[Hiring] Product Deployment Specialist @Ascend Partner Services

Role Description

Ascend is building an AI team that will power the technology transformation that the industry needs. Machine learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLMs) will be one of the main pillars of this technological transformation. The primary customers for the EPD team at Ascend will be the partner firms who now operate within Ascend and their clients.

Reporting to the Product Deployment Manager, the Senior Product Deployment Specialist will work closely with partner firms to execute large scale product feature releases, and work to develop positive relationships with partner services and partner firms. Ascend’s goal is to revitalize the accounting industry. Your team’s goal is to roll out solutions that will fundamentally change what accountants do with their time (and therefore the cost structure of the business). Success in this role will be measured by the effectiveness of product adoption on new tools, and partner firm sentiment of our products.

This role offers the opportunity to work remotely, with the added benefit of connecting in person during our quarterly company gatherings.

This is the perfect role for you if:

• You have experience managing software product rollouts and enjoy working cross-functionally to ensure smooth adoption.
• You excel at building and maintaining authentic relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• You’re excited about AI and technology, especially in the accounting or financial services space.
• You’re passionate about and enjoy change management.
• You have a bias for action and take initiative to drive progress that makes a difference.
• You love over-communication and enjoy constantly improving communication.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the release and adoption of product rollouts to partner firms and their clients, with a focus on releasing quickly and iteratively.
• Become the subject matter expert on our products, creating and presenting effective training materials and process documentation.
• Support in testing and validating new features and products before release.
• Own release and product roadmap communications with our partner firms and partner services teams.
• Consistently work with partner services to align cross functional teams on common goals and outcomes, and identify areas of collaboration.
• Build strong relationships and trust with leaders and employees at our partner firms.
• Support in executing on EPD team collaboration processes so we work as effectively as possible as a team.
• Collaborate early with product managers and engineers to help define the scope of projects and to add insights that ensure we are building the right products for our users.
• Manage a strong feedback loop process to both ensure our firms feel that their feedback is actioned, and work closely with our product managers and engineers to effectively action feedback.
• Establish deployment and change management logistics and processes.
• Defining, monitoring, and reporting on leading and lagging product metrics that align with desired outcomes.
• Clearly communicating outcomes to the Ascend leadership team, recommending necessary pivots, and reprioritizing based on outcomes.

Qualifications

• This candidate has experience being the primary project manager of software projects, involving working with multiple cross-functional teams.
• A portfolio of successful product or project launches in which you owned.
• A minimum of 2 years' experience working in a technology organization supporting project or product management organizations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Communication: Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, delivering clear, concise messages tailored to each audience. Effectively explains complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Management: Builds authentic, strong relationships with internal partner firms and clients, positioning the product team as trusted advisors in the accounting industry. Initiates collaboration, fosters open feedback loops, and drives alignment.
• Ownership and Strong Work Ethic: Takes responsibility for the successful and timely completion of projects and initiatives with a bias for action. Ensures all tasks meet high standards and that all stakeholders understand their responsibilities. Maintains a "can-do" attitude, fosters accountability, and coordinates efforts to drive progress and results.
• Problem Solving: Actively participates in technical and industry-specific discussions, identifying actionable next steps to address deployment challenges. Owns facilitation, develops recommendations based on feedback, and provides clear paths forward. Thinks holistically to align solutions with broader goals while avoiding unintended consequences. Combines active listening, creativity, and foresight to drive overall success.
• Earns Trust: Upholds commitments to the business and builds trust with collaborators, even in uncertain or challenging situations. Maintains transparency, acts proactively, and navigates ambiguity with confidence. Anticipates possible outcomes, prepares for various scenarios, and ensures successful results. Voices opinions constructively using data and anecdotes, driving next steps with a bias for action while prioritizing stakeholder buy-in.
• Solution and Growth Oriented: Drives both personal and team growth by fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement. Embraces experimentation with new strategies, particularly during releases, and encourages innovation to enhance workflows.
• Organization and Prioritization: Manages tasks and resources effectively to meet deadlines and achieve key milestones. Demonstrates strong time management skills, adapting and shifting priorities as needed to ensure critical tasks are completed first, even in evolving situations.

Additional Skills

• Strong understanding of accounting workflows, tax preparation processes, or related fields (preferred).
• Experience with AI-powered tools (preferred).

Our values:

• Own it: We seize growth opportunities with the passion, speed, and accountability of an Entrepreneur.
• Serve whole-heartedly: We love our people and serve them with positivity and kindness.
• Be excellent: We set a high bar because our mission matters.
• Win together: We stay in sync, achieve as a team and celebrate each other.
• Bring the sunshine: We have fun and bring enthusiasm to make the journey joyful.

At Ascend, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Ascend hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.