Product Manager

Ritter Communications has been at the forefront of the local communications industry for more than a century. We began providing telephone service in Northeast Arkansas in 1906. Today, Ritter Communications serves over 100 communities across Arkansas, northeast Texas, southeast Missouri, and west Tennessee. The company has grown steadily over the years, expanding rapidly and is now the largest privately-held regional broadband fiber, telecom, video and cloud services provider in the Mid-South. Ritter invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best-in-class infrastructure and technology, while coupling it with a world-class customer focused experience.

General Summary:

The Product Manager is responsible for executing tactical plans necessary to support the strategic direction, unit performance, and revenue commitment for residential and/or commercial products including all network access, Internet, Ethernet, Voice, Video, Hosted, Managed and/or Cloud services offered by Ritter Communications.

This position is responsible for the coordination of products, pricing and promotions pertaining to Company services and works in cooperation with the Sales, Customer Service, Marketing Communications, Accounting and Engineering departments as required to support objectives.

Essential Job Functions:

• Drives Product Development and planning processes such as: new product implementations, existing product lifecycle management, designs, requirements, documentation, regulatory compliance, pricing, bundling, reporting and forecasting;
• Coordinates new product launches, feature enhancements, operational integration of assigned product offerings, and product migration strategies;
• Leads financial modeling and business modeling for existing products and new revenue opportunities available to Ritter Communications; articulate findings to management;
• Takes a leadership role in evaluating emerging technology trends across sectors of the market and provide input to Product and Operational teams;
• Executes product and pricing strategies for data, video, and/or voice services ensuring that all product price points and feature sets are competitive;
• Analyzes and monitors key service offerings and features of competitors and other technology and service providers;
• Facilitates relationships with key customers and vendors as necessary for assigned products;
• Manages customer-facing and vendor contract language pertaining to data, video, and/or voice services including MSA, SLA, AUP, T&C, etc;
• Leads and manages any necessary Request For Information (RFI) or Request For Proposal (RFP) in support of respective product initiatives;
• Provides input and help in defining detailed product/feature and customer experience requirements for budgeted development initiatives approved for development This includes defining the business rules, primary use cases and functional requirements;
• Assists in development of customer user-interface (UI) strategy; responsible for ongoing maintenance, updates and new content;
• Manages and coordinates cross-functional teams to develop and implement new offerings according to schedule and within budget by facilitating communication and prioritizing technical and operational efforts.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of modern service provider data, video, and/or voice networks, technologies and protocols;
• Must have a comprehensive understanding of the Company’s business model, distribution channels, target markets, and technology, and be able to conceive/support profitable new products and value-added services;
• Requires strong analytical ability and sound decision making with accuracy and attention to detail; ability to perform professional research on geographic areas, consumer demographics, and business verticals;
• Proficient in the use of presentation, word processing, project and spreadsheet software;
• Strong and effective verbal and written communications skills including ability to facilitate discussions with diverse audiences with a wide range of technical knowledge; Listens carefully and encourages/accepts other points of view
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with peers, supervisors, and managers within and across organizational lines;
• Highly adaptive, flexible, and able to shift strategies on short notice as environment dictates;
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, including ability to effectively plan and prioritize assignments in an interdependent environment; Must be able to demonstrate the ability to multitask and maintain timelines for major initiatives;
• A history of budgeting and financial analysis skills required.

Education and Experience:

• S. in Marketing, Business, Engineering or equivalent experience required;
• Minimum of four to six years of experience in Product Management or Product Development preferred; experience in telecommunications industry is strongly preferred ;
• Strong Project Management skills and experience required.

Ritter Communications is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We strive to maintain a drug-free workplace.

We offer competitive compensation and an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision, cancer, accident and life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, free gym membership, company discounts, tuition reimbursement, paid training, paid leave, and much more!