Software Product Manager Material Characterization

Purpose PerkinElmer is seeking a Software Product Manager to own the software product roadmap for analytical instrument software aligned to an assigned product line. Software is an increasingly critical competitive dimension in analytical instrumentation: instrument control software, data processing algorithms, connectivity, and reporting tools increasingly determine customer satisfaction, switching costs, and long-term loyalty. This role ensures that the product line's software strategy is as deliberate and commercially rigorous as its hardware strategy. The Software Product Manager works at the intersection of product management and software engineering — translating commercial and customer requirements into well-defined software product specifications, prioritising the software backlog against commercial impact, and partnering with the R&D software team to ensure delivery meets market expectations. They are accountable for the software product, not the software development — they set what gets built and why, not how. We are offering a hybrid working contract split between home and our offices in High Wycombe Responsibilities Software Product Strategy & Roadmap Own the software product roadmap for the assigned product line — defining the vision, prioritising features and releases, and sequencing development work against commercial opportunity and customer valueDevelop software product requirements: user stories, functional specifications, and acceptance criteria that R&D can act on — with clear priority rationale for each itemMake evidence-based trade-off decisions about software feature scope, release timing, and technical debt — balancing commercial urgency with software quality and architectural sustainabilityOwn the software product versioning and release strategy — coordinating release cadence with hardware product launches and sustaining release cycles Customer & Market Requirements Conduct structured VOC for software: customer interviews, usability feedback sessions, and competitive software benchmarking — generating a minimum of 15 documented customer conversations per year specifically focused on software needsMonitor the competitive software landscape: competitor instrument software releases, third-party integration developments, and emerging customer expectations around connectivity, data management, and regulatory compliancePartner with Strategic Segment Managers to understand how regulatory requirements (21 CFR Part 11, GAAMP, OECD GLP) affect software product needs in priority end marketsTranslate hardware NPI requirements into software specification — ensuring instrument control software is developed in parallel with the hardware programme and available at launch R&D Partnership & Delivery Serve as the primary product management interface to the software R&D team — attending sprint reviews, backlog grooming sessions, and software programme milestonesMaintain a clearly prioritised software backlog — updated regularly, visible to stakeholders, and reflective of current commercial prioritiesOwn software release acceptance: define and execute user acceptance testing criteria, certify that software releases meet the defined product requirements before commercial releaseCoordinate beta customer programmes for major software releases — managing site selection, structured feedback collection, and issue resolution before general availability Commercial Enablement Develop software-specific commercial enablement materials: feature release notes, upgrade guides, competitive software comparison sheets, and software-focused demo guides for the sales organisationTrain the commercial team on major software releases — ensuring field teams can demonstrate, position, and sell software capabilities as a competitive differentiatorSupport the MarComm team with technically accurate software content for campaigns, product brochures, and digital channels Required Qualifications & Experience 5–10 years of experience in software product management, technical product ownership, or software product marketing — ideally within analytical instrumentation, scientific software, or laboratory technologyDemonstrated experience owning a software product roadmap from requirements through release — with clear personal accountability for prioritisation and delivery qualityWorking knowledge of analytical instrument software: instrument control, data processing, and reporting workflows relevant to the product lineFamiliarity with agile product development practices: backlog management, sprint planning, user story writing, and release managementExperience conducting software-focused VOC and translating user feedback into actionable product requirementsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline Preferred MSc or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline — providing credibility with scientific end users and technically specialist R&D teamsExperience with regulatory software requirements in analytical instrument markets: 21 CFR Part 11, GAAMP, GLP/GMP compliance, or equivalentFamiliarity with laboratory informatics ecosystem: LIMS, ELN, data management platforms, and connectivity standards (OPC-UA, SiLA2, AnIML)Experience managing software beta programmes and customer co-development relationships Equal Opportunity PerkinElmer is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.