How to find a Caribbean Job

Posted June 29, 2009
From Digicel

Job Ref Head of Products
Job Title Head of Products
Job Type Full-time
Location Panama
Description

The incredible success story of Digicel began in April 2001 when Digicel exploded on to the Jamaican scene with the country's first GSM mobile service, revolutionizing the telecommunications industry there and in the rest of the Caribbean.

In our first 100 days of operation in Jamaica, we secured 100,000 phone subscribers, a goal originally established for the company's one-year mark. Never before in the history of mobile telecommunications had such tremendous growth been seen in a network, as Digicel broke record after record in surpassing its major competitor as the mobile provider with the largest customer base on the island.

With over 6 million subscribers, Digicel employs over 4,000 staff, 90% of whom are Caribbean nationals. Digicel's investment in the region accounts for more than US$1.5 billion. We are in a position of strength with a unique market opportunity, leading brand, and an excellent offering that is unmatched in the region.
For more information please visit http://www.digicelgroup.com/

An opportunity has now arisen for a "Head of Products".

Primary Objective:
· Defining and implementing Digicel's overall Product Strategy (Mobile and Wireless Broadband) for the country, in line with agreed local business objectives and in cooperation with Central Products.
· Implementing and launching new Products while ensuring that Digicel retains its innovative position within the market and delivering products that are customer focused, useable and relevant.
· Providing creative product direction for the introduction of new products and modification of existing products.
· Managing the current product portfolio ensuring that existing products are maintained, retired or improved where feasible.

* Contributing to the development of Marketing Communications that support the product portfolio, impact positively on the brand, and that deliver customer understanding and uptake of products and services.

Number of persons managed/supervised and their positions:
3-4 local Product Managers

Main Duties and Responsibilities:
· Define the Product Strategy in cooperation with local Commercial/Operations Director and Group Products Director.
· Define and agree product portfolio Revenues and P&L as part of the annual budget process.
· Achievement of agreed revenue targets and agreed product KPIs.
· Establishing and managing the local product calendar or roadmap.
· Manage the Product Development Strategy according to the Product Road Map (a 'living' document) with responsibility for practical implementation of product strategy
· Developing or taking over approved business cases and feasibility studies towards delivering new products.
· Reviewing product concepts and design ideas from Product Managers for initial feasibility in conjunction with key commercial and technical stakeholders, prior to development.
· Determine pricing of new products and services and review of existing pricing in conjunction with Pricing/Finance Department.
· Take overall responsibility for the Product Development Process including the delivery of new products to market from concept through to launch, liaising with all relevant departments:
· Ensure development and execution of end-to-end quality testing and user acceptance testing in support new and existing products.
· Liaise closely with Marketing Communications to ensure that programs are in place to deliver products to the market and contributing to the development of promotions and policies to increase revenue and profitability of Digicel products and services
· Liaise closely with Technical to ensure that products are technically sound for delivery to the market
· Liaise closely with Operations/PMO to ensure that end-to-end Business Processes are in place.
· Management of in-life core products in the portfolio with ongoing analysis of their performance and profitability.
· Management of local Product Management staff
· Project governance of key product projects, involving cross functional teams including IT, PMO and Technical to ensure deadlines and KPIs are met.
· Initiate qualitative (e.g. focus groups) and/or quantitative research and market intelligence gathering as part of feasibility assessment and emerging trends analysis
· Analyze potential partner relationships for the product(s) and participate in the selection of vendors for the provision of products, services, content. Also, managing vendor deliverables.

Academic qualifications and experience required for job:

· First (1st) degree in Business, Marketing or Science. MBA or second degree a plus.
· Minimum of five (5) years' experience in management of the product development cycle, preferably in the telecommunications industry, with at least 3 years in a team leading role.
· Very good technical and product knowledge of mobile and/or fixed line and broadband products and platforms.
· Formal and on the job training in Project Management
· Experience with product development processes and stages
· Marketing and commercial background
· Experience with matrix management in a complex multi-cultural environment
· Sound Knowledge of budget and business case preparation and financial analysis
· Fluent in English

Functional Skills:
· High level of product awareness and creativity
· Experience in gaining support for strategies, product roadmaps, and product initiatives in a diverse, cross-functional environment.
· Ability to balance commercial and technical requirements and objectives.
· Excellent analytical abilities and commercial judgment.
· Effective communication skills
· Strong Presentation Skills
· Project Management skills
· Negotiation skills
· Team development and dynamics skills and a creative motivating leadership style
· Results oriented.
· Customer Centric thinking
· Proven experience negotiating and working with external partners and suppliers

Internal/External contacts:
· Externally - Suppliers; Vendors; Partners; Service and Content providers; Hardware & software and applications providers; Local agencies; Customers.
· Internally - All stakeholder departments required to execute (Technology, Operations, Customer Care, Commercial & Marketing, Sales , Legal & Regulatory, International Business etc) ; General Staff , Managers, Directors and CEOs of the local office and other business units.

In return, you will have the opportunity to work in a fast-paced, enterprising environment, where your skills will be valued and rewarded. Digicel recognizes our staff and management team are largely responsible for our success to date. Digicel's unique culture is driven by an entrepreneurial style encapsulated by our Chairman, board of directors and management, all seasoned telecom executives and industry experts with vast experience in building, expanding and marketing mobile services both in the Caribbean and in other international markets.

Click here for an application form

There are essentially two types of Caribbean jobs:

Tourism/Hospitality - these are short-term, seasonal jobs where you can have some fun and work at a hotel, beach club, dive shop, or other tourism type position. Examples of these kinds of jobs would be waitress, spa position, dive instructor, tour coordinator.

Skilled - these are longer term contracts that utilize your deep skill (IT, Law, Insurance, Banking, etc) to supplement a skill that does not readily exist on the islands. Make great money, work hard, and have a good time! Examples of these types of jobs would be Lawyer, Accountant, IT Support, Software Developer, Sales Manager, or other skilled trade.

Fun Caribbean summer job - or longer-term contract opportunity? You decide, then begin your search for your ideal Caribbean Job.

Here's some Free (and subscription) Caribbean Job links that I have used.

You can also try local Caribbean phone books, web sites focused on your market, company lists, and other resources to contact Caribbean employers directly.

• Caribbean Yellow Pages, or
  
• Caribbean Yellow Pages
  
• The Cayman Islands Yellow Pages
  
• Bahamas Official Telephone Directory
  
• Antigua, jobs in IT and Online Gaming
  
• Cayman Island Chamber of Commerce
  
• Digicel, the cell phone provider for most of the Caribbean
  
• University of West Indies, for teaching jobs.
  
• Craigslist even has a Caribbean section.
  

I have a Caribbean Jobs website dedicated to this, if you would like more information.

It Takes Time
Getting a Caribbean Job does take work, and you need to know that everything takes longer, much longer, than what you are probably used to. If you're thinking of a summer job - start now!