Product Manager - SMARTLY

About Smartly

Smartly is focused on making people management easier for New Zealand businesses. The platform is widely used for payroll by more than 22,000 businesses across the country, supported by a service team that helps employers pay staff accurately, on time, and in line with legal requirements. Beyond payroll, the company is building solutions that help businesses better support and manage their people.

As part of Datacom, a major technology group in Australasia, Smartly offers the energy of a growing business together with the reach, stability, and career opportunities of a larger organisation.

Role Overview

Smartly is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Product Manager to influence the direction of a core product area. In this role, you will work alongside customers, designers, engineers, and internal stakeholders to identify important problems and turn them into valuable product outcomes. The position requires both strategic thinking and practical execution, with a focus on supporting the next stage of product growth.

This role is open to candidates anywhere in New Zealand and may be performed remotely, in a hybrid setup, or from one of the company offices.

What You'll Do

• Work closely with customers and internal teams to understand current pain points, gaps, and the areas where the product can create the most impact.
• Translate customer and business insights into opportunities, experiments, and solution direction.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and use AI, data, and user feedback to learn quickly and improve product decisions.
• Deliver improvements in small steps, adapting the plan as new information emerges.
• Align people around priorities, support decision-making, and help keep work moving forward.
• Contribute to better ways of working by sharing knowledge, questioning assumptions, and continuously improving delivery approaches.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring product management experience from a SaaS or broader technology environment, along with a strong understanding of customer needs and a clear desire to solve real problems. You should be comfortable building and managing roadmaps, prioritising work, and communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders.

Strong analytical thinking, good judgment, and experience working with Agile teams are important. The role also calls for initiative, curiosity, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset. A willingness to explore AI, emerging technology, and new working methods to improve customer outcomes will be highly valued.

Experience in payroll, HR, workforce management, fintech, or other regulated software settings would be an advantage.

What You’ll Receive

• Flexible working options, including a hybrid arrangement for Auckland and Wellington team members and fully remote work for people based elsewhere in New Zealand.
• A wellness allowance plus birthday leave.
• Access to Datacom employee benefits and learning or development opportunities.
• A supportive and collaborative product environment.
• The chance to build products that positively affect thousands of businesses and employees.
• A lively company culture with morning teas, team celebrations, and the occasional rolling lunch.
• A team that values its people and is committed to helping them succeed.

Why Smartly

Smartly is made up of curious, driven people who care about customers and about one another. If you are excited by product innovation, new ideas, emerging technologies such as AI, and the opportunity to help shape the future of payroll and people software in New Zealand, this role may be a strong fit.

Application Note

Applicants are expected to submit a CV and a cover letter explaining why they want to join Smartly.