Company Description

Our agency designs, develops, and optimizes Shopify and Shopify Plus websites for some of the fastest growing eCommerce brands on the planet.

Job Description

Please note that we are not currently actively hiring for this role, but we are happy to review your application for future consideration!

Tako Agency is a full-service, fully-remote Shopify agency made up of dedicated, creative, dynamic individuals. We are currently seeking a part-time (with the option for full-time after the first successful project) Project Manager (PM) to work in tandem with our development and leadership teams to deliver high-quality, solution-oriented work. 

Disclaimer: At Tako Agency we know workplace diversity at all levels strengthens us. We have a zero-tolerance policy for toxic BS like gender bias, racism, et al, in any form. If that gives you moves like Jagger, we’d love to hear from you!

First Things First
If you don’t have a background in eCommerce/tech/development, that’s OK! We strongly believe that the right person is not always the most qualified one in terms of professional history. Still, the learning curve may be quite steep. 

Our leadership team will happily do our best to give you everything you need to succeed, but we will expect that you do your best to think critically, ask questions (proactively searching for answers on your own first), take notes, and show initiative every step of the way. If you’re the right person for this role, you’ll be proactive about learning everything you need to know to be successful in it.

A Little About You

• You want to challenge yourself (even when no one is making you). You have a knack for spotting opportunities for improvement and then taking the initiative to make those improvements. The happiest and most successful people at Tako are super-owners of their work. Bad days, good days, we ultimately love what we do--we care about our clients, invest ourselves in them, and want to see them succeed -- and are willing to go the extra mile to make that happen.

• You’re creative. Tako Agency is not an assembly line. Things move very quickly and there are not many mundane, repetitive tasks. We have a very diverse clientele and our projects reflect that. The ability to quickly synthesize information and dynamically concoct solutions on the fly will serve you very well around here!

• You’ve got grit. You are a person who knows that getting what you want takes work--sometimes more than you anticipate. We trust that if you choose to be a part of the Tako team, you want to be here and take what we’re doing seriously. That means you don’t just give up when faced with something hard or annoying, and are (at some level) excited by beating complex problems to a fucking pulp.

• You’re a solutions-oriented problem solver, who won’t give up at the first obstacle (or second, or third…). 80% of project management is just two things: being organized and solving problems. PMs work directly with clients and the leadership team to devise solutions to their problems, not only at the beginning of the project but throughout. Own your work and show your problem solving flair. (We know you’ve got it!)

• You’re a team player. Yeah, this one’s always on these damn job descriptions, but it’s crucial! Especially on a small, diverse team like ours, it’s important that you are not only willing to work collaboratively, but also exhibit emotional intelligence in your interactions with others. It also means you’re willing to do more than your “fair share” on occasion so colleagues can take time off, knowing they’ll be there to have your back in the exact same way when you peace out for England or Portugal or wherever.

• You’re a good communicator. Being a PM means it’s your responsibility to understand the client’s story and be able to translate it to the development team in a way they’ll understand (and vice versa). Copying and pasting whatever the client said in an email directly into an Asana task is not going to cut it -- you need to know how to provide context, distill what they’re saying down to what they really mean, and outline any potential roadblocks you see.

• You can take (and dish) constructive criticism. We all need to be checked by an objective perspective from time to time. We’re looking for someone who can accept constructive criticism and discuss opportunities for improvement.
  On the flipside, it’s important that our PMs are prepared to fairly, but firmly, hold team members accountable--for meeting deadlines, communicating effectively, and delivering complete, excellent work.

What You’ll Be Doing (a Non-Exhaustive List)

• Day-to-day management of the development team, including check-ins and standups

• Management of Asana tasks throughout the development process, from assignment to delivery

• Communicating with the client via Zendesk tickets and video chats, with appropriate documentation

• Managing the client relationship with finesse, carefully managing their expectations, and communicating proactively (and helpfully; imagine it’s your Mom running her business)

• Capacity planning

• Reviewing reporting daily to monitor budget usage 

• Establishing milestones and deadlines for the project, and keeping everyone on track to meet them

• Triaging bugs and client issues as they come in

• QAing developers' work where appropriate

TL;DR you own the project from start to finish. You’ll work with the leadership to properly scope the project at the beginning, and then you’ll be given all the resources and support you need to see it through pretty much on your own. Most PMs manage 4-5 projects at a time, each in different stages of intensity and with different deadlines.

Perks of Being a PM on Team Tako

• Fair, competitive pay--with generous raises and bonuses, where applicable 

• Work from anywhere, on PST 

• Strong emphasis on work-life balance (mental health is wealth, y’all)

• Plenty of growth opportunities, including paid learning (plus, we always strive to hire from within wherever possible)

• One paid mental health day per month (after three months of employment) plus a bonus day when a project ships

• Profit sharing on the project’s budget when it ships, subject to performance

• A company culture that encourages transparency, open communication, and fun

Not Necessary, but Helpful

• Familiarity with eCommerce, Shopify and its most popular apps (ReCharge, Klaviyo, Yotpo), and basic knowledge of development practices/jargon

• Previous PM experience

• Familiarity with any of these platforms:

  • Slack

  • Asana

  • Zendesk

  • Hubstaff

  • Google Drive/Meet

  • Figma

If this sounds like your perfect match, we can’t wait to meet you! Please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please tell us 1) Your MBTI personality type (if you don’t know it, take the test for free at the link below) and 2) Why you agree or disagree with the result.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Looking forward to chatting!

Team Tako

Qualifications

Please see Job Description. :)

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.