Overview
Packer is HashiCorp's powerful tool that simplifies the creation of identical machine images across multiple platforms. This role will involve leading the strategy for Packer, working to enhance its usability and ensure it remains a key tool in the Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) ecosystem. Packer enables developers, DevOps teams, and cloud engineers to automate the creation and management of virtual machine images across cloud providers and on-premise environments. In this role, you will focus on four main pillars: 1) growing and supporting Packer's open-source community, 2) advancing integrations with the HashiStack and major cloud providers, 3) expanding the Packer language and workflow, 4) driving adoption of efficient image management practices, and 5) deeply integrating with HCP Packer.
We are seeking an experienced and technically inclined Product Manager with a passion for cloud infrastructure to lead Packer's roadmap and development, shaping its future as a core component of the infrastructure provisioning lifecycle.
Responsibilities
Product Strategy and Vision
- Define and execute a focused strategy for Packer, maintaining its position as an industry-leading solution for machine image management within the IaC community.
- Develop a roadmap that aligns with the vision of Packer as a cornerstone in infrastructure automation, supporting scalable, repeatable image creation across diverse environments.
- Align with Packer's commercial offering to ensure seamless functionality and integration, enhancing both open-source and enterprise solutions.
Community Engagement and Growth
- Foster a vibrant and engaged community by gathering insights, prioritizing feature requests, and driving contributions.
- Serve as a dedicated advocate for Packer's user base, actively participating in GitHub issues, community forums, and other community channels.
- Actively promote community contributions, user feedback, and maintain transparency around product decisions.
Integration and Cross-Product Collaboration
- Collaborate closely with Packer's commercial offering to align on roadmap and feature enhancements that support the commercial offering while maintaining a clear boundary for Packer functionality.
- Work with cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) to maintain robust multi-cloud support for Packer, allowing seamless image creation across varied environments.
- Partner with HashiCorp teams (e.g., Terraform, Vault) to ensure Packer's integrations remain optimized, facilitating smooth workflows across the HashiStack.
Customer-Centric Product Development
- Conduct interviews, community discussions, and usability testing to gather deep insights into Packer's users needs and image management pain points.
- Collaborate with engineering to create and maintain Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) for core features, prioritizing user requirements and feasibility.
- Manage the product backlog with a community-first approach, ensuring Packer's open-source development addresses high-impact needs.
Innovation in Image Management
- Stay ahead of image management trends and explore opportunities to expand Packer's functionality for automation, multi-cloud support, and security.
- Evaluate new features and improvements that enhance Packer's versatility and robustness, meeting the evolving needs of users and the broader community.
Go-to-Market Support
- Partner with marketing and sales to promote Packer's contributions, differentiating its unique value in community-driven infrastructure automation.
- Equip go-to-market teams with product insights and community updates, ensuring they can effectively articulate Packer's capabilities.
Thought Leadership and Advocacy
- Advocate for Packer within the IaC community, establishing it as a foundational tool for efficient image management.
- Represent HashiCorp and Packer at industry events, conferences, and community forums, championing image management best practices.
Skills And Experience
- 5+ years of product management experience with open-core products, developer tools, or cloud infrastructure.
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure and experience with one or more major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
- Familiarity with infrastructure provisioning tools (e.g., Terraform) and image management processes.
- Experience working directly with open-source communities, including issue management, community forums, and project transparency.
- Strong technical acumen with the ability to write clear PRDs and acceptance criteria for engineering teams.
- Proven ability to prioritize a community-first roadmap, balancing community-driven development with high-impact features.
- Excellent communication skills, with a focus on simplifying complex technical concepts and creating alignment across internal teams and the community.
- Curiosity and empathy for understanding user pain points, with a collaborative approach to open-source development.
Attributes We Look For in Product Managers at HashiCorp
- Humility: You listen to understand and work collaboratively, putting team goals ahead of individual success.
- Curiosity: You're eager to dive deep into customer problems and are always seeking new ways to innovate.
- Ownership: You take responsibility for delivering impactful results and driving product success.
- Clear Communication: You can explain complex concepts simply, and you value transparent, concise, and engaging communication.
- Reflective: You embrace feedback and seek continuous improvement, both personally and for your products.
Skills You Will Practice as a Product Manager at HashiCorp
- Defining the product roadmap and strategy for a core infrastructure product in Sentinel.
- Collaborating with engineering and design to build industry-defining tools for governance, security, and policy enforcement.
- Conducting customer interviews and market research to shape product requirements.
- Managing a product backlog to prioritize work that drives maximum impact.
- Enabling go-to-market teams (sales, support, marketing) with product insights, feature releases, and competitive analysis.
Why Packer
Packer is a critical component in infrastructure provisioning, serving as a powerful tool in the community edition and enterprise SaaS space. By joining the Packer team, you'll shape the future of image management, drive community engagement, and build a tool that empowers teams worldwide in automating and scaling infrastructure.
