The Product Manager, Curriculum and Assessment (PM) is responsible for defining product direction and strategy in the pursuit of commercial success of the company’s curriculum and assessment products. The PM defines requirements for product enhancements and makes go-to-market decisions, including bundling and pricing decisions, for product releases. Product Managers author market / product requirements, user persona’s, and user stories using data obtained thru on-site visits and market research activities involving prospects, evaluators and customers. PM’s manage working relationships with software development and monitor Development’s progress to assure software releases meet requirements. They provide overall channel support tools (i.e., information and content for marketing materials) for marketing, sales support, sales, and client operations. They are internal and external advocate for the product.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manages the entire product line life cycle from product requirements to feature/function adoption, including relevant execution plans.
- Specifies market / product requirements (including user personas and use scenarios / cases) for current and future products by conducting market research, market sizing, and market problem analysis supported by on-going visits to customers and non-customers.
- Transfers knowledge to software designers in conceptual agile design activities to ensure software features and functions perform as desired in the user’s operational environment.
- Conducts competitive analysis
- Analyzes win-loss information to better understand product success; also uses information to better understand the market and define required enhancements.
- Participates as a key contributor to business case development and understands the process.
- Works with Product Marketing to analyze the sales process and provide applicable information to marketing in the development of channel, collateral, tools and programs in support of the sales cycle and other customer facing processes.
- Creates and manages a product road-map that is responsive to documented market needs.
- Leads client involvement initiatives and early adopter programs. Monitors and analyzes results.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum of five years; experience working in software, hardware, consulting company or K-12 school district, specifically related to the student functional area.
- Minimum five years of product management or related experience within a software, hardware, consulting, educational services company or K-12 school district.
- Minimum of two years experience working with a software product development process (i.e. agile development).
- Experience determining customer requirements (via research, personal interviews, focus groups, surveys, roundtables, etc.) and translating them, through the development process and via alliances, into market requirements and user stories, and complete products.
- Ability to travel to customer and non-customer sites as well as conferences (industry, company, user group, etc.) 10-20% travel required.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor degree in Business, Computer Science or Education; MBA is a strong plus.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Background and/or working knowledge of technical environments as well as demonstrable familiarity with the core technology stack (Microsoft).
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools such as MS PowerPoint, MS Project, MS Project, MS Word, MS Excel, etc.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
- Strategic business person with strong leadership abilities
- Strong interpersonal relationship-building skills
- Excellent presentation and communication skills
- Ability to work collaborative manner in a team-oriented organization
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