Senior Product Strategy Manager - Telco

Circles
Full-timeSingapore, Singapore

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Strategy Manager - Telco Consumer Product

Company: Circles

Location: Singapore, Singapore

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Strategy & Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-02

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

  • Drive strategic growth for enterprise clients by leveraging a deep understanding of telecom consumer products and market trends.

  • Act as a trusted advisor to C-suite and VP-level stakeholders at global enterprise clients, influencing their product roadmaps and maximizing value from the CXOS platform.

  • Synthesize cross-market intelligence, industry trends, and client needs to define high-level platform strategy and identify scalable investment opportunities for internal product expansion.

  • Collaborate closely with internal Platform Product Managers to translate strategic requirements into well-defined, globally scalable platform capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at the intersection of product strategy, client advisory, and market intelligence, with a strong emphasis on influencing both external client roadmaps and internal platform development for global scalability within the telecommunications sector. The "Senior" title implies a significant level of autonomy, strategic thinking, and leadership in client interactions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Client Strategy & Advisory:

    • Partner with executive stakeholders at global enterprise clients to understand their business drivers and influence their product roadmaps by effectively showcasing existing platform capabilities.
    • Guide clients on leveraging native platform features to solve complex operational challenges, minimizing the need for non-scalable custom solutions and driving efficiency.
    • Serve as a domain expert, advising client leadership on emerging industry trends, best practices, and innovative opportunities within their specific telecom markets.
  • Market Insights & Strategic Alignment:

    • Collaborate with market research teams to continuously monitor macro trends, regulatory changes, and competitive landscapes across various operating regions.
    • Analyze diverse regional data to identify common, recurring needs within the telecom industry that warrant scalable platform investment and development.
    • Translate synthesized market intelligence into clear, prioritized business cases and capability roadmaps for internal platform expansion and enhancement.
  • Internal Alignment & Rollout Strategy:

    • Work closely with internal Platform Product Managers (responsible for engineering execution) to define, scope, and prioritize core platform capabilities required for global scale.

    • Ensure strategic requirement definitions are designed with multi-region scalability in mind, encompassing global compliance, regional configurations, and localization needs.

    • Oversee the strategic go-to-market plan for newly developed platform capabilities, ensuring successful enablement and widespread adoption across global client teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are clearly segmented into client-facing strategy, market analysis, and internal product collaboration, indicating a role that bridges external client needs with internal product development. The emphasis on "global scale," "multi-region scalability," and "global adoption" highlights the international scope and strategic importance of this position.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Postgraduate degree or equivalent advanced business degree (MBA preferred).

Experience:

  • Minimum of 5+ years of experience in building and strategizing for Telco consumer products.

  • Proven track record of influencing C-suite and VP-level stakeholders at global enterprise organizations.

  • Strong understanding of platform architecture, API strategies, and roadmap planning, with the ability to drive global scalability and synthesize global requirements.

  • Demonstrated skill in converting complex market research and qualitative customer feedback into prioritized strategic recommendations. Required Skills:

  • Product Strategy & Roadmap Development: Ability to define and articulate long-term product vision and translate it into actionable roadmaps.

  • Telco Consumer Product Expertise: Deep knowledge of the telecommunications consumer market, including product lifecycle, customer behavior, and competitive dynamics.

  • Executive Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to build rapport, communicate effectively, and influence decision-making with senior leadership.

  • Market Intelligence & Analysis: Proficiency in gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing market data, trends, and competitive intelligence to inform strategic decisions.

  • Platform Architecture & API Understanding: Solid grasp of how platforms are built, how APIs facilitate integration, and the implications for scalability and product development.

  • Business Case Development: Skill in creating compelling business cases to justify platform investments and new capability development.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales.

  • Global Market Acumen: Understanding of international market nuances, regulatory environments, and cultural considerations in product strategy.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience running global customer advisory boards or client strategic forums.

  • Demonstrated success in navigating regional nuances and identifying multi-market commonalities for product strategies.

  • Experience with Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) or other SaaS platforms in the telco space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of deep industry knowledge (Telco consumer products), strategic thinking, client-facing skills, and technical understanding of platform architecture. The "Nice-to-Haves" suggest a preference for candidates with direct experience in client advisory roles and a proven global perspective.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Strategic Case Studies: Showcase instances where you developed or influenced product strategies that led to measurable business outcomes (e.g., increased revenue, market share, customer adoption) for telco clients.

  • Market Analysis & Recommendation Examples: Provide examples of how you synthesized complex market research or client feedback into actionable strategic recommendations or business cases for platform investment.

  • Roadmap Influence & Scalability Planning: Demonstrate your ability to influence product roadmaps, with specific examples of how you considered global scalability, compliance, and regional needs in your strategic proposals.

  • Client Advisory & Executive Engagement: Highlight experiences where you advised C-suite or VP-level clients, illustrating your ability to communicate complex strategies and build consensus.

Process Documentation:

  • Strategic Planning Frameworks: Evidence of utilizing structured frameworks for market analysis, competitive assessment, and strategic planning.

  • Requirement Definition & Prioritization: Examples of documenting and prioritizing platform capabilities based on market needs and business impact, demonstrating a clear link between strategy and execution.

  • Go-to-Market Strategy Articulation: Showcase your approach to developing and executing go-to-market strategies for new product features or platform enhancements, focusing on adoption and enablement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Strategy Manager role, the portfolio should emphasize strategic impact and influence rather than granular execution. Case studies demonstrating the ability to bridge market needs with platform strategy and drive adoption globally will be critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Given the Senior Product Strategy Manager title, the location in Singapore, and the requirement for 5-10 years of specialized experience in Telco consumer products and executive influence, a competitive salary range is estimated between SGD 120,000 to SGD 180,000 per annum. This range accounts for the high level of strategic responsibility, client-facing advisory, and the specialized nature of the telecommunications and SaaS product strategy domain within the Singapore market.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive Health Insurance: Including medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and potentially dependents.

  • Performance-Based Bonuses: Opportunities for annual bonuses tied to individual and company performance, reflecting the strategic impact of the role.

  • Stock Options or Equity: Potential for participation in company growth through stock options or other equity programs, common in tech companies.

  • Professional Development Fund: Budget allocated for continuous learning, including conferences, courses, certifications, and advanced degrees (e.g., MBA support).

  • Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid work model allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

  • Generous Paid Time Off: Including annual leave, sick leave, and public holidays.

  • Retirement Savings Plan: Contribution to a local retirement or pension fund.

Working Hours:

The role is specified as full-time, typically requiring 40 hours per week. However, given the client-facing nature and global scope, flexibility will be expected, potentially involving occasional calls outside standard business hours to accommodate different time zones and client needs. The hybrid work arrangement allows for structured in-office days for collaboration and remote days for focused strategic work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on typical compensation for senior strategy roles in tech/SaaS companies in Singapore, considering the specialized Telco industry focus and the need for executive-level influence. Benefits are standard for a global tech company aiming to attract and retain top talent in a competitive market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically SaaS for the Telecommunications industry, with diversified businesses in digital telco brands, CPaaS, and travel tech. This positions Circles at the forefront of digital transformation within the telco sector.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of global partnerships with major telco operators (KDDI, Etisalat, AT&T, Telkomsel) and multiple distinct business units suggests a medium to large-sized, rapidly growing global organization. This size implies a dynamic environment with opportunities for impact and growth, but also the need for structured processes.

Founded: 2014. This indicates a relatively young company with a strong track record of innovation and scaling, having evolved significantly from its origins to encompass multiple business lines and global reach.

Team Structure:

  • Operations Alignment: While this role is Product Strategy, it operates within a broader operational framework that supports global telco clients. The Product Strategy team likely forms a crucial bridge between client-facing account management/advisory teams and internal Platform Product Management and Engineering.

  • Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Strategy Manager likely reports into a Head of Product Strategy, VP of Product, or a similar senior leadership role within the product organization. They will collaborate closely with Platform Product Managers who own the execution of the roadmap.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: This role is inherently cross-functional, requiring deep partnerships with Sales, Account Management, Marketing, Market Research, Platform Product Management, and Engineering teams globally.

Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Strategy: Emphasis on synthesizing market data, client feedback, and performance metrics to inform strategic decisions and platform investments.

  • Agile & Iterative Development: Implicitly, the collaboration with Platform Product Managers suggests an agile approach to product development, with continuous iteration based on market feedback and client needs.

  • Client-Centric Innovation: A core methodology is understanding and anticipating client needs to drive innovation in telco products and platform capabilities.

Company Website: https://circles.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's multi-faceted business model and global partnerships suggest a complex but exciting operating environment. The culture likely blends the agility of a startup with the professionalism required to serve large enterprise clients.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior individual contributor level, focusing on strategic thinking, client advisory, and influencing product direction. It requires a deep understanding of the Telco consumer market and platform capabilities. It's a strategic, not purely execution-focused, role.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Strategy Manager will likely report to a Director or VP of Product Strategy. They will work in close collaboration with Product Managers who are responsible for the detailed execution and engineering of platform features. This structure allows for high-level strategic input while maintaining focused product delivery.

Operations Impact: The role's primary impact is on driving revenue growth for both Circles' enterprise clients and Circles itself. By influencing client roadmaps and defining scalable platform capabilities, this role directly contributes to client success, platform adoption, and the overall strategic direction and commercial viability of Circles' SaaS offerings in the global telco market.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership in Product Strategy: Progression to a Head of Product Strategy or VP of Product role, managing a team of strategists and influencing the company's entire product portfolio.

  • Specialization Deepening: Becoming a recognized global expert in specific areas of telco product strategy, such as digital customer experience, B2B/B2C telco platforms, or emerging technologies like IoT/5G integration.

  • Broader Business Unit Leadership: Potential to move into leadership roles within one of Circles' other business units (e.g., Circles.Life, Jetpac) by leveraging strategic and market insights.

  • Cross-functional Leadership: Transitioning into senior roles in areas like Global Business Development, Strategy, or Client Success, leveraging the extensive client and market knowledge gained.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for this role is clearly towards senior leadership in product or strategy, with ample opportunities to leverage deep industry expertise within a growing, diversified tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, indicating a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work. This suggests a modern workspace designed for both focused individual work and team interaction.

Office Location(s): Singapore, Singapore. This location serves as a key hub for Circles' global operations and product strategy.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Spaces: The office likely features meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially open-plan zones conducive to brainstorming and cross-functional discussions.

  • Technology Infrastructure: Access to robust IT infrastructure, including reliable internet, communication tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom), and necessary software for analysis and presentations.

  • Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to connect with product teams, engineering leads, sales, and account management, fostering a dynamic and informed work environment.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the hybrid nature and global client base may necessitate flexibility. In-office days will likely be scheduled for key meetings, team syncs, and collaborative sessions, while remote days can be used for deep work, analysis, and focused strategy development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in Singapore reflects a common trend in the tech industry, aiming to balance productivity with employee well-being and collaboration. The emphasis on global client interaction suggests a need for adaptable scheduling.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application, focusing on your experience in Telco consumer products, strategic thinking, and executive influence.

  2. Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to assess your understanding of product strategy, market analysis capabilities, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities. Expect questions about your experience influencing client roadmaps and synthesizing market trends.

  3. Case Study / Presentation: You may be asked to prepare and present a strategic analysis on a given telco market scenario, or to walk through a relevant case study from your portfolio that demonstrates your ability to develop and articulate product strategy for global scalability.

  4. Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product Management, Engineering, Sales, or Client Advisory teams to evaluate your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to align diverse perspectives.

  5. Executive Interview: A final interview with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Product, C-suite executive) to assess your strategic vision, executive presence, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business outcomes of your strategic initiatives. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "increased client adoption by X%", "identified Y opportunities leading to Z revenue").

  • Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by client type, strategic initiative, or key skill. For each piece, include context (client need, market situation), your strategic approach, key decisions, and the resulting impact.

  • Highlight Global Scalability: For this role, emphasize projects where you considered or implemented strategies for global reach, multi-market commonalities, and regional variations.

  • Demonstrate Executive Communication: Showcase examples of how you presented complex strategies to senior stakeholders, highlighting your ability to influence and build consensus.

  • Tailor to Circles: Research Circles' business model, its clients, and its platform. Be prepared to discuss how your experience aligns with their specific challenges and opportunities in the Telco SaaS space.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Telco Market Trends: Be ready to discuss current and future trends in the Telco industry, particularly consumer product innovation, digital transformation, and the role of SaaS platforms.

  • Platform Strategy: Prepare to discuss your approach to defining platform capabilities, considering factors like scalability, API integration, regulatory compliance, and user experience across diverse markets.

  • Client Advisory Scenarios: Think through how you would advise a telco operator facing specific challenges (e.g., declining ARPU, need for digital brand launch, competitive pressure) using a platform like CXOS.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess strategic acumen, client influence, and the ability to translate market insights into actionable product strategy for a global SaaS platform in the Telco sector. A strong portfolio that highlights global scalability and executive engagement will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • CRM: Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM systems for client management, pipeline tracking, and understanding client engagement.

  • Product Management Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Aha!, or Productboard for roadmap planning, requirement definition, and collaboration with engineering.

  • Business Intelligence & Analytics Tools: Proficiency in tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or Google Analytics for analyzing market data, client usage patterns, and performance metrics.

  • Collaboration Suites: Expertise in using Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, Excel) or Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet) for daily operations, communication, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Market Research Databases: Access to and ability to interpret data from industry research firms (e.g., Gartner, IDC) and competitive intelligence platforms.

  • Data Visualization Tools: Ability to create clear and compelling dashboards and reports using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or similar to communicate insights to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

  • Project Management Software: Experience with tools that facilitate project tracking, workflow management, and cross-functional task coordination.

  • Communication & Collaboration Tools: Proficiency in platforms like Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and virtual meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role's nature implies a need for proficiency in standard enterprise SaaS tools for product strategy, client relationship management, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Client-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of global enterprise clients, ensuring they derive maximum value from Circles' platform.

  • Innovation & Agility: A culture that embraces new ideas, encourages experimentation, and adapts quickly to evolving market dynamics and technological advancements in the Telco space.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: A reliance on data, market insights, and performance metrics to inform strategic choices and measure impact.

  • Global Collaboration: A mindset that values diverse perspectives and fosters effective teamwork across different geographies and functional teams.

  • Excellence & Accountability: A drive for high performance, ownership of responsibilities, and commitment to delivering exceptional results for clients and the company.

Collaboration Style:

  • Partnership-Oriented: Working collaboratively with client teams and internal departments to achieve shared goals, fostering a sense of partnership rather than a transactional relationship.

  • Transparent Communication: Open and honest communication regarding strategies, challenges, and opportunities, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned.

  • Feedback-Driven Improvement: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and utilized to refine strategies, processes, and product offerings.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of market insights, best practices, and lessons learned across teams to drive collective intelligence and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely reflects a blend of a fast-paced tech environment with the rigor required for enterprise-level client solutions in the telecommunications sector. Emphasis on collaboration, data, and client success would be paramount.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Navigating Diverse Client Needs: Balancing the varied strategic priorities, technical capabilities, and regulatory environments of global telco clients while advocating for scalable platform solutions.

  • Synthesizing Complex Market Data: Extracting actionable insights from a vast and often disparate amount of global market research, competitive intelligence, and client feedback.

  • Influencing Without Direct Authority: Driving platform roadmap decisions and client strategy adoption through influence, strong business cases, and strategic partnership, rather than direct line management of engineering or client teams.

  • Pace of Technological Change: Staying ahead of rapid advancements in telecommunications technology, consumer behavior, and SaaS capabilities to ensure Circles' platform remains competitive and relevant.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deepening Telco Industry Expertise: Gaining comprehensive knowledge across different global telco markets and consumer segments.

  • Advanced Product Strategy Skills: Developing expertise in strategic frameworks, market entry strategies, competitive analysis, and platform ecosystem development.

  • Executive Communication & Influence: Honing skills in presenting to C-suite executives and leading strategic client forums.

  • Exposure to Global Business Operations: Understanding the intricacies of operating a SaaS business across multiple international markets.

  • Mentorship from Senior Leaders: Opportunities to learn from experienced leaders within Circles' product and executive teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior strategy role operating in a global, complex industry. The growth opportunities are robust, focusing on deepening expertise and advancing into leadership positions within a growing tech company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you influenced a client's product roadmap using your strategic insights. What was the outcome?" (Focus on executive influence, strategic thinking, and measurable results.)

  • "How would you identify and prioritize new platform capabilities for a global Telco SaaS product based on market trends and client feedback?" (Prepare to discuss your methodology for market analysis, synthesis, and business case development.)

  • "Walk me through your process for advising a client on maximizing their use of a platform like CXOS to solve complex operational challenges." (Highlight your advisory skills, understanding of platform capabilities, and focus on scalable solutions.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What excites you about Circles' mission and its position in the Telco industry?" (Research Circles' business model, its partnerships, and its impact.)

  • "How do you approach collaboration with Product Management and Engineering teams when defining strategic requirements for platform development?" (Emphasize your partnership approach and understanding of the product development lifecycle.)

  • "How do you ensure your strategic recommendations are aligned with the company's overall business objectives and market strategy?" (Demonstrate your ability to think holistically and connect strategy to business goals.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Storytelling with Data: Frame your portfolio pieces as compelling narratives. Start with the challenge, detail your strategic approach, explain your reasoning, and conclude with the measurable impact.

  • Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to support your claims about success and impact.

  • Focus on Scalability: For this role, explicitly highlight how your strategies considered global markets, multi-region applicability, and scalability.

  • Executive Summary: Be prepared to provide a concise overview of each case study, suitable for a busy executive.

  • Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your decisions, alternative approaches, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic depth, client influence, understanding of the Telco SaaS landscape, and the ability to think globally. Your portfolio is your primary tool for showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Strategy Manager position:

  • Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

  • Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience in Telco consumer products, strategic planning, executive stakeholder management, and global market analysis. Use keywords from the job description.

  • Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Clearly articulate your interest in Circles, your understanding of the role, and how your specific experience aligns with the requirements, particularly your ability to drive strategy for global SaaS platforms in the Telco sector.

  • Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 key case studies that best demonstrate your strategic impact, client advisory skills, and experience with global product strategy. Be ready to present these effectively.

  • Research Circles: Thoroughly understand Circles' business model, its SaaS platform (CXOS), its diverse business units, and its key partnerships. Familiarize yourself with the current Telco market landscape.

  • Practice Interview Responses: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions, focusing on your strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and experience influencing senior stakeholders.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

The role requires at least 5 years of experience in building Telco consumer products and a proven ability to influence C-suite stakeholders. Candidates should possess strong knowledge of platform architecture and the ability to synthesize complex market research into actionable strategic recommendations.