Product Manager

VerticalScope (TSE:FORA) is a publicly traded technology company that has built and operates a cloud-based digital community platform for online enthusiast communities. Our communities are roll-ups of high-consumer spending categories.

We leverage our deep in-house expertise in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Internet marketing, and traffic acquisition to build highly targeted, successful online communities and websites. Our platform operates at the intersection of community, content, and commerce. We believe in the power of enthusiasts to inform and inspire.

Through targeted acquisitions and development, VerticalScope has built a portfolio of more than 1200+ websites with more than 1.7 Billion posts of content and more than 101 Million monthly active users - and growing.

As an employee you will receive a competitive salary and a full range of benefits, take advantage of learning programs and contribute to an international team whose passion is innovation driven by a collaborative merit-based culture.

Job description - Product Manager

Have you ever wanted to solve the world’s problems? Ok... maybe more like solve complex product issues and deliver valuable solutions? We are looking for an amazing Product Manager to join our Commerce team!

The Commerce team operates a key part of VerticalScope’s business, focused on helping millions of users make important purchase decisions, every month. The Commerce business is growing rapidly, and we need you to help us take our business to the next level.

The Commerce team is looking for a Product Manager with a proven track record for driving user acquisition, website growth and overall product optimization. The role will be measured through key performance indicators (audience growth, conversion, engagement, etc.) and the delivery of key product features that generate a positive impact on our users and, ultimately, our business. This role offers flexible remote-work options, based out of Toronto, ON.

Our Product Managers play a leading role in our agile product teams by acting as the visionary for their product portfolio and the key representative of the consumer (our biggest stakeholder), as well as our internal stakeholders. You will be responsible for supporting the product, from ideation and build, through to launch and life cycle management.

Responsibility

1. Product Vision and Planning

• Support the development of the product vision & strategy and communicate it to stakeholders
• Uncover, interpret and advocate consumer needs and take ownership of consumer problems
• Conduct competitive analysis and product research to understand the market & industry trends and adjust the product strategy accordingly
• Identify, evaluate and communicate opportunities with business value; make prioritization decisions based on value and impact (assessed from qualitative and quantitative perspectives)
• Use creativity to develop and implement new product ideas & features with compelling consumer experiences and value propositions
• Collaborate with internal & external stakeholders to document product requirements and communicate with the engineering team
• Lead the planning process and collaborate with stakeholders to develop product roadmaps which ensure objectives and targets are met

2. Product Management

• Take ownership and manage the product life-cycle for existing products and services; proactively recommend ways to iterate on products and improve operations and processes
• Coordinate and work closely with the product development team and cross-functional teams like sales, operations, marketing, community management, support, IT and others to achieve deliverables
• Prioritize the product backlogs so that each successive sprint can be planned clearly and efficiently
• Be passionate about data and work with our data team to improve our ability to make data-driven decisions
• Actively monitor and evaluate product performance through analytics, A/B testing, user feedback and research, etc.

3. People

• Galvanize stakeholder groups around the product vision; align stakeholders and lead with confidence
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment
• Coach, develop, and motivate a customer-centric team to meet and exceed objectives
• Seek out ways to continuously improve effective collaboration

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in digital marketing, digital publishing or e-commerce-related product management (web + mobile)
• University degree in STEM or equivalent business experience
• Proven track record of successful product launches and management
• Experience working on and managing multiple digital properties with large traffic volumes
• Experience leading teams in an agile environment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience managing cross-functional teams

Competencies

• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and team-building skills, able to motivate others
• Solid business acumen with sound judgement and strong analytical skills
• Solid change management skills with the ability to easily adapt and help others do the same
• Strong sense of UI/UX for web & mobile
• Strong experience with A/B testing and conversion rate optimization
• Strong organizational and time management skills, able to self-manage and focus on high-impact activities
• Passionate and entrepreneurial (for ex. you have dabbled in or built websites / online businesses before)
• Experience with various CMS including WordPress is an asset
• Experience with affiliate marketing is an asset
• Experience with digital marketing strategies in channels such as SEO, social media and paid search is an asset
• Reliable and dependable with high levels of ethics, integrity and trust
• Desire to continuing developing skills and an ongoing willingness to learn

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated and ad hoc projects to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

VerticalScope is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, family or marital status, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or any other protected ground or social area according to Human Rights laws in Canada.

If you require disability related accommodation during the application, recruitment and interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to make all possible adjustments to suit your needs.

Though we are only able to respond to applicants that are being considered for an actively open position, we sincerely thank all applicants who are interested in working with us and are glad to hear from you.