Product Manager II

Overview:

At ACT Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power – a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for equity in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better -- we’ve never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT Education Corp. team members are part of an organization dedicated to an important mission:  Helping people achieve education and workplace success.  Advancing the mission internally, by helping team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable environment in which every team member has an opportunity to grow.

We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and the company thrive.  To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) with company contributions, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more.  You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here.  

The Product Manager II is a key position within the ACT Product Area with responsible for defining and communicating the long-term strategic direction and managing the product roadmap of the Workkeys (WKs) assessment content and curriculum product vision aligned to ACT strategic goals and investment priorities, market demands and opportunities, technology and financial resources.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications.  We anticipate offering a market competitive annual salary in the range of $70,000 to $80,000.  ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity.  The position is not incentive eligible.

Location:  This is a remote position

A Day in the Life:

• Communicates product goals and objectives, product briefings, and business cases, articulating both the product’s value proposition as well as defining and measuring metrics for its success. 
• Manages new content requests for the WorkKeys assessment.
• Works with the Measurement, Research and Development team on new features for accessibility in all markets, content requests for content upgrades, sustainability, accreditation (Like ACE and NRS), and all the digital badging for the NCRC and WorkKeys Essential skills assessments.
• Supports the transition of the WKs Curriculum to a new platform and will then provide operational and implementation product support.
• Manages the product work of workforce RFP’s and content management of that boilerplate.
• Works with key internal and external stakeholders to identify needs in the present and future markets, while observing and articulating trends within those markets.
• Works with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure ACT products maintain relevance by meeting current needs of the associated value stream by communicating product strategy to relevant stakeholder groups and positioning product development priorities to enable sales success, client retention, and client success.
• Works with Market Strategy & Research to direct qualitative and quantitative research, user personas, market research, competitive intelligence and direct client feedback.
• Works with key stakeholders to evaluate current products and how they will meet emerging business opportunities . 
• Works with product leadership to understand and influence the market Segment P&L .
• Identifies strategic partnership opportunities.
• Develop and deliver internal and external product presentations and demos.

Role Progression:

• Within 1 month you will have a high-level understanding of the ACT WorkKeys assessment, curriculum and companion products as well as the Workforce Market (WF) that this position will focus on. You will be getting to know the WF cross functional team, the work you will do together, and the place of your products in that ecosystem. You also will have started to develop relationships with individuals across the organization who you will be partnering with on a regular basis.
• Within 3 months you will be fully leading the ACT WorkKeys product and have a solid understanding of the product operating model we use. You will also have developed relationships with our external test prep providers and will be facilitating regular meetings with them.  You will be evolving the vision, strategy, roadmap, prioritization, and problems to solve for the ACT and its prep products.
• Within 6 months you will have established yourself as the leader of the ACT WorkKeys assessment, curriculum and companion products with solid engagement and collaboration with the team and internal and external stakeholders and have a measurable impact in the construction and implementation of the product roadmaps.

About You:

• At least 3 years of progressively responsible experience in product management or development, with a track record of leading and launching products at scale
• Proven success in overseeing all elements of the product development lifecycle
• Experience in delivering finely tuned product marketing strategies
• Market research experience analyzing industry trends, customer needs and competitive landscapes used to guide the product strategic direction
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Highly effective with stakeholder management and collaboration and managing cross-functional teams
• Strong communication skills, including presentation and public speaking skills, with ability to communicate across all levels in the organization and with the customer
• Customer-Centric mindset with a focus on delivering value to the customer
• Analytical mindset and problem solving skills, with ability to use data and user feedback to refine product direction and drive continuous improvement
• Ability to effectively manage timelines, priorities and resources to deliver successful outcomes
• Ability to manage change and navigate positively in an environment experiencing change at a fast pace
• Skills and knowledge required for success in this position attained through experience and education (Bachelor’s Degree in business, marketing, or related field of study), or a combination of both

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of software development and web technologies
• Understanding of the workforce market and how it connects to and serves the education market

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it.  By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry—helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life’s transitions. 

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We’re doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we’re all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That’s why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT values diversity in people and ideas and participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

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