Product Manager, The Lab

About the position

We seek passionate people from diverse backgrounds who are committed to helping improve the work of schools as a trusted partner in advancing learning. By joining the Cognia team, you will be immersed in a community of energetic and resourceful people dedicated to a common vision to impact and inspire education providers to advance and enable pathways of success for all learners. At Cognia we have developed a holistic approach to education that empowers schools to create real outcomes and optimize learning for students of all backgrounds, servicing more than 36,000 institutions, 5 million teachers, and 25 million students in 85 countries. When you join Cognia, you join a team of experts passionate about our mission and embracing our core values in everything we do.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of product development within The Lab, including staffing new projects in collaboration with the Director of The Lab, Chief Membership Officer, and content teams; launching kickoff meetings; and managing ongoing development and quality control.
• Drive product development forward with a persistent, solutions-oriented approach - navigating uncertainty, mitigating risks, and overcoming obstacles with agility and focus.
• Maintain a deep awareness of the challenges educators face in the field today and apply an entrepreneurial lens to identify and advance real-world, impactful solutions.
• Work closely with the development team to communicate business needs and priorities and collaborate on understanding the technical effort required for feature analysis and value assignment.
• Collaborate with the Director of The Lab and Chief Membership Officer to develop and refine product management processes, tools, and templates, ensuring efficient communication, decision-making, and product delivery.
• Unite key stakeholders and internal groups throughout the development process to advocate for the shared vision of the product.
• Identify key performance metrics and analyze data to recommend market opportunities and enhancements.
• Develop implementation plans and budgets for potential product builds, including allocating staff and consultant resources.
• Oversee product development lifecycle for Innovation Lab projects and products, managing project schedules, risks, and ensuring timely delivery.
• Offer subject-matter expertise to ensure the technical soundness and effectiveness of Membership Services products.
• Ensure high-quality execution of product initiatives by proactively identifying risks, developing contingency plans, and maintaining accountability for timely delivery.
• Assist in managing project schedules by working with Project/Grant Managers to facilitate internal schedule reviews, track consultant work and invoices, and update schedules and deliverable dates as projects progress.
• Maintain consistent and proactive communication with project teams and clients to ensure work remains on track.
• Complete and distribute weekly and monthly project status reports.
• Participate in routine project meetings (both internal and external) and maintain detailed and accurate notes, work products, and key decision points.
• Provide meeting support to project/grant teams, including preparing support materials, agendas, slide presentations, and meeting minutes.
• Assist with scheduling and calendaring across projects as needed.
• Develop process documents, standard language, and templates as assigned.
• Ensure internal documents and folders are consistently named, organized, and updated according to project guidelines and specifications.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree required
• A minimum of three (3) years of related experience working in the education or nonprofit sector required; teaching experience a plus
• Experience in product management and/or business development required
• Demonstrated experience in project management and/or coordination required
• Proficient with technology, including Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, online project management tools, and collaboration tools required
• Experience creating business plans, product strategy, roadmaps and use scenarios required

Nice-to-haves

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Problem solver with a respectful and collaborative approach
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to discern business value, assess needs, and negotiate and prioritize projects to achieve a common goal
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to operate with a high sense of urgency and personal initiative, responding to multiple time-sensitive deadlines while maintaining good coordination and communication with colleagues and staff
• Demonstrable success in taking products through the product development lifecycle, from product strategy and requirements definition to design, development, and product launch
• Strong knowledge of product, strategy, and business development best practices

Benefits

• Generous paid time off and holiday breaks
• Comprehensive insurance plans
• 12.5% retirement savings contribution which is immediately vested, all effective on your date of hire