Kirkland & Ellis - Chicago, IL
posted 3 months ago
The IT Senior Product Manager I at Kirkland & Ellis will play a pivotal role in the Risk Management department, collaborating closely with the Senior IT Product Manager II. This position is designed for an individual who can build strong relationships with mid- to senior-level management, general business users, and legal staff users. The primary responsibility will be to elicit, document, and translate specifications for applications that serve the department, the Firm, and its clients. The successful candidate will be adept at translating these specifications into functional and technical requirements, utilizing the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Agile methodologies. This role is crucial in bridging the gap between the Risk Applications and Product Engineering Solutions teams, ensuring that technology solutions align with business needs. The IT Product Manager I will be expected to maintain and enhance their technology skills while primarily acting as a business/practice IT driver within the Risk Management vertical. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential, as is the ability to actively listen and document requirements effectively. The candidate should have experience working with business users and cross-functional teams, including DBAs, developers, architects, and external vendors. A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of experience in business systems analysis and business process management within an iterative and phased approach in an information technology environment are required. The Risk Management area encompasses a large portfolio of applications, including both packaged solutions and custom development. The IT Product Manager I will work closely with the Senior Product Manager II to ensure that application support, documentation, and project deadlines are met for the Risk applications. This role requires the ability to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously while providing exceptional customer service. The candidate must be flexible yet structured enough to adapt to changing business requirements and priorities. Key responsibilities include gathering requirements, confirming and obtaining sign-off on requirements, entering user stories into JIRA, and creating and executing test scripts. The IT Product Manager I will also be responsible for first-level testing to ensure that changes do not adversely impact applications or services. Adherence to the Firm's IT Product Manager lifecycle and associated artifacts is crucial to ensure that project efforts are focused on the appropriate solutions and functionalities. The role may also involve applying project management methodologies on small to mid-sized efforts independently of an assigned project manager. The candidate will document medium to large-scale projects, including use cases, user stories, and workflow diagrams, while soliciting input from internal and external sources to drive continuous improvement in processes and user experiences.