Software Product Line Manager

Project

Work done for a product or program.

• Define the software product line scope, feature roadmap and commonality-variability model across device families.
• Establish the variant and configuration strategy determining which features are core, optional, customer-specific or deprecated.
• Negotiate scope and delivery commitments with key customers and align them with internal capability.
• Track product line economics: engineering cost per variant, reuse rate and support burden per configuration.
• Drive variant proliferation reduction initiatives when configuration count outgrows maintainability.
• Represent software content in silicon product definition and business case reviews.
• Align documentation, training and support readiness with each product line release milestone.

Function

Work that keeps the discipline running: methods, tools, suppliers and people.

• Prioritise the software backlog against design-win opportunities, revenue impact and engineering capacity.
• Define software licensing, packaging and monetisation models including tiered feature enablement.
• Manage the end-of-life and long-term support policy for each software baseline, including security patch windows.

Project

1. Produce and hand over the role's key deliverables
   • Software product line strategy and roadmap
   • Commonality and variability model with variant catalogue
   • Prioritised software feature backlog and release plan
   • Long-term support and end-of-life policy per baseline
   • Product line economics and reuse metrics dashboard
2. Define the productGeneral
   • Gather customer and market requirements
   • Write the business case
   • Agree the requirements with engineering
3. Take it to marketGeneral
   • Plan the launch
   • Set pricing
   • Support key customers

Function

1. Manage the portfolioGeneral
   • Keep the roadmap current
   • Review product performance
2. Understand the marketGeneral
   • Follow competitors and trends
   • Maintain forecasts