Location: Dubai, UAE

 Travel: 10-15% 

Benefits: Competitive salary and stock options, along with premium medical benefits, and zero income tax in Duba

Job Overview: 

● Derq is a Dubai & Michigan-based Startup developing an AI-based software platform to make roads and vehicles safer and smarter through analytics and active safety. As an MIT spin-off and Techstars Mobility alum, cutting-edge mobility-focused technology is at the core of what we do. 

● You will be responsible for developing our product strategy and leading product development and release, and will have the opportunity to build a team of product managers over time to support these efforts. Derq has already released several commercial-ready products including collision avoidance, safety and traffic insights applications, and is a proven leader in the vehicle-toeverything and AI industries. 

● Your responsibilities will include working with leadership to define products and product roadmaps based on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Smart City, and mobility market needs, engaging with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., road owners / operators, ITS or distributor partners, fleet / AV operators) to ensure products are delivering high value to Derq’s customers, conducting market research to stay current on trends in mobility and ITS, ensuring Derq’s products fit leadership’s long-term strategy, and participating as a senior thought leader at client and industry events. 

Job Description / Key Responsibilities: 

● Product Strategy – ○ Own product strategy including product definition and positioning for Derq’s suite of products ○ Create business and marketing cases to support product investments ○ Participate in go-to-market planning with leadership and business development team and help build necessary product marketing materials ○ Identify and communicate gaps in Derq and / or marketplace offerings to ensure Derq has best-in-class solutions 

● Product Roadmap & Development – ○ Develop and maintain product roadmaps based on product / industry trends, major customer needs, gaps in current offering, and competitive landscape ○ Identify, define, and prioritize requirements, features, and acceptance criteria ○ Build, lead, and mentor a team of product managers and related personnel ○ Work with engineers, data scientists, developers, and designers to size development efforts, and drive new features from conception to release ○ Provide day-to-day product guidance, manage scope and priority of development team backlog ○ Escalate risks to development timeline / roadmap when necessary 

● Business & Partnership Development – ○ Participate in pre-sales and prospect meetings to present Derq’s overall capabilities and product offering and their potential impact on their businesses ○ Act as key point of contact to existing customers for product related matters ○ Identify and evaluate opportunities to build strategic partnerships and product integrations with other technology providers to address go-to-market needs and gaps in Derq’s offering 

● Market Research & Thought Leadership – ○ Lead customer feedback gathering through different forums (such as working sessions, analytics, surveys, interviews, and more) to understand market needs, identify current product gaps and opportunities for improvements, new features and products ○ Conduct secondary research to aid in understanding of product needs and development of product roadmaps ○ Attend and present at industry events as a recognized thought leader on mobility

Skills / Competencies: 

● Ability to develop / write business cases and product roadmaps 

● Ability to write product requirements based on product roadmaps

 ● Strong interpersonal / relationship building skills 

● Strong leadership skills / ability to build and manage a team 

● Experience in an agile iterative software development environment 

● Experience in mobility / automotive, ITS industries a plus

 ● Strong communication skills – written, verbal, presentation (internal and client-facing) 

● Strong analytical acumen

 ● Ability to balance multiple priorities and projects

 Traits:

 ● Accountable / strong sense of ownership

 ● Proactive, self-motivated, strong initiative, sense of urgency 

● Focus on execution 

● Ability to work through roadblocks 

● Collaborative team player

 ● Passionate / engaged / responsive

 ● Flexible – ability to navigate ambiguity and effectively manage priorities 

Education & Experience

 ● 5-7+ years of experience in product management role, preferably in mobility, IoT, automotive, or ITS industries 

● Strong track record of bringing new products and/or enhancements from inception to market

 ● Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or MS a plus, Engineering or computer science degree a plus 

● Solid understanding of emerging trends in mobility or ITS industries

 ● Demonstrated ability around market research and product strategy development 

● Ability to reduce complex problems and requirements into implementable solutions 

● Demonstrated track record as market-facing expert / thought leader