People (HR) AI Product Manager & Forward Deployed Engineer

Our Tech client is looking for a contractor to join the People AI Pod as a People AI Product Manager &
Forward Deployed Engineer. This is an embedded, cross-functional role for someone who can work at the intersection of product, process, AI workflows, and delivery. You will partner directly with People stakeholders to understand operational pain points, turn ambiguous problems into scoped solutions, and help move high-impact People AI use cases from idea to launch.

This role is ideal for someone who is equally comfortable in discovery sessions, workflow design, backlog shaping, testing, rollout support, and post-launch analysis. You will work closely with People Products & Insights, technical partners, analytics partners, and People leaders to define use cases, shape the right solution path, and drive execution across pilots, launches, and iterations.

While this role will be hands-on in shaping, testing, and operationalizing solutions, it is not
intended to replace core engineering ownership. Advanced automation engineering and deeper
platform build work will sit with People Products & Insights and engineering partners. This role
bridges the gap between business context and technical execution so the right work gets
defined, launched, and improved quickly.

What you’ll do

Embed with People stakeholders to identify high-value workflow, AI, and agent opportunities across People Ops, Payroll, Benefits, Mobility, Talent Acquisition, Leadership Development, and related domains.
Partner in discovery and scoping, and drive solution shaping for new People AI use cases by understanding current-state processes, pain points, edge cases, risks, and operational constraints.
Translate business problems into clear workflows, requirements, user stories, decision logic, testing scenarios, and success measures that can move efficiently into build or pilot.
Act like a product owner for in-flight use cases by maintaining and refining the People AI Pod backlog in Asana and helping ensure work is prioritized, actionable, and tied to measurable business outcomes.
Partner closely with People Products & Insights and engineering teams to determine the right delivery path for each request, including self-serve, supported workflow, pilot, or more advanced technical implementation.
Help prototype, test, validate, and iterate on People-focused AI solutions, including agent experiences, routing logic, workflow behavior, and operational handoffs.
Build the operating context around launches by documenting process flows, dependencies, edge cases, rollout plans, escalation paths, and adoption considerations.
Use data to improve products in production by maintaining reporting views, analysis files, and insight decks that measure adoption, resolution, deflection, time savings, and business impact.
Synthesize findings into clear product recommendations, launch updates, and decision materials for People leaders, technical partners, and program stakeholders.
Support pod-based execution by driving cross-functional working sessions, backlog refinement, planning discussions, issue triage, and regular progress updates.
Create practical enablement materials such as guides, templates, feedback loops, and office hours that help stakeholders adopt and extend People AI capabilities. Investigate issues in live workflows, document failure points or ambiguity, and coordinate with the appropriate product, platform, or engineering owners to drive resolution.

What success looks like

High-value People AI opportunities are identified early and translated into clear, actionable solution paths.
New use cases move from idea to pilot to launch with strong definition, tighter feedback loops, and fewer handoff gaps.
People stakeholders know how to engage the People AI Pod and when to route work to People Products & Insights for deeper technical execution.
Live solutions improve over time through strong testing, measurement, adoption support, and product-minded iteration.
Reporting and analysis give leadership a reliable view into usage, impact, quality, and where to invest next.
Cross-functional partners view this role as a force multiplier that accelerates delivery while improving clarity and execution quality.

Qualifications

Experience in product, forward deployed, solutions, business systems, program delivery, HR technology, or a similarly cross-functional role.
Strong ability to move from ambiguous problem statements to structured requirements, workflow logic, solution proposals, and execution plans.-
Experience working closely with business stakeholders and technical teams to design, launch, and improve workflow or AI-enabled solutions.
Comfort operating in complex operational domains such as People Ops, payroll,benefits, talent, leadership development, employee services, or internal platforms.
Experience owning or supporting backlogs, delivery planning, testing, rollout coordination, and post-launch iteration in a pod, Agile, or scrum-like environment.
Ability to work with spreadsheets, reporting inputs, and performance metrics to generate practical product and business insight.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create concise documentation, updates, and leadership-ready materials.
Strong stakeholder management, facilitation, and problem-solving skills, especially in ambiguous or cross-functional environments.

Preferred experience

Experience supporting AI, automation, workflow, internal tooling, or knowledge-management initiatives.
Deep experience with tools such as Glean, Claude Code and Cowork, Workato and related reporting or workflow platforms, Asana, Google Workspace, Slack, ServiceNow.
Experience piloting new products or workflows inside a matrixed organization.
Experience operating in a contractor or embedded partner capacity.

Scope note

This role is focused on embedded product thinking, forward-deployed execution, workflow design, launch support, requirements shaping, measurement, and st