Product Manager, Operations Systems

Whisker is the maker of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com. At Whisker, we believe pet parenthood can always get better.

As leading innovators in pet tech and refined pet accessories, we work tirelessly to solve problems and deliver smarter insights for pet parents while enriching the lives of pets. Whether it’s a self-cleaning litter box that automates scooping, an automatic feeder that helps pets develop healthier eating habits, or a modern cat tree that delights both humans and felines, we strive to deliver better solutions for consumers while transforming pet care along the way. To us, having a pet is the best thing ever. At Whisker, life together just keeps getting better.

Whisker is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Juneau, Wisconsin with 600+ passionate team members.

What You’ll Do:

The Product Manager - Operations Systems partners with the manufacturing and logistics stakeholders at our production facility to define the roadmap for platforms and prioritizes work based on ROI and benefit to the business. The role documents and communicates the vision and business requirements to IT leadership and project managers; facilitates change management, and delivers new functionality IT develops to move the business forward.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

• Develop deep expertise in Whisker’s Order Management System (OMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and related integrations
• Owns the vision for technical operational systems used by our production facility, including our ERP and Production/Order Management System
• Conducts research, analyzes data, and provides data-driven recommendations for investing in new systems or enhancing existing tools to optimize the experience for planning, production, and logistics teams.
• Partners with operations leadership to identify inefficiencies where systems do not support existing processes. Works with IT and operations to ideate solutions to reduce those inefficiencies
• Develops and maintains a roadmap and prioritized list of projects for operational systems
• Works with project managers and development team to develop estimates and timelines for projects
• Documents and diagrams existing and future processes and business requirements describing enhancements or new functionality
• Understands operational processes and supports product development of tools and technology to support them
• Leads product implementation and roll-out to the business. Coordinates meetings with stakeholders and participates in the user-acceptance testing process. Ensures new tools are implemented seamlessly and deliver on expected outcomes
• Partners with IT and Operations to identify and implement changes to our fulfillment system (Whisker Ops), ERP (SAP), and integration platform (Magic XPI) to support the ever-evolving needs of the production facility
• Will perform additional duties as required

What You’ll Bring:

• BA/BS in Computer Science, Business or Logistics and/or equivalent years of experience
• 3+ years experience working in operations and logistics at a manufacturing facility
• Proven experience developing, operating, and maintaining manufacturing and logistics systems and processes
• Experience debating and influencing Build vs. Buy discussions, researching potential vendors, and the RFP process
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, focused on the end goal, remaining positive
• Strong understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle and Agile methodology
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleagues
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs) 

Not Required but Nice to Have!

• Experience working in and configuring SAP Business One
• Experience and understanding of Magic XPI or similar integration platform

Benefits & Purrks: 

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow’s pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with:

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Whisker Parents Program
• 1 day "pawternity" leave for new pet adoption
• Pet Insurance Discount
• 401K match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous paid time off
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Top of the line equipment
• Pet-friendly office
• Whisker products and swag
• Continuing education Support
• On-site gym with Peloton
• Referral program

Statement of Inclusivity:

We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.

#onsite1