Senior Product Marketing Manager (18 months, fixed-term)

Our Purpose 

At Xero, we’re here to help you supercharge your business. We do this by automating routine tasks, surfacing actionable insights and connecting businesses with the right data, advisors and apps. When that happens, we’re not only making life better for small business, we’ll be building a stronger economy that can change the world.

Product Marketing at Xero works closely with both Product and Go-to-market teams across the business to bring a holistic view of customer needs to Product, and translate product initiatives into customer value. We do this so that we deliver maximum product value to customers as efficiently and effectively as possible.

In this role, you will be the product marketing lead responsible for developing and growing our US Payroll product, powered by Gusto, amongst small business customers and their advisors. You will work closely with teams across Product (including Product Management and Product Design) to inform the product strategy and roadmap by understanding the market, competitive landscape, and needs of priority customer segments. You will also partner closely with our global and regional GTM teams (including Marketing, Sales Enablement, Operations etc.) and be responsible for developing and executing the GTM strategy (including positioning, messaging etc.) to drive adoption with new and existing customers in the US. You will also identify future opportunities to deliver differentiated value and work with Product and Customer teams (global and regional) to build and launch new value to market.

You will be a key contributor in assessing market opportunity

• Collaborate with Strategy, Product Management, Design and other stakeholders to undertake market, competitor and customer research to deeply understand the markets in which we operate as well as customer needs and pain points, to ascertain where mobile can help Xero win for their customers.
• Consolidate and communicate relevant insights which determine Xero’s opportunity in market. You should integrate these insights into your product marketing plans for the mobile app.
• Determine the target audience and segments, in particular the Serviceable Available Market, using insights from Product and Customer teams.

You will lead Customer Value Propositions, including development, maintenance, and custodianship throughout Xero

• Lead a strategic and collaborative process with key stakeholders to define the CVP for target audiences. You will also identify and maintain compelling product evidence of CVPs.
• Bring CVPs to life for internal audiences, through assets such as messaging frameworks and product playbooks.
• Ensure CVPs are regularly reviewed and updated, in line with changes to customer, competitors and product.

You will be the primary Product representative on key, high-impact Go-To-Market programs, to ensure we release product efficiently and effectively

• Communicate product release calendar to Customer stakeholders in a timely manner, describing product value in customer terms.
• Collaborate with Customer teams to brief product initiatives, agree optimal launch timing and GTM approach, and consult throughout the GTM process to ensure clear guardrails are set when communicating product value externally.
• Develop internal briefing assets and internal sales enablement resources to help prepare and upskill internal teams.

You will lead the collaboration with Customer/GTM teams on product growth opportunities

• Identify opportunities to grow product adoption, usage and retention – utilising research, analytics and feedback from regions. You will influence relevant Customer/GTM teams to leverage the opportunities you identify.
• Lead in-product lifecycle marketing strategy and execution, including in-product communications.




You will be part of the Global Marketing team and  you will work with the US.  You will have the ability to travel if required.

Success looks like

• Strong working relationships with stakeholders that are built on trust and confidence. You’ll be effective at managing and influencing stakeholders to achieve specific outcomes.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills. While your Product team will be located in the same time zone, Payroll is a global product so collaborating and communicating regularly with Customer stakeholders across geographies is crucial to your success.
• Customer and commercial targets are achieved or exceeded.
• You are a creative problem solver and solution-focused. You feel comfortable tackling and managing complex and ambiguous problems.
• A solid understanding of go-to-market processes at Xero. New products, features and experiences will be taken to market effectively, by collaborating with Product and Customer stakeholders.
• You have deep subject matter expertise in the mobile app space – including market, customer and product knowledge – and are recognised as the ‘go-to’ expert for stakeholder enquiries.
• Clear, concise and compelling customer value propositions in market. You have an unwavering focus on the customer and advocate for cross-portfolio work where relevant.
• GTM teams understand the value of the mobile app and have the tools, support and resources they need to deliver a great customer experience, and to help grow product adoption, usage and retention.
• You are a data-driven strategist with strong analytical skills. You develop insight-led annual product marketing plans for the mobile app.
• You are an autonomous and proactive worker who can lead programs and self-prioritise workload.
• You are an active contributor to team culture and engagement, as well as the wider team and purpose.

Critical competencies

• Ability to think strategically, work independently and effectively in a fast paced environment
• Self-motivated, creative and team player, with excellent project management skills and attention to detail
• Creative problem solver who can incorporate new learnings into existing plans and act decisively and independently
• Strong communication, analytical, critical thinking and business strategy skills
• Exceptional ability to articulate compelling propositions in clear language and develop effective marketing materials
• Ability to handle the pace and ambiguity that comes with working in a fast-paced tech environment
• Passion and desire to make a difference
• Authenticity, diplomacy and drive

Experience

• Strong product marketing or marketing experience (preferably within a SaaS organisation)
• Previous Payroll experience highly desirable
• Experience working in a global role across geographies, and in an agile environment with Product Managers and development teams will help you succeed in this role
• Proven experience in the creation and development of product strategy, positioning and messaging

Why Xero? 

Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and we like that. Our human-first culture of respect, fairness, and inclusion is what helps Xeros thrive and work and beyond. Offering very generous paid leave to use however you’d like (plus statutory holidays!), dedicated paid leave to care for your physical and mental wellbeing as well as an Employee Assistance Program to access mental health care for you and your family, employee resource groups, wellbeing programming and allowances, medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, fertility and family forming financial support, 401k contribution matching, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers, an Employee Share Plan, beautiful offices with snacks and break areas, flexible working, career development and many other benefits that reflect our human value, you’ll do the best work of your life at Xero.