establishing and leading ICANN’s Product Management function across Engineering & Information Technology. This leader defines and operationalizes the product management discipline, ensuring technology investments are aligned with business priorities, user needs, and measurable organizational outcomes. The role is accountable for product strategy, portfolio prioritization, roadmap governance, and value realization across ICANN’s technology products and services. Working closely with business stakeholders, Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, Security, Data & AI, Service Management, and Enterprise Applications teams, the Senior Director drives a product-led operating model that improves transparency, accelerates delivery of business value, and enhances the overall user experience. The role is also responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and governing AI-enabled products and capabilities that improve organizational effectiveness, workforce productivity, service delivery, and business outcomes. The Senior Director will build and lead a high-performing product organization responsible for translating organizational priorities into clear product strategies, investment decisions, and execution roadmaps while ensuring products remain aligned with ICANN’s mission, business objectives, and long-term technology strategy. Key Responsibilities and Duties Product Strategy and Portfolio Management • Define and lead the Product Management strategy, operating model, governance framework, and organizational practices across Engineering & Information Technology. • Establish and maintain a comprehensive portfolio of technology products and services aligned to ICANN business capabilities and strategic priorities. • Develop and govern product roadmaps that balance organizational objectives, user needs, technical requirements, operational considerations, and investment priorities. • Establish portfolio management practices that enable effective prioritization, investment planning, and resource allocation across competing initiatives. • Ensure technology products and services deliver measurable business outcomes and organizational value. • Define and govern the AI product portfolio, establishing priorities, investment strategies, and roadmaps that align AI initiatives with organizational objectives and measurable business value. Product Lifecycle Management • Establish and oversee product lifecycle management practices, including product inception, planning, delivery, adoption, optimization, and retirement. • Ensure products are managed throughout their lifecycle with clear ownership, success measures, and accountability. • Develop frameworks for evaluating product performance, adoption, business value, and ongoing investment decisions. • Drive continuous product improvement based on user feedback, operational metrics, business outcomes, and changing organizational needs. • Ensure products remain aligned with evolving business strategies and technology capabilities. Business Partnership and Demand Management • Partner closely with business leaders to understand strategic objectives, challenges, and opportunities for technology-enabled transformation. • Facilitate prioritization of business demands and technology investments through structured product management and portfolio governance processes. • Translate business strategies and user needs into actionable product visions, roadmaps, and investment recommendations. • Serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders regarding product strategy, technology capabilities, and organizational priorities. • Foster strong partnerships between business stakeholders and technology teams to ensure alignment and shared accountability for outcomes. Product Governance and Value Realization • Establish governance frameworks for product planning, prioritization, investment management, and outcome measurement. • Define and monitor key product performance indicators, including adoption, customer satisfaction, business value realization, operational effectiveness, and return on investment. • Ensure product decisions are informed by data, analytics, user research, and business outcomes. • Develop executive reporting and portfolio dashboards that provide visibility into product performance, roadmap execution, risks, dependencies, and strategic alignment. • Drive accountability for achieving product objectives and delivering measurable business outcomes. • Establish frameworks for evaluating, prioritizing, and measuring AI-enabled capabilities, ensuring responsible adoption and value realization across the product portfolio. Product Delivery and Cross-Functional Collaboration • Collaborate with Engineering, Enterprise Applications, Service Management, Security, Data & AI, and Enterprise Architecture teams to ensure successful delivery of product outcomes. • Partner with delivery teams to establish effective planning, prioritization, and execution practices. • Remove organizational barriers that impede product delivery and value realization. • Ensure product teams effectively balance business priorities, user experience, technical debt, operational requirements, and long-term sustainability. • Promote agile, iterative, and outcome-focused delivery approaches across the organization. Organizational Transformation and Product Culture • Lead the adoption and maturation of a product-led operating model across Engineering & Information Technology. • Establish consistent product management methodologies, standards, tools, and operating rhythms. • Drive cultural transformation from project-centric delivery models toward product-centric ownership and value delivery. • Promote customer-centric thinking, continuous learning, experimentation, and data-driven decision-making. • Advocate for user experience, product excellence, and measurable business outcomes throughout the organization. Leadership and Organizational Development • Lead, mentor, and develop Product Managers, Group Product Managers, Product Owners, and related product management professionals. • Build a high-performing product organization with strong capabilities in product strategy, portfolio management, user-centered design, and business partnership. • Establish career development frameworks, performance expectations, and professional development opportunities for product management staff. • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. • Build organizational capabilities that support the long-term evolution and maturity of Product Management within ICANN. • Perform other duties as assigned. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Deep expertise in product management principles, practices, frameworks, and operating models. • Proven experience leading enterprise product management organizations and managing complex product portfolios. • Demonstrated success establishing product management disciplines within large and complex organizations. • Strong understanding of portfolio management, product strategy, roadmap development, and value realization practices. • Experience aligning technology investments with business objectives and measurable organizational outcomes. • Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and build consensus across business and technology functions. • Strong understanding of agile methodologies, product development practices, and modern software delivery models. • Experience using data, analytics, user research, and performance metrics to inform product decisions. • Ability to balance strategic planning with operational execution and delivery oversight. • Strong understanding of enterprise technology environments, digital transformation initiatives, and organizational change management. • Understanding of AI technologies, generative AI platforms, intelligent automation, and their application to enterprise business and technology functions. • Exceptional communication, facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills. • Proven leadership experience building and developing high-performing product management organizations. Education and Experience Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. • Minimum fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in product management, technology leadership, portfolio management, or related disciplines. • Minimum eight (8) years of people leadership experience managing managers, professional staff, and cross-functional teams. • Demonstrated experience leading enterprise product organizations and product-led transformation initiatives. • MBA or other advanced degree preferred. Preferred Certifications • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO), or equivalent product management certification. • SAFe Product Manager/Product Owner certification. • Pragmatic Institute Product Management certification. • PMP certification. • Lean Six Sigma certification. • ITIL Foundation or higher. Success Measures • Alignment of technology investments with business priorities and organizational strategy. • Delivery of measurable business outcomes and value realization across the product portfolio. • Product adoption, customer satisfaction, and user experience improvements. • Effective portfolio prioritization and investment governance. • Improved transparency and predictability of product roadmap execution. • Successful adoption and maturation of a product-led operating model. • Organizational capability growth and product management maturity. • Strong employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and talent development. Language • Fluency, both written and spoken, in English is required. • ICANN is a global organization that values diversity; preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated skills in additional languages besides English. Working Conditions & Physical Requirements • Work is performed in a normal office environment with limited privacy and some exposure to background noise. • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee regularly is required to sit. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear; use hands and arms to reach, handle or feel. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. • The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. ICANN is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, sex, (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), childbirth or related medical conditions, family care status, genetic information or any other protected characteristics protected by local, state or federal law. ICANN www.icann.org is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers, including domain names (like .com, .uk, .jobs, etc.), as well as the addresses used in a variety of internet protocols. A nonprofit public benefit corporation, ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers. These include domain names as well as the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols. Effective: 2018

Requirements

Must-haves

The role is also responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and governing AI-enabled products and capabilities that improve organizational effectiveness, workforce productivity, service delivery, and business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
Product Strategy and Portfolio Management
Define and lead the Product Management strategy, operating model, governance framework, and organizational practices across Engineering & Information Technology.
Establish and maintain a comprehensive portfolio of technology products and services aligned to ICANN business capabilities and strategic priorities.
Develop and govern product roadmaps that balance organizational objectives, user needs, technical requirements, operational considerations, and investment priorities.
Establish portfolio management practices that enable effective prioritization, investment planning, and resource allocation across competing initiatives.
Ensure technology products and services deliver measurable business outcomes and organizational value.
Define and govern the AI product portfolio, establishing priorities, investment strategies, and roadmaps that align AI initiatives with organizational objectives and measurable business value.
Product Lifecycle Management
Establish and oversee product lifecycle management practices, including product inception, planning, delivery, adoption, optimization, and retirement.
Ensure products are managed throughout their lifecycle with clear ownership, success measures, and accountability.
Develop frameworks for evaluating product performance, adoption, business value, and ongoing investment decisions.
Drive continuous product improvement based on user feedback, operational metrics, business outcomes, and changing organizational needs.
Ensure products remain aligned with evolving business strategies and technology capabilities.
Business Partnership and Demand Management
Partner closely with business leaders to understand strategic objectives, challenges, and opportunities for technology-enabled transformation.
Facilitate prioritization of business demands and technology investments through structured product management and portfolio governance processes.
Translate business strategies and user needs into actionable product visions, roadmaps, and investment recommendations.
Serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders regarding product strategy, technology capabilities, and organizational priorities.
Foster strong partnerships between business stakeholders and technology teams to ensure alignment and shared accountability for outcomes.
Product Governance and Value Realization

Nice-to-haves

MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
Preferred Certifications

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

aiagilescrum

Platform: taleo-tbe
Effort: medium

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Vision

Professional Development