Product Manager

Prishan Tek, Inc, a boutique strategy, recruiting and consulting firm. We were recently awarded a contract for the Digital Defense Services and are part of a pilot program to support a division in the Pentagon that uses experienced recruiting firms to support some mission‑critical roles to take the Digital Services group to the next level.

The Defense Digital Service (DDS) was established in November 2015 to transform technology within the DoD by applying industry best practices to high‑impact national security missions and some of DoD’s most complex IT challenges. DDS is an agency team of the U.S. Digital Service.

The Team: DDS functions like a SWAT Team of tech experts on one-to-two-year tours of duty as government employees. The team is comprised of world‑class software developers, engineers, designers, product managers, and expert problem solvers. Team members’ roles can include developing new code, managing technical projects, advising on development processes and product releases, and hacking or rewriting outdated policies or processes to make way for more effective, modern IT approaches.

The Projects: DDS focuses on projects that advance DoD's most important initiatives that are critical to the well‑being of Service members, civilians, and core operations of the Department. Projects include reforming digital services that provide military families access to critical benefits, running bug bounty programs to identify vulnerabilities and better secure defense systems; developing drone detection technologies; hunting adversaries on defense networks;

and rethinking training for cyber soldiers.

• Analytical Ability: Approaches problems quantitatively and displays critical‑thinking and problem‑solving abilities. Breaks down complex problems into component parts. Defines and tracks key metrics to make data‑driven decisions.
  • Master: Brings analytical thinking to everything they do and has a range and depth of experience doing so. Anticipates the need for metrics and analysis early in the product and project discovery and design process, and carries metrics through iterations.
• Managing Without Authority: Builds influence in organizations without relying on formal titles or roles, and uses that influence to achieve project success. Gains commitments from leaders and team members without formal reporting structures in place. Shares credit, understands and empathizes with others, and recognizes how different people value different incentives.
  • Master: Clear and repeated evidence of influencing major decisions that change the trajectory of an organization. Clearly understands the pros and cons of formal authority, and leverages experience to build consensus and motivate rather than dictate.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivates relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. Has superior negotiation skills that enable successful communication and cooperation across all levels of an organization, including executive leadership.
  • Master: Provides examples and demonstrates the ability to manage multiple key stakeholders with varying levels of influence during a projector across multiple projects.
• Superior EQ: Understands what motivates people, through keen observations of environment and context, and uses this knowledge to communicate and engage with partners and colleagues to identify obstacles and create appropriate mitigation strategies. Is a "fixer."
  • Master: Demonstrates a superior ability to analyze situational dynamics in a politically‑charged environment and to leverage this observational awareness to solve complex problems. Cites multiple different types of examples of effective problem‑solving in the workplace.
• Team Building: Identifies necessary roles and motivates individuals to form, storm, norm, and perform as a cohesive team. Effectively provides feedback to team members, and deals with low performers. Fosters latent qualities within team members.
  • Master: Has both lead and built teams multiple times and in diverse organizations. Always considers effective organizational structures, and thinks beyond the scope of their team or teams. Views developing people as well as dealing…