Orca Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary range is $112K to $218K with a midpoint of $165K. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.  

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

This is a term-limited position of 3.5 years.

GENERAL PURPOSE:

This role provides a unique opportunity to be at the cutting edge of transit fare payment solutions, shaping how millions of passengers in the Puget Sound region interact with public transit systems. With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, achieving ratings consistently above 90%, the Product Manager will lead efforts in understanding customer needs, developing intuitive payment solutions, and continuously enhancing the user experience. This position offers the chance to drive meaningful technological innovation, influencing industry best practices and ensuring the ORCA fare collection system remains a leader in transit payment solutions nationwide.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Lead product initiatives for ORCA, the regional transit fare payment system, from inception through completion, ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery within defined scope and budget.
• Develop and manage product roadmaps, including but not limited to, software, API, and relational data products, aligning features with user needs, market trends, and strategic objectives.
• Ensure UI and UX quality while driving an end-to-end, high-quality customer experience (CX) across all product interactions.
• Develop technical pilot programs in partnership with stakeholders, soliciting customer feedback to validate functionality and ensure high-quality products reach the market.
• Facilitate regular multi-agency meetings, workshops, and stakeholder engagements across seven Puget Sound transit agencies.
• Identify strategies and lead development of product roadmaps with a focus on product lines and parallel work streams.
• Develop and independently manage a portfolio of interrelated projects, oversee risk identification and budget forecasting.
• Define upcoming product features and coordinate product priorities with several peer agencies to align requirements and reduce delivery risk.
• Facilitate product feature delivery across multiple initiatives with integrated process and change control.
• Drive the product and business planning processes for cross-functional and intra-agency teams.
• Coordinate agile methodologies, including backlog prioritization, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives using the Optimal Product Process as a framework.
• Manage vendor and consultant relationships, specifically overseeing the main fare collection system integrator.
• Conduct market analyses, user research, and competitor evaluations to inform continuous improvement of product offerings.
• Provide comprehensive documentation, training, and ongoing support to stakeholders and operational teams.
• Manages ORCA related projects from scope development through project closeout and handover to operations. Develop and execute detailed project plans to be shared with stakeholders, vendors, and other ROOT staff members, defining clear milestones and deliverables.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues, proactively communicating potential impacts and developing solutions.
• Ensures all projects are delivered on-time, within scope, and within budget while maintaining quality.
• Evaluate and optimize operational processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness of fare collection systems.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, status updates, and reports to leadership, stakeholders, and partner agencies.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards across all project activities.
• Collaborate with technical teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications clearly and effectively.
• Actively identify market trends, assess peer products, and integrate user feedback to continuously improve product offerings. They will play a pivotal role in aligning product strategies with business objectives, translating complex technical information into clear and actionable strategies for stakeholders across the organization. 
• The role will also encompass traditional project management duties, including detailed project planning, scope management, resource allocation, schedule adherence, and risk management to successfully deliver projects within established timelines and budgets.
• Collaboration with multiple transit agencies across the region, specifically involving regular interaction and coordination with representatives from seven participating partner agencies. 
• Oversight of vendor and consultant performance, ensuring effective implementation and delivery of payment solutions across diverse regional stakeholders.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Product Management, Project Management, Information Systems, Engineering, Communications, Public Administration, or closely related field. Eight years as an individual contributor in the following or related roles: product manager, project manager, or business analyst; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Processes, procedures, and practices of product management, project management and business analysis.
• Strong knowledge of product lifecycle management, including roadmap creation, prioritization, and iterative enhancement.
• Proficiency in agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and associated tools (Jira, Confluence).
• Experience in defining product requirements, conducting user research, and translating user needs into clear product features.
• Expertise in data analysis, user experience (UX) principles, and using analytics to inform product strategy and improvements.
• Proficient in detailed project planning, including defining clear project scope, establishing timelines, and setting milestones.
• Experienced in tracking project deliverables, monitoring progress, and ensuring timely completion of project phases.
• Proficient in identifying project risks, developing mitigation strategies, and proactively resolving issues to ensure successful project delivery.
• Proven ability to effectively manage stakeholder communications and build consensus across multiple agencies and teams.
• Strong vendor management and negotiation skills, particularly involving technology vendors and system integrators.
• MS Office including SharePoint and experience of two years which must have been acquired within the past five years.
• Sound judgment and the ability to escalate issues when necessary.
• Strong experience managing and leading change within an organization.
• Strong facilitation skills including conflict management, issue resolution, brokering agreements, and removing roadblocks.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other department staff, management, vendors, and outside agencies.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Independent judgment, personal initiative, and resourcefulness.
• Working effectively under pressure, meeting deadlines, and adjusting to changing priorities.
• Strong oral and written communication skills for various individuals ranging from Agency employees, consultants, contractors, the public, elected officials, community leaders, and local and state agencies.
• Presentation development and public speaking skills.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of Optimal Product Process, and/or other best practices in product management.
• Knowledge of various payment systems, methods (credit/debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, etc.), and industry standards
• Familiarity with public transportation systems, ticketing solutions, fare collection methods, and transportation regulations.
• Familiarity with payment processing technologies, APIs, encryption, and security protocols.
• Ability to analyze data and trends to make informed decisions and optimize payment processes.
• Familiarity in market and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and inform strategic product decisions.
• Familiarity developing prototypes or mock-ups to visualize and validate solutions.
• Knowledge of testing methodologies, test planning, and quality assurance practices.
• Knowledge of deployment processes to ensure smooth software release cycles.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a hybrid environment with an expectation of working in office a minimum of 3 days per week.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.