Product Planner
Career Tracks
Product Planner
The primary function of Product Planning at Microsoft is to define the next generation of
products to drive continued business growth. From the earliest stages of defining a product
to the final stages of development, an effective partnership and open dialogue between
Engineering and Planning is crucial for the success of the product offering. Because
Product Planning is a shared discipline within both the Marketing and Engineering
professions, product planners play a key role in facilitating the partnership between
these two groups. Product planners use highly developed analytical skills to help
Engineering develop products that meet Microsoft business needs, reconcile those needs
with the satisfaction of Microsoft partners and customers, and fuel future business growth.
Effective product planning ensures a clear correlation between the set of usage scenarios
that Microsoft develops for and the customer segments that will use those products.
Responsibilities
- Gain market and competitive insights. Collaborate with Program Managers and Developers
to develop product value propositions that ensure that the next generation of Microsoft
products meets customers' needs.
- Develop business models and strategies. A product manager’s main goal is to maximize
shareholder value. It is imperative to develop sound business and financial models that
answer the question: What problem does the business solve, and how can it do so profitably?
- Advocate for and prioritize customer needs. Analyze customer needs and define workflow
scenarios that show how customers might use a new product or how they already use an
existing product. Identify customer perceptions about Microsoft and existing products,
develop new or improved product concepts and collaborate with Program Managers to
prioritize customer needs during product development, develop product feature
specifications, and prioritize and clarify conflicting product requirements.
Required Qualifications & Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills
- Business & strategy leadership capabilities, high confidence levels
- Cross boundary collaboration; impact and influence
- Customer-focused innovation
- Market analysis and opportunity identification, strategic insight
- Technology Advocacy
This is a great role for B-school graduates with a strong aptitude and passion for
technology.
