About IO
IO is a flexible remote organisation with its origins in Cape Town. We conceptualise, design, build and scale meaningful, viable, digital products. We collectively work on client and startup projects which makes work at IO exciting, dynamic and agile, launching about 3 - 4 digital products per year. We are committed to modern methodologies and team structures, putting our people first.
IO has a team-based culture that values leadership, teamwork, and effective communication. We trust in team outcomes rather than micro-management.
About the role
We are looking for a product-focused Technical Project Manager with an Agile background to join IO.
Role: Agile Project Manager
Team: Product Development
Skill Level: Mid-Senior
Leadership: Senior Project Manager, COO, CEO
Our ideal candidate is...
- A people-person who is respectful towards their peers and clients
- A self-starter who works of their own volition
- A strong communicator, well-spoken and articulate
- Patient, collaborative and transparent with their teams and stakeholders
- Client-centric and understands that if our clients and startups succeed, we also do
- Pragmatic and logical in their workflows
- Resilient and works with grit and determination
- Is not afraid to do the hard work in order to succeed
- Well-versed in startup culture and practices
Our ideal candidate has…
- A background in both modern and traditional project management practices
- Strong work ethics and values and can advocate these to their team
- Worked on an Agile team with a solid understanding of the Scrum methodology
- A product-focused approach and solid understanding of the product life cycle
- 4 or more years of experience in project or digital project management
- A technical background (or worked as a developer before)
- Experience in leading and facilitating teams
- The ability to own a product (when required); or have a deep understanding of the role and its responsibilities
- Knowledge of team dynamics and can steer a team through ups and downs
- Knowledge of the web development environment (from design and UX to development and DevOps)
- Knowledge of tooling and SaaS platforms, specifically ClickUp (or similar like Jira), GitLab, Google Workspace, Slack and Figma (as a user)
- Knowledge of technical architecture and terminology of cloud-based applications and systems
- The ability to maintain project time frames, budget estimates and status reports
- Experience in documenting, scoping, and problem-solving technical parameters of software projects to present to stakeholders
- The ability to research and evaluate new hardware and software technology, and help make decisions based on project requirements
Responsibilities of the role
- Understand, practice and facilitate Scrum events using the Scrum methodology
- Product backlog management (through collaboration with the Product Owner, Client or Entrepreneur)
- Bi-weekly Sprint planning with the product development team and communicating the plan internally and externally
- Product backlog grooming (through collaboration with the Product Owner, Client or Entrepreneur)
- Ticket/task grooming with product development teams
- Ensure that the goals, scope and product are understood by every member of the team
- Impart the understanding of product planning
- Monitor the Product Owner’s product backlog activity
- Collaborate with the product development teams to set clear achievable Sprint goals
- Communicate progress regularly to the Product Owner, Client or Entrepreneur
- Build an informative relationship with the Product Owner, Client or Entrepreneur
- Facilitate workshops
- Communicate project impediments to the team and ensure they are removed or dealt with
- Collaborate with IO’s PeopleOps team to help development teams through one-on-one meetings and competency models/reviews
- Collaborate with IO’s Ops team to improve processes across the organisation
- Collaborate with other project managers to improve project efficiency and metrics
- Collaborate with IO’s CEO and COO for updates across teams and projects
- Promote and facilitate DevOps practices to streamline development and operations
- Utilise data and metrics to guide project decisions and measure success
- Provide oversight and review testing and validation processes to ensure the final product is robust and aligns with technical specifications
- Work with technical teams to identify potential security and technical risks and develop mitigation strategies
- Obtain a strong understanding of the technical aspects within a project, including relevant technologies, tools, programming languages, and methodologies
Our expectations
- Above all else, we value an attitude of lifelong self-learning
- An attitude of openness to keep learning is more important than fancy qualifications
- We are looking for highly motivated individuals who are willing to be part of a growing company
- You must display a continuous willingness to learn and grow as a team player
- We expect you to take full ownership of your work, and to be a reliable team member especially when production issues arise
- You need to display coping skills when it comes to complexity and tight deadlines
We are remote
As a remote organisation, we need you to support yourself as a remote employee. IO will provide you with a high-quality MacBook, and you need to ensure you have the following in place:
- The ability to keep yourself online for a minimum of 2.5 hours during IO’s core work hours (SA only)
- A workspace where you can work undisturbed and be productive
- A neat, tidy area for video calls
- A high-speed, stable internet connection
Why join us?
- We are a close-knit, supportive, and kind team
- We are proud of what we build, and we believe in our products
- We build great products and startups with a fantastic and highly skilled team
- We focus on standards, quality, and efficiency
- We stay ahead of the curve
- We are remote and flexible
- We believe in continuous improvement
- We don’t micro-manage
- We have a flat but mutually respectful structure
- We want to assist you to grow at all times
Our work principles
At IO we pride ourselves on our ability to stay current while adopting modern methodologies to achieve the best possible results for our clients and teams.
Principle #1: Customer Value = Business Value
We are invested in the success of our client's products.
Principle #2: Work in short cycles
Short work cycles allow us to quickly learn from our actions.
Principle #3: Hold regular open retrospectives
We use regular retrospectives to improve our performance.
Principle #4: Go and See
We observe, learn and share.
Principle #5: Fast and Flexible
We quickly identify what we need to know.
Principle #6: Work as a modern, balanced team
We empower and trust our teams to work with autonomy.
Principle #7: Radical Transparency
To produce the best possible work, everyone needs to be on the same page.
Principle #8: Celebrate Achievements
We provide regular incentives and celebrate exceptional work.
Principle #9: Make learning a first-class citizen of your backlog
Learning is part of our product development process.
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