Group Product Manager
Chemaxon · Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
- On site
- Full-time
- $140,000 / year
- Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
Job highlights
- Lead product strategy for Bio/Compound Management group.
- Manage and mentor a team of Product Managers/Owners.
- Define product vision and roadmap for multiple teams.
- Engage with customers and internal stakeholders.
- Drive product delivery in an agile environment.
About the role
About Certara
Certara accelerates the potential of bringing medicines to market and to patients using biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Our clients include more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 70 countries. Our goal is to enable the life sciences industry’s use of data, modeling, and analytics to make better decisions across the various phases of discovery and drug development. Our software and scientists incorporate modern advances in scientific understanding, drug development experience, data analysis, and AI resulting in significant opportunities to decrease the cost and increase the probability of success for new drug approval and commercialization.About Chemaxon
Chemaxon is a leading cheminformatics software company supporting early-stage drug discovery and chemical research for more than 20 years, with solutions used by top pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic organizations worldwide. Since 2024, Chemaxon has been part of Certara, a global leader in model-informed drug development. Together, we strengthen the link between cheminformatics and downstream biological and clinical decision-making, helping research teams accelerate smarter drug discovery. We are agile, innovative, and collaborative, working across Budapest (HQ), the UK, the US, and Switzerland in a multicultural environment.About the Role
We are looking for a Group Product Manager to lead the Bio / Compound Management group - a team of three product teams with engineers, and dedicated product and domain specialists, all focused on making biological and chemical data management reliable, fast, and adoption-ready for top pharmaceutical and biotech organizations. In this dual role, you will set and own the group-level product strategy and roadmap while providing line management, mentorship, and direction to the Product Managers and Product Owners in your group. You will also maintain a close cross-group with other product groups. This is a role for someone who combines strong strategic product thinking with genuine interest in people leadership and a comfort operating in a complex, multi-team environment.Responsibilities
- Set and own the group strategy: Define and communicate a cohesive product vision and roadmap across the three teams in the group; translate company-level 2026 goals (e.g. biologics adoption, registration quality, search effectiveness, platform reliability, etc.) into team-level priorities and outcomes.
- Market & customer engagement: Collate target market requirements; together with the PMs monitor the competitive landscape; work with key pharma and biotech customers to capture strategic needs.
- Stakeholder & partner engagement: Maintain alignment with Sales, Marketing, and other internal stakeholders.
- Product scope & backlog ownership: Own the group-level backlog at epic level; translate market and customer requirements into prioritized feature sets; use Jobs-To-Be-Done, strategy canvas, and data-informed methods to guide roadmap decisions.
- Planning & delivery: Ensure product-market fit across all three product areas; coordinate cross-team dependencies; support PMs and POs in maintaining delivery quality and pace; work effectively in a dual-track agile environment.
- Group leadership: Provide line management, coaching, and professional development for Product Managers and Product Owners in the group; contribute to hiring decisions; foster a high-performing, collaborative team culture.
- Miscellaneous: Manage product lifecycle in accordance with the Lean PLC process; review and improve team processes.
Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years' experience as a software Product Management.
- Proven track record of owning a product roadmap across multiple teams or product areas and delivering cross-functional outcomes on time and specifications.
- Experience in or genuine interest in people leadership: mentoring, coaching, and formal line management.
- Comfortable operating in a multi-team, cross-group environment with shared platform dependencies.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills - at ease with enterprise pharma customers, executives, and engineering teams alike.
- Data-driven mindset; ability to build and analyze product measurement systems (North Star, AARM, or pirate metrics).
- Proficiency in customer-driven prioritization methods, ability to identify and manage product risks across a diverse portfolio.
- Understanding of basic financial terminology, budgeting, and product business model design.
- Experience with Lean PLC, dual-track agile, and product discovery methods.
- Fluent English (written and spoken).
- Relevant background in a science-based field (Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or related) or in scientific software (life sciences, pharma R&D, cheminformatics, bioinformatics) is an advantage.
What We Offer
- Hybrid work model: 8 days/month home office.
- Private health insurance (Medicover).
- Inspiring work environment with community events, innovation days, and recreational spaces.
- Everyday use of English.
- A supportive, creative, and multicultural agile team.
Key skills/competency
- Product Strategy
- Roadmap Development
- People Leadership
- Agile Methodologies
- Customer Engagement
- Stakeholder Management
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Cheminformatics
- Bioinformatics
- Life Sciences Software
Skills & topics
- Group Product Manager
- Product Strategy
- Roadmap Development
- People Management
- Agile
- Product Ownership
- Cheminformatics
- Bioinformatics
- Life Sciences
- Software Product Management
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 5+ years in software product management, roadmap ownership, and people leadership experience. Emphasize your background in life sciences software or a science-based field.
- Showcase strategic thinking: Demonstrate your ability to define product vision, translate company goals into team priorities, and use data-driven methods for roadmap decisions.
- Highlight leadership skills: Provide examples of your experience in mentoring, coaching, and managing product teams, and fostering a collaborative culture.
- Emphasize technical acumen: Mention your proficiency with agile methodologies, product discovery methods, and data analysis for product measurement systems.
- Network and engage: Connect with hiring managers and recruiters on LinkedIn, and research Certara's culture and values to align your application.
Technical preparation
Master product strategy frameworks.,Practice roadmap planning tools.,Study agile and dual-track agile.,Prepare product metrics examples.
Behavioral questions
Describe leading a team through change.,How do you handle conflicting stakeholder priorities?,Share an example of a product failure.,How do you mentor junior product managers?
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key responsibilities of a Group Product Manager at Chemaxon?
- The Group Product Manager at Chemaxon is responsible for setting and owning the group-level product strategy and roadmap for the Bio/Compound Management group. This includes providing line management, mentorship, and direction to Product Managers and Product Owners, defining product vision, engaging with customers and stakeholders, and ensuring effective product delivery within an agile framework.
- What qualifications are essential for this Group Product Manager role at Chemaxon?
- Essential qualifications include a minimum of 5 years in software product management, a proven track record of owning product roadmaps across multiple teams, and experience in people leadership (mentoring, coaching, formal line management). Strong communication, data-driven mindset, and familiarity with agile and product discovery methods are also crucial. A background in a science-based field or scientific software is advantageous.
- How does Chemaxon foster a collaborative and multicultural work environment?
- Chemaxon fosters a collaborative, creative, and multicultural agile team environment. They emphasize everyday use of English, offer community events, innovation days, and recreational spaces, and provide a supportive atmosphere for their employees working across Budapest, the UK, the US, and Switzerland.
- What is the work arrangement for the Group Product Manager position at Chemaxon?
- The Group Product Manager position at Chemaxon operates under a hybrid work model, allowing for 8 days of home office per month. This offers a balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.
- What kind of product management methodologies are used at Chemaxon for this role?
- Chemaxon utilizes modern product management methodologies including dual-track agile, Jobs-To-Be-Done, strategy canvas, data-informed methods, and Lean Product Lifecycle (PLC) processes. Product Managers are expected to be proficient in these approaches for roadmap decisions and product discovery.
- Is a scientific background required for the Group Product Manager role at Chemaxon?
- While not strictly required, a relevant background in a science-based field (like Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry) or in scientific software (life sciences, pharma R&D, cheminformatics, bioinformatics) is considered an advantage for the Group Product Manager position at Chemaxon. It can provide a deeper understanding of the domain and customer needs.