VP, Product Management

NWEA™ is a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that measure growth and proficiency and provide insights to tailor instruction. Our tools are trusted by educators in 140 countries and more than half the schools in the U.S.

Position summary

Reporting to the Sr. Vice President, Product Management and Publishing, the Vice President of Product Management provides leadership and management for Product Management in creating multi-year, integrated, and enterprise-level product and solution vision and strategies for NWEA’s product portfolio. This role requires a deep understanding of the educational ecosystem and related markets and translates organizational strategies into product and business planning requirements, artifacts, and initiatives.

The VP ensures alignment of the product vision with the organizational mission and internal/external goals for revenue, profitability, and partner satisfaction. The VP and Product Management team evangelize products internally and externally, collaborating across the organization to move strategies from concept to reality and translating partner needs into valuable products, solutions, and services while managing complex trade-offs at the enterprise level.

This position leads a team of product management professionals and enables cross-functional collaboration. The Product Management team designs, develops, and manages product/services/business line strategy, defines market opportunities, sets roadmaps and releases, positions products competitively, and prioritizes feature development. The role collaborates with Marketing, Product Engineering, Research, Publishing, Professional Learning, and Partner Accounts on go-to-market strategy and release readiness. The ideal candidate is a leader of leaders with a background in educational assessment and a track record of vision, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit.

• Articulate and evolve the product vision, strategy, and roadmaps across the organization with flexibility across products and markets.
• Engage stakeholders to align on actionable product and business strategies and priorities; champion effective use of product investment funds.
• Leverage emergent technologies and capabilities as they evolve and are delivered.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects and key stakeholders to clarify solutions design and requirements elicitation for epics.

Product Strategy

• Lead the creation of the product portfolio vision and strategy in support of NWEA’s mission. Drive planning to focus on critical strategies and products that delight partners; continuously identify opportunities for improvement and new features.
• Evangelize the product strategy, vision, and value proposition with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with alliance partners to ensure joint services remain aligned and market-delivered without interruption.

Business and Planning

• Provide leadership and mentorship to assigned directors and staff; drive growth of the organization, product management processes, and performance metrics.
• Lead the team in engaging with partners and prospects to assess needs, identify opportunities, and build relationships for product enhancements.
• Interact with product user groups and industry leaders to stay ahead of market changes and influence policy.
• Identify opportunities to optimize product line profitability through pricing, efficiency, and competitive intelligence.
• Review and report P&L at product, bundle, and portfolio levels; foster cross-functional collaboration across NWEA.
• Attend industry conferences and socialize strategic takeaways within the Product Management team.

Execution

• Develop and direct a high-performance product management team of directors and staff to optimize the product portfolio.
• Clarify purposes and roles for all functions and activities to ensure execution excellence.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to lead toward NWEA’s vision and mission by developing world-class products and refinements to existing products.
• Ability to lead high-performing teams and…