Senior Product Manager

Tokyo
Partial Remote
Full-time
July 22, 2024

Job description

The Solution Development Department at Synspective is responsible for developing models and algorithms that produce insights using multiple sources of data, including our own satellite data. To do this, we develop an analytics platform to produce geoscience insights efficiently and easily.

Responsibility:

Your responsibilities will span various aspects of product development, from understanding user needs to driving successful product launches.

Details of work:

Customer-Centric Approach:

Gain a deep understanding of customer requirements.
Identify and address product gaps, generating new ideas to enhance customer experience and drive growth.

Product Vision and Alignment:

Create buy-in for the product vision internally and with key external partners.
Develop pricing and positioning strategies to maximize product value.

Requirements and Prototypes:

Translate product strategy into detailed requirements and prototypes.
Collaborate closely with engineering and scientific teams to ensure efficient development and quick time-to-market.

Prioritization and Impact:

Scope and prioritize activities based on business impact and customer needs.
Gain a deep understanding of our technology and identify how we can leverage it to meet user needs.
Help the team avoid over-engineering solutions to accelerate product launch, learning and iterative development.

Product Launches:

Drive successful product launches by coordinating efforts with public relations, marketing, sales, executives, and external stakeholders.

Promotional Strategy:

Evaluate promotional plans to align with the overall product line strategy.
Ensure effective communication of the product’s value proposition.

Evangelism and Awareness:

Act as a product evangelist, building awareness and understanding of our analytics platform.
Engage with industry stakeholders and thought leaders.

Market Research and Risk Mitigation:

Conduct market research to identify user needs, industry trends, and competitive landscapes.
Assess and mitigate risks associated with product development and deployment.

Selling points of the role:

As a Senior Product Manager at Synspective, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our analytics platform. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineers, data scientists, and developers, to create innovative solutions that empower both internal and external users. Your responsibilities will span various aspects of product development, from understanding user needs to driving successful product launches.

Job requirements

5+ years of proven track record of managing all aspects of a successful product throughout its lifecycle
Solid technical background with understanding and/or hands-on experience in software development and web technologies
Strong analytical skills and user feedback-driven decision-making abilities
Skilled at working effectively with cross functional teams in a matrix organization
Bachelor or Master Degrees in Engineering, Science or equivalent
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Experience with data-driven products – a product where the data is the product, and the quality of the data is paramount.
Business level in English and Japanese

Preferred qualifications:

MBA or business degrees
Experience in platform products
Experience in geospatial technology or businesses
Experience working in a startup environment
Experience with converting the result of R&D efforts into successful products

APPLY NOW ➜Japanese Required ⚠️

Product

About Synspective

Synspective is a space start-up that provides business solutions based on data from satellites. Founded in 2018, they develop and operate their own synthetic aperture radar satellites.

While most start-ups in the Earth Observation sector are limited to one area such as data analytics or the development of satellite hardware, Synspective handles everything from developing satellites to data analytics to building solutions for clients based on this infrastructure.

With an emphasis on data, Synspective aims to become a true one-stop-shop player for solutions based on satellite data. With SAR satellites that apply the results of the Japanese Cabinet Office’s “ImPACT” program, Synspective’s goal is to create a platform capable of frequent data collection, and sell or use that data to offer solutions for government and business entities.

Synspective’s culture is defined by their concept of “Human Centered Design for Company”. They’re striving to build a strong organization that relies on the performance of each individual. To that end, they provide a flexible environment where specialists can work autonomously, empowering members to work whenever it enables them to do their best work.

Since the company is entering into a market that’s still developing, optimizing for the performance of each individual is essential for the success of the company’s business. They also want to support members in expressing their own ideas and hypothesis since they know that the satellite business still has many open questions.

Synspective is an organization full of highly-motivated specialists, so each full-time employee is on a 6-month contract. Members’ performance is evaluated every six months, and those who’ve made major contributions are rewarded for their effort. This also helps maintain an environment where everyone can work freely and independently among people focused on improvement and growth.

Japanese Language Policy
Synspective’s Japanese requirement varies based on the position, but they only require Conversational Japanese skills for developers. Being able to speak business level Japanese will come in handy however. Official company events use English, but day-to-day communications can depend on the team.
Paid Leave
Synspective’s PTO policy consists of annual paid leave following Japanese labor law.

The first year an employee joins, they’ll receive ten PTO days, plus Saturdays and Sundays and all Japanese public holidays off.

Each year the number of PTO days they’re granted will increase by one (e.g. 11 days granted in year 2) up to a maximum pursuant with Japan’s labor laws.
Benefits
💹 Employee stock option plan

💻 New tech gear

👩‍🎓 Skill development support

💛 Support for attending conferences

💜 Seminar participation support

👶 Parental Leave

🧡 Social security / insurance benefits included

🏥 Healthcare insurance

💚 Pension insurance
Remote Work
Employees are completely free to work remotely or from the office. In fact, Synspective is planning to support full remote work even after COVID-19.

However, we ask that everyone live close enough to commute to the office if necessary.
Work style
Full flex time with core time from 11:00AM to 3:00PM
Synergy of Spirit

As part of Synspective, we embark on this journey together, bringing with us our combined experiences and life. As a team, we recognize that the team’s goals are my personal goals, and my goals are the team’s goals. We each share a part of the responsibility to succeed. I constantly communicate to align my efforts with our goal. I manage my energy and time to maximize team performance. I give more than I take. I provide value when needed and I take responsibility for my own behavior.

Synthesis of Knowledge

We try to create new value under conditions that have huge uncertainty and volatility. The only way for us to succeed is to progress through trial and error that we learn from and make changes based on our new knowledge. I listen actively and respectfully to others’ opinions, consider it logically and examine my assumptions, and discuss it with my team constructively. I learn by doing and building upon our experiences. I aim to achieve better results with every new attempt. I accelerate the collective learning process by openly sharing experiences and knowledge with my team.

Synched with the Future

We have an obligation to create a sustainable future for the next generations. To do so, we must tackle tough challenges as pioneers, leaving our comfort zones that prevent our growth. I recognize that a smart failure is a step toward success and try to learn from the past to solve new issues in the future. I set aggressive goals and divide them into sprint-victories in order to continue to tangibly advance and make progress. I consider the future, prepare for it, and actively engage in making it happen with quick actions and decisions.