Job Overview
Location
US - Illinois - Chicago Hoffman Estates
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Product Manager
Date Posted
January 7, 2026
Full Job Description
đź“‹ Description
- • Own the complete product launch lifecycle—from initial concept to post-launch optimization—ensuring every release lands on time, on budget, and with measurable impact for CDK’s 30,000+ dealership customers.
- • Build and maintain dynamic, data-driven launch plans that map milestones, dependencies, and success criteria across product, engineering, marketing, sales, customer support, and finance; update these plans daily in Asana or JIRA so every stakeholder sees real-time progress.
- • Run weekly cross-functional “launch readiness” stand-ups, surfacing blockers early, negotiating resource trade-offs, and driving decisions that keep velocity high without compromising quality or compliance.
- • Design and execute risk-management playbooks: identify technical, regulatory, and market risks for each release; quantify probability and impact; and pre-wire mitigation actions so surprises become non-events.
- • Serve as the single source of truth for launch communications—crafting executive briefs, customer-facing FAQs, internal wiki pages, and Slack announcements that translate complex technical updates into clear, benefit-oriented language.
- • Create and curate a living library of launch artifacts: project charters, RACI matrices, go/no-go checklists, release notes, and retrospectives; ensure every document is searchable and version-controlled for future reuse.
- • Partner with enablement teams to design role-based training curricula (videos, e-learning modules, and live workshops) that prepare 1,200+ sales reps and 500+ support agents to demo, sell, and troubleshoot new features on day one.
- • Own the final quality gate: coordinate user-acceptance testing, security scans, localization checks, and pricing-rule validation; sign off only when all exit criteria are met and customer experience KPIs are forecasted to improve.
- • Drive post-launch retrospectives that quantify adoption, revenue lift, NPS impact, and support ticket trends; translate insights into backlog items that continuously refine our launch methodology.
- • Champion a culture of experimentation by A/B testing launch tactics (email cadences, in-app tours, pricing bundles) and institutionalizing the winning plays into future release templates.
- • Mentor junior project coordinators and product ops analysts, sharing best practices in stakeholder management, timeline modeling, and executive storytelling.
- • Keep a pulse on automotive retail trends—electrification, digital retailing, connected-car data—so launch strategies stay ahead of dealer and OEM expectations.
- • Travel up to 15 % (once per quarter) for on-site customer validation sessions and regional sales kickoffs, ensuring launches resonate in diverse dealership environments.
🎯 Requirements
- • 3+ years of experience in product operations, technical program management, or SaaS release management with a demonstrable record of shipping multiple customer-facing products on schedule.
- • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Project Management, or related field; PMP, Scrum Master, or equivalent certification strongly preferred.
- • Expert-level proficiency in project management tools such as Asana, Trello, or JIRA; familiarity with product lifecycle management (PLM) platforms is a plus.
- • Exceptional cross-functional communication skills—comfortable presenting to C-suite, translating technical details for non-technical audiences, and negotiating priorities under pressure.
- • Detail-obsessed, data-driven mindset with proven ability to anticipate risks, build contingency plans, and maintain rigorous quality standards in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.
🏖️ Benefits
- • Competitive base salary of $90,000–$105,000 plus annual performance bonus and equity incentives tied to product adoption milestones.
- • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage starting day one, with 100 % company-paid premiums for employee-only coverage and generous family subsidies.
- • 401(k) matching up to 6 %, tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per year, and paid volunteer time to support causes you care about.
- • Remote-first culture with flexible PTO, quarterly recharge days, and a one-time $1,000 home-office stipend to build your ideal workspace.
Skills & Technologies
Remote
Degree Required
About CDK Global, Inc.
CDK Global provides dealer management systems and integrated technology solutions to automotive, heavy truck, powersports and marine dealerships worldwide. Its cloud-based software supports sales, financing, service, parts and customer relationship management workflows. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company processes millions of transactions daily, helping retailers increase operational efficiency and deliver consistent omnichannel customer experiences. CDK also offers analytics, cybersecurity, digital marketing and consulting services that enable dealers to modernize legacy processes and comply with evolving industry regulations. The company serves more than 15,000 retail locations across more than 100 countries.
