Developer Relations Manager Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Overview:
At Zebra, we are a community of innovators who come together to create new ways of working. United by curiosity and a culture of caring, we develop smart solutions that anticipate our customer's and partner's needs and solve their challenges.
Being part of Zebra Nation means you are seen, heard, valued, and respected. Drawing from our unique perspectives, we collaborate to deliver on our purpose. Here you are part of a team pushing boundaries today to redefine the work of tomorrow for organizations, their employees, and those they serve.
You'll have opportunities to learn and lead in a forward-thinking environment, defining your path to a fulfilling career while channeling your skills toward causes you care about-locally and globally.
Come make an impact every day at Zebra.
What We're Looking For:
The Director of Technical Product Management, Portfolio & Platforms (DTPM-PP) is a pivotal strategic role designed to bridge product vision, architectural integrity, and engineering execution across the organization's core software offerings and critical platform components. This individual will own the technical product strategy for our developer-facing platforms, including the AI SDK, EMDK, and DataWedge, and drive the technical roadmap for key software offerings like ZDNA Cloud, Device Guardian, and Identity Guardian.
This role is the entry point and prioritization gate for next-generation technical use cases, owning the 'what, why, how, and when' for our developer platform capabilities. The DTPM-PP will make critical technical decisions, currently handled by engineering, regarding our developer experience, such as the choice between DataWedge, EMDK, or the AI SDK, and whether APIs are best exposed from the device or a cloud endpoint. The ideal candidate will have a unique blend of business and technical savvy, a big-picture vision, and the ability to drive that vision to reality, ensuring a cohesive and powerful developer ecosystem.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Strategic Technical Product Leadership:

• Define and drive the overarching technical product strategy and holistic roadmap for ZDNA Cloud, Device Guardian, and Identity Guardian, fostering a unified, scalable, and secure product ecosystem.
• Act as the primary technical liaison between customer-facing Product Management and Architecture/Engineering, translating market needs into precise, technically viable, and forward-looking product requirements.
• Own and prioritize the technical backlog for platform-level initiatives, architectural improvements, and strategic technical debt reduction. This includes leading an initial audit and rationalization of existing technical debt.
• Take ownership of technical non-functional requirements, including instrumentation and licensing.

2. AI SDK Go-To-Market & Technical Ownership:

• Lead the technical product strategy, roadmap, and detailed requirements for the AI SDK, focusing on a world-class developer experience (DX), robust integration patterns, and optimal performance.
• Drive the technical Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for the AI SDK, developing compelling technical messaging, competitive analysis, and advanced enablement content for sales, partners, and customers.
• Champion the internal and external adoption of the AI SDK, working with engineering and developer relations to foster a thriving ecosystem and implement robust feedback loops.

3. Developer API Strategy & Evolution (EMDK, DataWedge):

• Define the strategic direction and roadmap for critical developer APIs (EMDK, DataWedge), with a focus on usability, consistency, security, and lifecycle management.
• Establish and enforce best practices for API design, comprehensive documentation, and SDK development to ensure a world-class developer experience.
• Actively engage with the developer community to gather feedback and drive continuous improvement.

4. Team Leadership and Integration:

• Lead and mentor a team of product owners and managers, including those responsible for Android Product Management, DataWedge, and Pendo.
• Collaborate closely with other Product Management leaders to ensure a clear division of responsibilities, with this role focusing on the 'Developer Persona' and the underlying platform, complementing the 'Admin' and 'Frontline Worker' personas.
• Serve as the primary technical product partner for engineering and architecture teams, providing deep clarity on requirements, facilitating technical decision-making, and ensuring implementations align with the strategic vision.
• Work with stakeholders from other teams (e.g., Mark O, Coby, Jordan), treating them as customers and incorporating their requirements for APIs/SDKs.

Job Requirements:
Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field.
• 15+ years of related experience, with 8+ years in a hands-on software development, engineering leadership, or system architecture role.
• 5+ years in technical product management for enterprise-level software, with a proven track record of defining and executing technical roadmaps for platform or API-first products.

Preferred Requirements:

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred.

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Deep Technical Expertise: Profound understanding of cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP), AI/ML fundamentals and MLOps, and API design principles (REST, GraphQL). Experience with AI SDKs and mobile device ecosystems (Android Enterprise) is highly desirable.
• Strategic Product Acumen: Ability to assess a complex market landscape, link technical decisions directly to business outcomes, and create a focused, integrated product plan.
• Executive Leadership: Exceptional ability to drive consensus, influence diverse stakeholders from engineering to sales, and articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical executive audiences.
• Developer-Obsessed: A strong passion for creating outstanding developer experiences (DX), with experience in building and nurturing developer communities.
• Proven Manager: Experience mentoring and managing a team of product managers and/or engineers to develop and evolve their capabilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
Zebra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability and protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law. If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance in applying for a position, please contact us at workplace.accommodations@zebra.com.
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We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation at workplace.accommodations@zebra.com .
Pay Range:
$0.00 - $0.00 Annual
Incentive Compensation:
In addition to base pay, Zebra offers this role the opportunity to earn a performance-based annual cash incentive, at a target equal to 25% of base pay, in accordance with the terms of the applicable incentive plan.
Zebra Total Rewards:
Zebra Total Rewards includes more than just pay and is structured to meet the needs of our changing global business and evolving talent. We are committed to providing our employees with a benefits program that is comprehensive and competitive - including healthcare, wellness, inclusion networks, and continued learning and development offerings. We offer community service days, in addition to the traditional insurances, compensation, parental leave, employee assistance program and paid time off offerings depending on the country where you work.
Salary offered will vary depending on your location, job-related skills, knowledge, and experience.
Additionally, all Zebra roles are eligible for cash incentive programs. For example, sales roles have additional opportunity to earn substantial variable compensation tied to quota achievement. In most other roles, the Zebra annual cash incentive program links Company and individual performance together. Some roles may also be eligible for long-term incentive equity awards.
Benefits:
We understand the importance of work-life balance and wellbeing, which is why we offer flexibility for our teams including: hybrid work, adaptable hours, Summer Flex Fridays, Focus Fridays, and an annual companywide well-being day to promote revitalization and success.
Job Posting Statement:
To protect candidates from falling victim to online fraudulent activity involving fake job postings and employment offers, please be aware our recruiters will always connect with you via @zebra.com email accounts. Applications are only accepted through our applicant tracking system and only accept personal identifying information through that system. Our Talent Acquisition team will not ask for you to provide personal identifying information via e-mail or outside of the system. If you are a victim of identity theft contact your local police department.
AI Technology Statement:
Zebra Technologies leverages AI technology to evaluate job applications using objective, job-relevant criteria. This approach enhances efficiency and promotes fairness in the hiring process. However, every decision regarding interviews and hiring is made by our dedicated team, because we believe people make the best decisions about people. For more on how we use technology in hiring and how we process applicant data, see our Zebra Privacy Policy.