COMPETITION #MLL351/25-26-E

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer & VP of Information Technology Services (ITS), the Director, Product Planning and Delivery will coordinate and manage the gradual shift from a traditional PMO driven project model to a integrated delivery model that unifies product, platform and operational delivery. This position requires a collaborative leader to strengthen cross functional ways of working, accountable for ensuring project delivery continues while working to scale delivery practices over time. As the organization evolves, this position will manage the entire product lifecycle—from initial concept and design through delivery, ongoing maintenance, and eventual product retirement—ensuring that each product aligns seamlessly with MBLL’s business strategy and customer expectations.

These positions within MBLL will blend stable leadership with adaptability as responsibilities will evolve based on the division's target operating model and MBLL's modernization efforts.

This role encompasses oversight of existing projects underway and will eventually oversee a sub-set of product areas, (e.g.: human resources, finance) each with unique objectives and customer needs, requiring a dynamic and adaptable approach. The Director, Product Planning and Delivery provides strategic guidance, mentorship, and operational oversight to a team of project/product managers, program managers, architects, technical professionals, and testers, empowering them to make informed, high-level decisions that drive product success. This position is critical in developing and executing product plans, establishing efficient implementation practices, and sustaining optimal performance throughout all stages of the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead the complete product lifecycle for assigned areas, from initial concept through product-retirement, ensuring product alignment with MBLL’s strategic goals, and dynamic market trends.
• Foster a proactive, adaptable approach to product strategy to respond swiftly to market shifts and technological advancements, ensuring products remain relevant and competitive.
• Partner with ITS and business leaders to define a clear product vision, set measurable strategic outcomes, and establish consistent implementation and maintenance plans.
• Manage the product portfolio with a strong focus on adaptability, making data-driven decisions about resource allocation, feature prioritization, and product innovation based on evolving customer and market insights.
• Define and achieve KPIs aligned with business impact, such as product adoption, and customer satisfaction, balancing near-term performance with long-term growth.
• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with internal and external partners to align on product goals, improve collaboration, and support MBLL’s competitive positioning.
• Drive a culture of innovation by exploring emerging technologies and integrating forward-thinking practices, optimizing products to enhance customer experience and industry relevance.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to evaluate and optimize product management processes, setting clear efficiency benchmarks and maintaining best practices.
• Define, track, and communicate key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate product success, customer satisfaction, and other results-driven metrics, making real-time adjustments to maintain competitive quality standards.
• Establish governance frameworks to ensure transparency, regulatory compliance, and accountability across product teams, streamlining workflows and enhancing scalability.
• Oversee resource allocation, timeline management, and budgets for concurrent initiatives, utilizing appropriate industry informed models and methodologies to support iterative, customer-centered product releases.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration by aligning resources, roles, and responsibilities to deliver cohesive and impactful solutions.
• Refine operational strategies regularly to enable MBLL to quickly respond to market shifts, optimize resource utilization, and maintain a sustainable growth trajectory.
• Provide leadership through solid people management practices.
• Recruit, manage, coach and evaluate the performance of employees.
• Ensure that department employees provide excellent customer service.
• Provide training, guidance and direction. Ensure positive morale and motivation of employees.
• Resolve problems and issues, and provide conflict resolution in a sensitive, confidential and professional manner.
• Determine, where required, staff discipline/corrective action within established policies/related documentation.
• Ensure all applicable compliance, regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and corporate and social responsibility principles are understood, supported and adhered to by all employees.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing product team, driving an inclusive and collaborative culture that emphasizes accountability, continuous improvement, and adaptability.
• Oversee resource planning, recruitment, and talent retention, ensuring the team possesses the necessary skills to meet evolving business and market demands.
• Establish and evaluate performance goals with defined KPIs, provide structured feedback, support career development, and implement succession planning strategies.
• Promote a positive team environment, ensuring that team members feel valued and supported, enhancing employee retention and morale.
• Manage change effectively within the team, guiding them through transitions and adapting roles as necessary to support both organizational shifts and product evolution.
• Lead the development and management of product budgets, project priorities, timelines, and resource allocation to optimize ROI and ensure financial integrity.
• Conduct cost-benefit analyses, build business cases for new product initiatives, and present financial impacts to executive leadership.
• Implement cost-control measures and ensure budget compliance, using key financial metrics such as customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) to guide product investment decisions.
• Identify financial risks and implement strategies to mitigate uncertainties, ensuring alignment with MBLL’s financial goals and resource constraints.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with MBLL business divisions and other key working groups, furthering collaboration and a shared understanding of product goals, governance standards, and solution alignment.
• Prepare and deliver executive-level presentations and board briefings, gaining buy-in for key initiatives and maintain alignment with leadership objectives and organizational goals.
• Facilitate collaboration across all organizational levels, using influence and building positive working relationships with internal and external partners to support product success.
• Actively engage with clients to gather insights and feedback, ensuring a two-way communication flow that strengthens product relevance and impact.
• Monitor vendor performance against metrics and benchmarks, proactively addressing issues to maintain quality standards in product and service delivery.
• Maintain an organized inventory of vendors, tracking products, services, and contract details, and collaborate with procurement to align processes with vendor management strategies.
• Develop cost-effective vendor relationships to optimize product quality, streamline procurement, and ensure alignment with MBLL’s strategic objectives.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Completion of a recognized degree or diploma in IT, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of Ten (10) years in IT leadership, product management, operations, or relevant business operations.
• Extensive experience with project delivery methodologies, product lifecycle management, and operational best practices.
• Experience with applying SAFE, Agile and Lean methodologies, customer-centric design principles, and user experience (UX) best practices.
• Demonstrated work experience including a view to efficiency, strong leadership and organizational skills, adoption of best practices, strong initiative and ability as a self-starter, excellent human resource management and labor relations skills, and planning and managing budgets. Strong background in IT asset and software lifecycle management, policy development, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to build strong relationships and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Advanced problem-solving, risk management, and strategic planning skills, with experience in business continuity planning.
• Experience with product lifecycle management tools (e.g., AZURE, ITSM, etc.) to drive efficiency and team coordination.
• The core competencies for this position include achieving quality results, adaptability/managing change, communication, customer service, decision making and problem solving, integrity and building trust, teamwork and cooperation and valuing diversity. These competencies are deemed important for the success of the position and organization.

Secondary Qualifications

• Experience as a product manager is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience with emerging technologies (e.g., cloud computing, AI, data analytics) to drive product innovation and support strategic decision-making.
• Strong financial acumen, with skills in cost management, ROI analysis, and financial forecasting.

***Testing may form part of the screening/selection process. Employment Equity will be a factor in the recruitment process. Circumstances may arise where the bulletin may need to be withdrawn or the number of positions may need to be increased.

We thank all interested applicants, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Salary

$143,686.40 - $194,168.00 Annually

Location

1555 Buffalo Place, Winnipeg

Union

EXEMPT