Senior Product Manager, Humanities

COMPANY PROFILE

Great Minds, a mission driven Public Benefit Corporation, brings teachers and scholars together to craft exemplary instructional materials that inspire joy in teaching and learning. Our English curriculum, Wit & Wisdom®, Eureka Math™ and PhD Science™, all support teachers as they take students beyond rote learning to provide a deeper, more complete understanding of the humanities, mathematics, and the sciences. Founded in 2007, Great Minds now employs more than 1,000 people.

For additional information please visit: www.greatminds.org

OUR MARKET POSITION

Great Minds’ Eureka Math is the most widely used curriculum in the history of American education. It enjoys an unrivaled 40+ net promoter score. Eureka and its sister products, Wit & Wisdom English and PhD Science, embrace much higher expectations for all students and all teachers. In a market dominated by scripted, procedural materials that drive expectations down, Great Minds produces curricula that celebrate knowledge, respect the craft of teaching, and acknowledge the true capabilities of students.

Job Purpose

The Senior Product Manager works closely with the Senior Director, Product in executing the vision for the Supplemental product line that aligns to the Great Minds’ mission of serving all students with high-quality, knowledge building instructional materials. The Senior Product Manager is also responsible for building and leading a team that executes the product vision in establishing, launching, and maintaining the product line to customers.

This role is an exciting opportunity for an experienced product management leader with a passion for high-quality, knowledge-building curriculum and the belief that every child is capable of greatness. The ideal candidate will also have experience leading high achieving teams in a deadline intensive environment and the drive to innovate while remaining committed to the Great Minds’ organizational mission. While the work is remote and the ideal candidate will work well independently, this will also be a highly collaborative position, necessitating a strong sense of teamwork and cooperation.

Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with the Senior Director, Product to execute the vision for the Supplemental product line aligned to the Great Minds knowledge-building approach 
• Cultivate strong working relationships with leaders and professionals throughout the organization to ensure Enterprise and product team alignment with the Great Minds knowledge building vision 
• Ensure the product vision is executed by the different teams involved in establishing, launching, and maintaining the product line to customers 
• Set the product roadmap and prioritization for the Supplemental product line aligned with Great Minds goals and strategy 
• Proactively partner with Implementation Success, Sales, and Marketing to ensure success across Go to Market activities for each new product/feature in the product line
• Communicate the product vision and strategy to internal and external stakeholders for a specific product line
• Provide oversight and ensure alignment between the instructional philosophy, content development and Great Minds digital platform in the delivery of features and customer experience 
• Manage the product management team in the execution of a product line, including product and market research, competitor analysis, planning, positioning, requirements and roadmap development, and product launch for a product line
• Build, lead, coach, mentor, and develop a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and collaborative team of product managers who execute the vision for a product line 
• Foster a healthy, strong team culture that values humility, feedback, and alignment to Great Minds mission, including knowledge-building and high-quality instructional materials 
• Ensure that all products in a product line are developed efficiently, on time, and within budget
• Steer the business development, market analysis, and innovation necessary to meet market opportunities and needs  
• Collaborate with the Senior Director, Product on the vision for the product life cycle, components, pricing, strategy, go to market for all products for a product line
• Collaborate with the Content & Editorial team to execute the strategy related to state adoptions, pricing bundles, sampling, and open territory/large-district opportunities for a product line
• Work with the Senior Director, Product to determine the go to market strategy and product pricing for a product line
• Proactively identify and resolve strategic issues within a product line that may impair the organization’s ability to meet its strategic, financial, and technical goals 
• Evaluate, strategize and problem solve around the effect of internal and external forces on the market with the Senior Director, Product
• Provide product training to customer-facing teams including sales, marketing and implementation, and work closely with professional development and coaching teams to drive alignment of messaging across all products, marketing materials and customer interactions  
• Define in order to validate through market and user research that product requirements will meet targeted customer demands, compelling current and new customers to purchase and use our products with fidelity; ensure product requirements are clearly delineated, documented, socialized, and executed on; collaborate with Prod Ops
• Monitor the Return on Investment (ROI) and Profit & Loss (P&L) for a product line and raise risks and remedies to the Senior Director, Product
• Support financial analysis and drive business case development for data-driven decisions on investment priorities

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience working in education publishing with a track record of success in product development, digital product management, curriculum development and/or project management, plus 3 years supervisory management experience
• Strong background in product management in K-12 curricular products
• Deep respect for and alignment to the philosophy, instructional design, and pedagogy of Great Minds’ knowledge-building vision 
• Ability to navigate the Great Minds climate, where leadership often drives product vision and roadmap decisions 
• Demonstrated success in a leadership role building, motivating, and inspiring cross-functional teams to achieve goals 
• Possessing a leadership style that is collaborative and inclusive, creating the conditions, structure, and the framework leading to optimal levels of trust, efficiency, and success 
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including customers, sales team, content development teams, software engineers, and senior leadership that require a sophisticated level of sensitivity and excellent judgment
• Strong analytical thinking and decision-making skills to anticipate challenges, issues, or opportunities 
• Proven track record of leading cross functional efforts with a collaborative approach, equally comfortable talking content development with writers, tech with developers, user experience with designers, copy and positioning with product marketers, numbers with finance and marketing, and strategy with executive leadership 
• Experience in K-12 edtech, proficient in practices such as Agile and human-centered design 
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to think about ROI, strategic pricing, and the potential value of ideas to help the team prioritize where and how to spend limited resources 
• Ability to synthesize market, customer, and cross-organizational needs for teams, particularly teams new to product mindset, digital development, and revenue-driven decision-making 
• Propensity to understand and know the market and competitors to strategize and think ahead for future opportunities that meet the Great Minds vision 
• Experience in an editorial or media environment with an understanding of the challenges unique to the transformation of print materials to a digital format 
• Capacity to receive and then apply external and internal content feedback from advisors, senior leadership, consultants, and colleagues 
• Impeccable written, verbal, and social communication skills, demonstrating an ability to adapt to a variety of individual communication styles and needs 
• Strong organizational habits necessary for successful goal setting, project management, collective decision making, deadline execution, and record keeping 
• Ability to look ahead and balance strategic projects and initiatives with tactical day-to-day cadence 
• Fluent in the use of applications and collaboration tools such as Atlassian JIRA/Confluence, MS Office 365 and Google suite

Qualifications

• Ability to remain flexible in an ambiguous, fast-paced entrepreneurial environment 
• Passion for and commitment to the importance of high-quality, knowledge-rich curriculum 
• Receptivity to feedback with a focus on reflective practice 
• Willingness to embrace a mindset that is receptive to the perspectives of others 
• Commitment to high standards and continuous improvement  
• Proficiency at both working independently and collaborating as part of a team 
• Highly collaborative with the ability to consistently exhibit diplomacy, tact, and integrity 
• Willingness to bring a proactive problem-solving orientation to every task   
• Appreciation for the challenges and victories faced everyday by classroom teachers
• Commitment to collective authorship 
• Deep belief that every child is capable of greatness

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree

Status

• Full-time

Location

• Remote

• Future travel (5%) may be required

The expected base salary range for this position is $141,000-$151,000, however the offered salary may be higher or lower than the above range dependent on numerous factors including, but not limited to location, work experience, skills and internal equity considerations. The base salary is not inclusive of benefits or other incentives.

A cover letter and resume are required to be considered for this position.

New employees will be required to successfully complete a background check.

Any communication to applicants relating to the Great Minds hiring process will only come from email addresses with the domains greatminds.org or greatminds.recruitee.com. If in the course of the application or hiring process with Great Minds you are contacted through another domain, are requested to provide banking or other sensitive information, or you note any other suspicious activity, please contact security@greatminds.org

Great Minds is an equal opportunity employer. We will extend equal opportunity to all individuals without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our policy reflects and affirms the organization’s commitment to the principles of fair employment and the elimination of all discriminatory practices.

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