Product Manager
Division: Product Management
Reports To: Director, Product Management

Summary
The product manager provides senior-level support for new educational product development to achieve strategic and financial goals. The incumbent identifies and ranks business opportunities according to strategic priorities and conducts a range of business development activities, ranging from starting new products internally to acquisitions and partnering. Responsibilities include: market research, competitive analysis, preparation of business cases, recruitment of external talent and resources, and project planning. The Product Manager will also be called upon regularly to document and defend business requirements and present ideas effectively to senior management.

We're seeking a seasoned professional with a prior focus on educational product management and marketing. This person should have extensive experience in both developing new businesses and managing mature products. They will need to demonstrate an ability to develop a grounds-up strategy for new product offerings (including development of the initial product concept) and experience driving concepts through development to market, as well as ongoing management of that business product line once launched, including all revenue generation aspects, such as sales, marketing and content development. This person will have a strong understanding of educational and technology infrastructures and a track record with large and established technology or educational service provider.

Short-term, this position is expected to drive the development of a small number of opportunities to build business around our existing course offerings infrastructure, and begin to exploit those opportunities. Longer term the position will take full ownership of a growing worldwide product line.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate market conditions and competition for existing and future business activities.
• Conducts primary and secondary market research, attends industry conventions, and holds discussions with experts in the field, including senior government and regulatory officials.
• Identifies business development opportunities to meet market opportunities, with a range of activities that may include starting new products internally (in any media), acquisitions, and partnering.
• Develops business cases for business development opportunities and recommends opportunities relative to the corporate strategic and financial goals.
• Develops implementation plans for key opportunities in partnership with appropriate departments.
• Participates in the recruitment of talent from either internal or external sources and/or negotiations with third parties.
• Makes written and formal verbal presentations as required to groups; ie National Associations, the Federal Government or Industry Associations
• Day-to-day management of all phases of the product management / marketing cycle, from initial concepts through final implementation of new educational products and/or features.
• Facilitates consensus and builds strategic vision among stakeholders to meaningfully "move the needle" and add value to our offerings.
• Effectively documents, promotes and defends product and business requirements and new ideas to senior and executive management.
• Discusses with potential customers and partners terms of product implementation, or specialized solutions.

Requirements

• Strong leadership, decision making, problem solving and project/product management skills. Must have the ability to think critically, organize thoughts and lead efforts in an ever-changing strategic environment.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral) proficient in articulating requirements or status to technology and business audiences alike.
• Ability to work with personnel and personalities across different disciplines and at different management levels within the company.
• Understanding of and ability to work within a matrixed organization.
• Self starter/self motivated, organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to work with a team and independently, and juggle multiple priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills: show an ability to build and maintain professional relationships in an often stressful teaming environment.
• Aptitude for P&L, budgeting, planning and forecasting.
• Knowledge of technical education markets, and information. systems or information technology markets.
• Familiarity with adult education and training needs.
• 3-5 years of related industry/technical experience.
• Bachelor's and/or graduate degree a plus.