About CommonLit:
CommonLit is a nonprofit edtech company dedicated to providing high-quality literacy instruction to low-income students and students of color to prepare them for success in college and careers. We operate a free online reading and writing program, www.commonlit.org, used by 7 million teachers and students monthly.
Job Description:
As the Director of Product Management at CommonLit, you’ll lead a team of 5+ Product Managers and Associate Product Managers to bring new features to life and improve existing products used by millions of students and their teachers as part of our digitally-delivered literacy curriculum and library. You’ll work closely with the Chief Product Officer, PMs, designers, UX researchers, data scientists, and engineers. You’ll support PMs on writing thorough product requirements and user stories, ensure projects are scoped appropriately, and continually improve product usability. As part of our growing product department, you’ll play a key role in mentoring and coaching PMs and shaping the processes we’ll use to develop and ship our products.
CommonLit’s product roadmap is driven by user interviews, data, feedback from teachers and students, and partnerships with schools and districts across the country. We work in small iterations and deploy several times a day. We’re building an application that’s used by students and teachers across a broad range of technology and connectivity access, and we take accessibility seriously.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned product manager and people manager who is committed to our mission and excited to work for a fast-paced, education technology nonprofit.
Qualifications:
- 5+ years experience in the field of product management for a SaaS product (edtech experience a big plus)
- 3+ years of experience successfully managing a product team
- Strong skills in team building, mentorship, delegation, skill and career development
- Strong ability to deliver regular constructive feedback to improve performance
- Proven success as an exceptional product manager;specifically:
- Capturing information from multiple stakeholders, creating and testing prototypes, drafting product requirements, and working with designers and developers to build, launch, and iterate on user-friendly products
- Strong technical background, with experience in data modeling, API-based integrations, content management systems, accessibility, etc.
- Strong data analytics skills
- Experience with an agile and iterative approach to developing products and features (familiarity with Shape Up product development methodology a big plus)
- Experience designing training materials and delivering trainings on effective product management practices
- Ability to oversee multiple projects simultaneously
- Authorization to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.
- The following experience is appreciated and should be highlighted in a cover letter:
- Experience working specifically in EdTech and/or the field of K-12 education
- Experience with RCTs and A/B testing
- Experience working in/with communities of color
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the key collaborator and strategic thought partner to the Chief Product Officer, elevating department needs and helping to shape cross-departmental product strategy
- Develop and maintain a strong team culture among engineers, PMs, designers, and other stakeholders
- Ensure strong alignment, communication, and buy-in for the product vision among PMs, engineers, researchers, and others
- Give candid and effective feedback on processes and outputs on a daily basis
- Work with PMs and designers to create prototypes for new products and features
- Mentor early career product managers, teach our product team about best practices, and shape processes
- Communicate with developers and stakeholders to support PMs on writing clear and thorough product requirements and user stories, identifying edge cases ahead of time
- Support PMs on scoping projects to weigh needs and team capacity
- Support PMs in working closely with developers to turn requirements into implemented markup and code
- Creatively problem-solve technical and usability challenges
- Deliver the most user-friendly online user experiences possible for millions of educators and students
- Optimize existing user interface designs for usability, accessibility, and performance
- Become an expert in all of CommonLit’s products, features, and integrations
Compensation and Benefits:
- Salary is $115,000-$150,000, competitive and commensurate with experience.
- Benefits include health, dental, vision, 401K, commuter benefits, company holidays, parental leave, sick leave, personal leave
How to Apply:
- Submit a resume and cover letter to careers@commonlit.org with subject line “Director of Product Management”
- Round 1 candidates will be asked to join an initial call
- Round 2 candidates will complete a short product management challenge
- Final Round candidates will be invited to participate in a multi-part interview process
- Apply by September 30, 2022
Equal Opportunity:
As an equal opportunity employer, CommonLit values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at careers@commonlit.org.
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