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Akash - Product Manager

[email protected]

Location: Remote, Remote, USA

Relocation: Yes

Visa: OPT EAD

AKASH Ph: 817-678-0872| Email: [email protected] Only Corp to Corp Professional Summary: Dynamic operations leader and management consultant with 8+ years of impactful experience across automotive, manufacturing, and technology sectors, including strategic roles at McKinsey and other companies. Expertise in Agile methodologies, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and scrum ceremonies to ensure rapid product iteration and delivery. Experience in developing and launching successful products across various industries. Experience in the full Product Life Cycle Management frameworks. Skilled in market analysis, customer research, and competitive intelligence to identify opportunities and define product roadmap. Experience in managing product lifecycle from concept ideation through development, launch, and post-launch optimization. Specializes in business analysis, executive communication, and organizational transformation, with a proven track record of driving profitability and operational excellence. Skilled in assessing technical feasibility and constraints, collaborating with engineering teams to develop realistic project timelines and resource allocations. Proficient in prioritizing feature development based on ROI analysis, customer feedback, and strategic business objectives. Skilled in UX/UI design principles, collaborating with design teams to create intuitive and user-friendly product experiences. Experience in a product management, product owner, and related role interfacing with customers and products. Experience partnering with engineering and design teams to define, build and maintain products that are critical to growth, engagement, and retention. Strong familiarity with product management tools such as Jira, Trello, and product analytics platforms like Google Analytics. Experience in conducting user research, usability testing, and A/B testing to validate product hypotheses and iterate on features based on user feedback. Experienced in developing go-to-market strategies, including product positioning, messaging, and launch plans to drive adoption and market penetration. Skilled in navigating complex projects from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, leveraging a people-centric approach to strategic growth & efficiency in fast-paced settings. Effective communicator with stakeholders at all levels, including executives, engineers, designers, and sales teams, to align on product vision and objectives. Expertise in translating high-level customer needs into detailed requirements. Proficient in conducting competitive analysis and benchmarking to identify market gaps and opportunities for product differentiation and positioning. Experience in working in a strategic, product management, finance, marketing, sales, or operations-related function in a cross-functional environment. Adept in bringing the technology know-how and capabilities to the business/non-technical teams. Skilled in feature backlog, prioritizing and defining user stories, end customer needs. Led cross functional team that include leadership and teams from business, commercial, Platform, UX, Engineering team and QA. Collaborative team player, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous learning within product teams. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high attention to detail and quality standards. Excellent communication skills, presentation skills, capable of articulating complex ideas and product concepts to diverse audiences with clarity and conviction. Strong problem-solving skills, capable of identifying and addressing complex product challenges in dynamic environments. Technical Skills: Business Strategic Planning, Program Management, Problem Solving, Team Leadership, Process Optimization, Agile Proficiency, Lean Six Sigma, Stakeholder Management, Competitive Intelligence, Financial Modeling, Decision Making, Digital Transformation SAP SAP, ARIBA Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint Product Management Product Vision, Requirements Gathering, Product Road Mapping, A/B Testing, Prioritization, User Experience Design, Cross functional Team Leadership Competitive Intelligence Gathering Product Design and Prototyping InVision, Figma, NX, SolidWorks, BI Power BI, Tableau Analytics Google Analytics, Wave Project Management Jira, Trello, Confluence, MS Project Education: Master of Science in Engineering Management, Tufts University | Medford, MA Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, Pune University | Pune, India Certifications: Certified Scrum Master Product Analytics Design Thinking Practitioner Google Certified Project Management Professional Experience: McKinsey and Company | Boston, MA Feb 2023 Till Date Role: Senior Product Manager McKinsey & Company is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Their services encompass a wide range of areas, including strategy, operations, organizational design, digital transformation, sustainability, and more. McKinsey operates in numerous countries worldwide; this global presence allows them to serve clients across diverse industries and geographies. McKinsey is known for its significant impact on shaping corporate strategies, driving operational improvements, and guiding organizational transformations. Responsibilities: Worked on Agile engineering methodology and modern software development best practices. Conduct project meetings and complete project tracking / analysis reports to assess project progress status, issues and risks to IT management and business, in an AGILE environment. Worked continuously and coordinated with underwriting team, product team and development teams to improvise Renewal flow and its features. Led workstream for optimization of Tier 1 automotive supplier's manufacturing footprint, realizing $240M NPV over 3 years. Partnered with solution leaders, software engineers and product design team members to deliver software product with high levels of value, usability, quality, and predictability. Built strong partnerships with subject matter experts and client facing colleagues to understand the value of planned products. Collaborate with web development teams and Technical Product Architects to implement features and Digital products using RESTful APIs to build a renewed modernized consulting platform. participated in and lead concept sprints to build a product roadmap, define MVP functionality and collect user feedback. Implemented procurement strategies for an automotive client, leading to a $9 million expenditure reduction and a 28% spending cut through strategic sourcing, cost analysis, RFQ optimization and negotiation coaching to clients. Managed performance transformation project that introduced a Control Tower for an oil and gas client, reducing overtime costs by 35% and integrated it across 45 workflows to improve operational efficiency. Function as a conduit between developers, external vendor companies and business process units to identify and recommend best practices, based on performing Gap Analysis. Redesigned a client's operational model for SG&A functions through rightsizing, offshoring, and automation initiatives, uncovering $20M in savings and creating a strategy roadmap for a $16M gain over two years. Directed the integration of data analytics into operational processes, which optimized decision-making and resulted in a 25% increase in project delivery speed and a 30% enhancement in cross-departmental collaboration efficiency. Spearheaded a comprehensive Generative AI Webinar, aligning closely with senior partners and industry experts to develop a compelling storyline that showcases strategic content creation capabilities and thought leadership in AI applications. Demonstrated expertise in AI by identifying 10 high impact use cases in manufacturing and supply chain, emphasizing the practical application of AI technologies in real-world scenarios. Utilized agile and scrum methodologies to lead a cross-functional team of 6 members, showcasing adaptability and leadership in dynamic project environments. Developed targeted marketing strategies for Generative AI initiatives, successfully engaging 156 companies and achieving a 38% industry adoption rate, highlighting skills in market analysis and user engagement. Collaborated with AI User Experience Designers to ensure the development of user-centric AI solutions, contributing to enhanced user experiences and increased adoption rates. Identified and escalated product delivery barriers, dependencies/ risks, ensuring the value of the user stories and negotiating with stakeholders and engineer to deliver the most value within tight timelines and budgets. Facilitate Release management by ensuring that all project deliverables are clearly defined and delivered as per Release schedule. Ensure Release notes are communicated in a timely manner. EpiVax, Inc, Providence, RI Nov 2021 Jan 2023 Role: Product Manager EpiVax is a biotechnology company uses immune engineering to develop new vaccines and to improve the immunogenicity profiles of new drugs. The company is well known for its independent thinking and interdisciplinary scientists. Thinking outside the box at EpiVax has often led to paradigm-shifting discoveries. EpiVax is also globally responsible: the company supports several not-for-profits that improve human health around the world. EpiVax deals with computational immunology, vaccine design, immunogenicity screening, engineering therapeutic proteins, deimmunization, Cancer vaccines, immune engineering, Biologics Research and Development, Deimmunization, and Animal Health Vaccines. Responsibilities: Involved in an Agile Environment (Scrum), gathering requirements using interviews, grooming sessions, document analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, business analysis, task, and workflow analysis. Assisted healthcare professional, consumer, and patient marketing, promotional, educational, and public relations campaigns. Helped in monitor marketplace and competitor trends via their digital footprint/approach, professional publications/databases, conferences, etc. and anticipate marketplace and competitive issues. Developed product competitiveness strategy, financial model, and roadmap for simulation products, resulting in a 15% market share increase within 2-year time frame. Managed and Implemented patient CRM strategy for both unbranded disease education and branded promotions that align with the patient journey. Worked closely with our computational scientists and engineers to understand their workflows and needs. Distinctly identify customer pain points and rank user stories/use cases to improve business effectiveness and performance by performing root cause analysis and product gap analysis. Spearheaded a capstone project assessing market potential of $250 Million substituting physical tests & in-house software with digital alternatives, slashing development time by 20%, optimizing efficiency in Pharma Industry. Aligning with buyer and customer needs to set a product strategy. Responsible for the oversight and management of Key User support for clinical applications, system integrations, and data repositories. Maintained a strong relationship with the tech and UX leaders on the squad to jointly steer the squad towards continuous improvement and success. Driving the setting of product objectives, OKRs, and KPIs that align with customer value. Working backwards to identify pathways and milestones to identify MVPs and versions, and advance the current product forward, wherever it may be in the product lifecycle. Developed a comprehensive understanding of all drivers influencing net profit, taking the lead in managing and influencing the P&L for maximized profitability. Involved in Business Analysis and QA teams with Role Based Access Control testing, and regression. Collaborate with key cross-functional teams including, but not limited to, Sales Team, Corporate Communications, Commercial Development, Market Access, and Patient Support. Supported and guided agencies, vendors, and partners to execute tactical plans, ensure timelines are met, and budgets are managed. Collaborated effectively with sales and marketing teams to comprehend customer needs, competitive landscape, product strengths, weaknesses, and leverage this information to shape strategic direction. Conveyed a compelling vision to computational scientists, engineers, other product managers, and management, listen actively, and evolve the product based on feedback. Worked with partners to report on KPIs and identify optimization needs. Establish a strategic roadmap, and deliver the product to the market, assuring development efforts are aligned with BU strategy. Managed analytics on all consumer marketing activities such as media, websites, email marketing and social media. Ensure legal/regulatory compliance and medical accuracy of all digital and consumer marketing materials. Coordinate with the Market Research & Commercial Analytics Teams to identify research, insight and measurement needs to inform spend, scale, and campaign optimizations. Konecranes | Pune, India Dec 2017 Jul 2021 Role: Product Manager Konecranes is a global leader in material handling solutions, serving a broad range of customers across multiple industries. It consistently set the industry benchmark, from everyday improvements to the breakthroughs at moments that matter most, because we know we can always find a safer, more productive, and sustainable way. Konecranes deals with Overhead cranes, Process cranes, Safety inspections, Wire rope hoists, Workstation lifting products, Port cranes, Hoists, Nuclear cranes, Lift Trucks, Gantry cranes, Parts, Crane maintenance, and Machine Tool Service. Responsibilities: Participated in Agile ceremonies, attending daily Scrums, and facilitating backlog grooming, sprint planning, sprint review discussions, and sprint demos. Scheduled and facilitated Agile ceremonies-daily standup, backlog grooming, sprint planning, retrospective. Lead cross-functional teams in the development and execution of product roadmaps aligned with Konecranes' strategic goals. Managing and prioritizing the product backlog in collaboration with the Product Owner team. Created and groomed stories in collaboration with the Product Owner team Served as a liaison by translating the business team s needs and priorities back to the Software Engineering team. Collaborate with engineering teams to define product requirements and specifications based on customer feedback and market insights. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards applicable to Konecranes' products. Responsible for the product planning and execution throughout the Product Lifecycle, including gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, defining the product vision, and ensuring revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met. Managed all technical aspects of product through product lifecycle. Build intelligent capability and feature roadmaps using research, data, business context and learnings as input. Conduct market research and analysis to identify customer needs and market trends in the lifting equipment industry. Partner with technology, business analysts, and key stakeholders to dissect requirements, understand risks, dependencies, and required resources, and develop/deliver against timelines that account for these. Led a cross-functional team of 8 developers, designers, and analysts to develop and implement 3D modeling software automation, reducing overall product development time by 72% with stakeholder alignment in NA & EMEA. Led supply chain of customized industrial crane projects valued from $2.5 - $4 Million, analyzed customer feedback, improvised product customization leading to an 18% surge in order conversion rate. Analyzed customer feedback patterns regarding order rejections due to insufficient product customization, leading to an 18% surge in customer order conversion rate and a $4M revenue increase in FY 2019-20. Achieved 95% schedule compliance in a 4-person team for designing industrial cranes using NX and PLM. Worked with UX/UI designers to create intuitive and engaging user interfaces. Worked directly and indirectly with business stakeholders, vendors and third parties to ensure execution of deliverables. Define pricing strategies and ensure product profitability while remaining competitive in the market. Created, maintained, and communicated product catalog and technology roadmaps, including near-term delivery, to engage stakeholders across the organization. Identified, measured, and improved key product catalog metrics to enhance the customer experience, and create a compelling, relevant product vision using web metrics, customer insights, feedback, research, and internal operational metrics. Lead the appropriate teams to refine, prioritize and manage requirements using various tools (e.g., templates, team backlogs, requirements management or agile task management applications). Champion the needs of customers, business teams, and stakeholders throughout the development process, ensuring that what is delivered meets the original goals and objectives of the project. Participate in cross-functional teams during the entire lifecycle of product development, including deployment and post-deployment activities. Manage quality control processes, including oversight of product inspections and product testing. Shree Balaji Enterprises | Pune, India Nov 2016 Dec 2017 Role: Product Manager Shree Balaji Enterprises is the foremost Commercial Kitchen Equipment Manufacturer, supplier, and trader, it has complete ranges of Washing Area Equipments, Cooking Area Equipments, Service Area Equipments, Pantry Area Equipments, Dry Storage Equipment, SS Commercial Fridge, Kitchen Ventilation System. Shree Balaji Enterprises has been delivering results and satisfying our clients, great partnership with every client. It works together with new ideas and an ideal combination of the experience paired with the latest industry technology. Responsibilities: Establish a clear and compelling vision for the product that aligns with the company's overall objectives. Gather data and insights on customer needs, market trends, and competitor offerings to inform product decisions. Participate in strategic planning and decision-making processes, providing insights and recommendations based on market analysis, customer feedback, and business objectives. Clearly articulate business requirements / business application workflow to technology teams using screen mock-ups, wireframes, and logical data models. Communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including executives, team members, and customers. Evangelize the product internally and externally, advocating for its value proposition, features, and benefits to stakeholders, customers, and the market. Evaluate and recommend tools and technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation within the product development process. Identify and prioritize technical debt and scalability issues, addressing them proactively to maintain product quality and performance. Worked on continuously seeking feedback and iterate on processes and strategies to drive success. Support sales and marketing efforts with product knowledge, collateral, and messaging to drive demand generation and sales enablement. Developed and maintained a deep understanding of the target market and customer segments. Identify and assess project risks, develop mitigation strategies, and monitor risk factors throughout the project lifecycle to minimize potential impacts. Create long-term plans outlining the direction and goals for the product, including feature prioritization and release timelines. Identify opportunities for process improvement and optimization, streamlining workflows, and eliminating waste to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Establish a feedback loop with stakeholders and users, iterating on product features and strategies based on insights and outcomes. Monitor and ensure product quality through testing, feedback loops, and continuous improvement processes to deliver a reliable and high-quality product. 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