Senior Product Manager - Marina Management & Payments

Remote, USA Full-time Posted 2025-11-03

About Dockwa

Dockwa is on a mission to modernize the $230+ billion marine industry. Founded in 2015, we started by streamlining how boaters and marinas connect through real-time transient slip bookings, and quickly expanded to provide a full operating system for marinas nationwide—automating workflows, increasing revenue, and delivering efficiencies across the board. But we’re just getting started. Our ambition is to bring modern, impactful technology solutions to an industry that has traditionally been offline, and we’re looking for passionate individuals to help us lead the charge.

Our Mission

We believe in transforming a historically traditional industry by empowering marinas with intuitive, powerful software. By building an all-in-one platform that integrates reservations, payment processing, and workflow management, we aim to elevate the operational efficiency of our partners and create a seamless customer experience for boaters.

Our Team

We are a dedicated group of professionals spread across the US, committed to driving positive change in the marine sector. Each team member brings passion, expertise, and a strong customer-centric approach to everything we do. We believe that building the best product and service starts with assembling the best talent—diverse perspectives, collaborative mindsets, and a shared enthusiasm for shaping the future of the maritime industry.

Working With Our Engineers

As a Product Manager at Dockwa, you sit at the nexus of business and technology, bridging strategic vision with technical execution. We believe it’s critical to be transparent about our expectations and highlight what makes someone successful here—because when PMs and engineers collaborate effectively, we build better products for our

customers.The engineering team wants a collaborative, communicative, and empathetic PM who involves them early, balances the backlog thoughtfully, leverages data (while still listening to dev and user feedback), and shields them from churn. Technical prowess is appreciated, but far less critical than clarity, trust, empathy, and strong prioritization. When those attributes are present, engineers feel supported and motivated; when they’re absent, the team experiences frustration and inefficiency.

Our Culture

We aren’t here to be “just another” software solution. We ask ourselves daily: If Dockwa disappeared tomorrow, would that make a meaningful difference to our customers? The answer should be a resounding “yes.”Our motivation lies in identifying and solving real, high-impact problems. By relentlessly improving our platform and pushing industry standards upward, we aim to deliver best-in-class solutions to marinas and boaters. We embrace innovation, ownership, and a culture of continuous learning to ensure we’re always driving change for the better.

About the Role

As the

Senior Product Manager responsible for Dockwa’s Marina Management Software, you will own the end-to-end product strategy for workflow optimization and payment integrations across our platform. You’ll partner closely with engineering, design, sales, and customer success to bring innovative features to life—features that streamline daily operations for marinas and deliver frictionless experiences for boaters.Your success in this role will come from deeply understanding the technology landscape, translating business needs into clear product requirements, and working hand-in-hand with cross-functional partners to build, launch, and iterate on solutions that set Dockwa apart in the market.

Key Responsibilities

Product Vision & Roadmap

Define the product roadmap for marina workflow optimization and payment integration, aligning with company goals and customer feedback.

Stay current on industry trends and best practices in payment technology and operations management to keep Dockwa at the cutting edge.

Workflow & Payment Integration

Lead initiatives that streamline operational workflows for marinas, improving efficiency and user satisfaction.

Drive payment and financial product innovations, ensuring secure, scalable, and intuitive experiences for both marinas and boaters.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Engineering to ensure technical feasibility, timely delivery, and high-quality execution of features.

Work closely with Design, Sales, and Customer Success to understand user pain points, gather feedback, and craft solutions that exceed expectations.

Stakeholder Management

Clearly communicate product plans, priorities, and timelines to leadership and key stakeholders, managing expectations and fostering alignment.

Collaborate with marketing teams to develop and execute effective go-to-market strategies.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Utilize analytics and customer insights to drive product improvements and validate hypotheses.

Define success metrics and monitor product performance, iterating quickly based on results.

How to Be an Effective PM When Working with Engineers at Dockwa ⚓

Overall Guiding Principle

The engineering team wants a collaborative, communicative, and empathetic PM who involves them early, balances the backlog thoughtfully, leverages data (while still listening to dev and user feedback), and shields them from churn. Technical prowess is appreciated, but far less critical than clarity, trust, empathy, and strong prioritization. When those attributes are present, engineers feel supported and motivated; when they’re absent, the team experiences frustration and inefficiency.

Technical Credibility: “Understand Enough to Be Dangerous” ️

What Engineers Want: A PM who can speak the language of developers—knows the difference between front-end and back-end trade-offs, can follow (if not deeply participate in) architecture discussions, and appreciates the complexity behind certain tasks.

How Deep?

Understand high-level technical constraints. ️

Realistically estimate effort (with dev input). ⏳

Avoid decisions that ignore technical reality.

Bottom Line: “Broad but not necessarily deep” technical familiarity goes a long way in facilitating realistic scoping and empathetic decision-making.

Communication Style: “Clarity > Buzzwords”

Universally Valued: Crisp, succinct communication that aligns engineering tasks with broader product or company goals.

No Jargon Overload: Engineers get turned off by too much “corporate speak.” They prefer direct statements about why something matters to users, the business, and the roadmap.

Variety of Mediums:

Short stand-ups. ⏳

Monthly retrospectives.

Occasional deeper 1:1 “brain dumps.”

Bottom Line: Engineers want to know the “why” as much as the “what.” The PM’s top communication priority should be clarity, conciseness, and tying tasks to bigger-picture objectives.

Balancing the Backlog: “Healthy Mix of Features, Bugs, and Tech Debt” ⚖️

Ideal Scenario: A PM who proactively schedules refactoring time, addresses bugs before they blow up, and balances these against shiny new features.

Common Pain Point: Letting bug fixes or technical debt slide until they become urgent, leading to fire drills and stress.

Positive Note: Engineers love seeing a steady flow of tasks, with enough room to tackle performance improvements or code cleanups that pay off in the long run.

Bottom Line: The best PMs keep an eye on technical health and user-facing growth simultaneously, not sacrificing one for the other.

Early Involvement in Product Discovery: “No Surprises, Please”

Early & Often: Engineers appreciate being brought in when ideas are still forming, rather than after key decisions are locked in.

Why It Matters: Early collaboration prevents major refactoring , missed edge cases, and lack of buy-in.

Varying Levels: Some engineers are okay with “consult then decide,” but most prefer “co-pilot from day one” or “collaborative creator” approaches.

Bottom Line: Involve engineers early. It avoids technical debt, fosters shared ownership, and paves the way for smoother deliveries.

Data-Driven (But Not Data-Obsessed)

Positive: Many engineers value metrics, user data, and A/B testing to validate decisions. They want to see success metrics for new features and evidence-based prioritization.

Avoid Extremes: Don’t let data completely overshadow thoughtful user feedback or dev team expertise.

Key Ask: If you propose a big feature, communicate how it will be measured:

OKRs

Success criteria

User adoption metrics

Bottom Line: Data-driven product decisions are appreciated, but should be balanced with empathy and engineer feedback.

Empathy for Engineering Realities: “Be Our Advocate and Ally”

PM as a Shield: Engineers feel supported when the PM protects them from unrealistic timelines, chaotic pivots, and stakeholder demands that ignore development constraints.

Respect for Constraints: Recognizing on-call stress, performance limitations, or the necessity of refactoring fosters trust and reduces burnout.

Engineering Morale: Small gestures—like celebrating wins or scoping stories realistically—make engineers feel seen and motivated.

Bottom Line: A PM who advocates for the technical team’s bandwidth and mental space will earn deep loyalty and better outcomes.

Conflict & Trade-Offs: “All Parties Aligned” ⚖️

Desired Approach: Bring all stakeholders (dev, design, leadership) into a quick planning session and collaboratively decide on priorities.

Win-Win Mindset: Having a clear plan for the “runner-up” feature keeps the team feeling heard and reduces friction.

Deal-Breaker: Unilateral or top-down decisions that ignore dev estimates or user value signals create distrust.

Bottom Line: Engineers prefer open, transparent prioritization sessions where everyone leaves with clarity on next steps and rationale for trade-offs.

The PM’s “Vibe”: What Matters Most?

Top Contenders:

Crystal Clear Communicator — no confusion about goals, scope, or direction.

Empathetic Listener — truly hears dev concerns and user needs.

Middle Ground:

Technical Troubleshooter — nice to have, but not top priority.

Visionary Strategist — great, though never at the expense of clarity and empathy.

Lower Priority:

Negotiator Extraordinaire — important but outranked by clarity, empathy, and strategic vision.

Bottom Line: Above all, engineers want a PM who communicates well, values their input, and fosters shared ownership of the product vision.

Collaboration Preferences: “Flexible and Frequent, with Slack Memes”

Stand-Ups & Brain Dumps: Some want quick daily check-ins, others prefer weekly 1:1 deep dives.

Real-Time Chat: Slack (and the occasional GIF) is key for quick pings or clarifications.

Pop-Up Sessions: Whiteboard or ad-hoc brainstorming fosters creativity and resolves blockers fast. ️

Bottom Line: There’s no single best method—variety and consistency in touchpoints keep communication healthy and morale high.

Biggest Wins & Gripes

✅ Wins

Trust & Autonomy: PMs who trust the dev team’s expertise and let them influence how a feature is built.

Clear Context: Sharing the “why” behind the project, success metrics, and alignment with overall strategy.

Advocacy: Pushing back on unrealistic deadlines, scheduling refactors, and focusing dev attention on high-impact work.

❌ Gripes

Arbitrary Roadmaps: Adding features with unclear user or business value.

Micromanagement: Repeatedly asking for status updates instead of trusting dev estimates.

Last-Second Pivots: Constant changes in direction that undermine current efforts and create churn.

Bottom Line: The team thrives when they are trusted, informed, and shielded from unnecessary disruption.

What We’re Looking For

Educational Background - Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent experience will be considered.

Product Leadership Experience - Proven ability to set product direction, create go-to-market strategies, and make informed decisions based on qualitative and quantitative data.

Experience in SaaS, payments, or workflow-based software solutions is a major plus.

Technical Acumen - Comfortable collaborating with engineers on complex, technical topics (e.g., payment infrastructure, APIs, workflow automation).Ability to translate customer needs into clear, actionable requirements.

Collaboration & Communication - Exceptional communication skills with an ability to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders at all levels.

Keen ability to advocate for customers while balancing broader business goals.

Ownership & Drive - Self-motivated with a passion for building standout products that empower users.

Organized, proactive, and results-oriented approach to problem-solving.

Team Player - Thrives in a dynamic environment, embracing challenges and bringing a positive, can-do attitude.

Fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where colleagues can do their best work.

What We Offer

Competitive Compensation - Base salary, performance bonuses, and equity based on experience and contribution.

Comprehensive Benefits - Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families.

Remote-Friendly Culture - Opportunities for in-person collaboration alongside fully remote flexibility.

Growth & Impact - The chance to shape the future of an entire industry, making a real impact on marinas and boaters alike.

The base salary range for this role is $130,000 - $180,000. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, experience, qualifications and location.

Additional Information

Ready to Apply?

If you’re excited by the idea of revolutionizing an industry, driving significant product initiatives, and working with a passionate, tech-savvy team, we’d love to hear from you.

Join us in transforming the marine industry—one marina at a time!

Dockwa is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

apply to this job

Apply Now