Product Manager

Description

Product Manager 

The Product Manager will be at the intersection of strategy, execution, and customer experience—using data to drive decision-making and aligning business goals with user needs. They will partner closely with engineering, content, and operations to define product requirements, manage backlogs, and ensure a seamless customer experience from ideation through launch.

POSITION DETAILS

Structured as a remote full-time, salaried position. This position will report to the Director of Product Management.

We have been a 100% remote company since the beginning! This position is eligible for remote work from the following locations: USA.

Who We Are 

AOEU is an art teacher’s partner for life. We provide art-specific professional development, engaging curriculum, relevant resources, and rigorous master’s degree programs.

MISSION: We grow amazing teachers by providing rigorous, relevant, and engaging learning at every stage of their careers.

The Details 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Technical aptitude to effectively lead and collaborate with cross-functional development teams including, software engineers, instructional designers, content developers, and operations specialists. 
• Use data to drive identification and prioritization of product initiatives including market research, user research, competitor analysis, product analytics, and client/field feedback.
• Collaborate to develop an engaging experience for our customers with enhanced engagement features.
• Knowledge of user experience (UX) design principles and design thinking.
• Work with key stakeholders to identify solutions that can be leveraged by our products to meet the needs of our customers.
• Ability to balance customer needs with business objectives. 
• Translate solutions into detailed requirements and acceptance criteria for the engineering team and content team as needed.
• Work with the Director of Software Engineering to prioritize and manage the engineering backlog.
• Work with the Director of Product Management to prioritize product enhancements and maintenance activities within the product backlog helping to inform roadmap and release plan.
• Triage urgent issues in collaboration with support and development teams.
• Provide training and documentation on product updates to internal teams.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure that functional intent is achieved.
• Assure product quality before the product gets into the hands of the customer.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• A mission-driven mindset; ability to embed AOEUs mission as a core driver in product strategy and planning.
• Excellent organizational, time, and project management skills; ability to effectively multi-task while meeting demanding deadlines.
• Strategic ability; anticipate future opportunities and consequences, demonstrated innovative approach to work.
• Proven experience working in Agile/Scrum environments
• Ability to work independently but also operate efficiently and effectively within a collaborative team environment.
• Demonstrated expertise working in complex, collaborative, cross-functional teams with strong influence, communication, and partnership skills.
• Extremely detail-oriented; proven experience analyzing and documenting complex business processes and user journeys. 
• A solid grasp of user-centered design (UCD), planning and conducting user research and A/B testing.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging data to inform roadmap and design decisions.
• K-12 education domain experience is a plus but not a requirement.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed, up to 10%

Position Requirements

While we have identified specific requirements for this role, we acknowledge that not all candidates may possess every requirement listed. We encourage applicants who believe they have the necessary skills and experience to apply, even if they do not meet every requirement.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in education, technical or business discipline or equivalent experience; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred

EXPERIENCE

• 5+ years’ experience in product management.
• Startup experience is a plus.
• Background in K-12 education is not required but is a plus. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to view computer screens for significant periods of time. The Art of Education University is an online university therefore 95-98% of one’s time will be on or using technology.
• Ability to use a laptop keyboard with accuracy.
• Ability to hear at normal levels and through electronic devices such as laptops, earbuds, phones, and the like.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Compensation and Benefits

BENEFITS AVAILABLE 

• Health, dental, and vision plans with 100% premium coverage for individual employees, employer HSA contribution, and no waiting period (effective 1st month after hire)  
• 401K plan with 4% match, no waiting or vesting period
• Self-managed PTO (15+ days/year encouraged)
• All federal holidays off + an end-of-year holiday shutdown 
• $50/month mobile, internet, or coworking space stipend
• $600 home office equipment stipend
• Fully remote, flexible schedule
• Life insurance
• 8+ weeks paid parental leave
• Lifelong Learning Fund for professional development and educational reimbursement 
• Free product access (1 FLEX/PRO license to use or gift, plus free AOEU grad courses)

For additional information surrounding our offered benefits, visit our website.

COMPENSATION

Compensation is commensurate with experience and market. We encourage you to discuss your compensation requirements early in the process. 

The Process

For most roles, the process is as follows: 

• Step 1: ~30-minute phone interview with the hiring manager
• Step 2: Round 2 packet & Interview
  • Given that AOEU is 100% remote, this step is intended to see how you might work through some of the daily tasks, responsibilities, and challenges that could arise in this role. You will be given a prompt and be asked to complete an assignment which will then be used to guide a ~1 hour follow-up Zoom interview with 1-2 stakeholders. The intention is for you to get a sense of the role and give us an opportunity to see your skills in action. Your answers will not be used for any other purposes beyond evaluating your candidacy.
• Step 3: Follow-up interview
  • For certain managerial or high-collaboration roles, you may be asked to participate in an additional Zoom interview.

We look forward to reviewing your application! Thank you for your interest in opportunities with AOEU. 

NOTE:  We encourage you to apply with a personal email and to take the appropriate steps to allow both The Art of Education University (@theartofeducation.edu) and Paycom (@paycomonline.com) domains so that you receive all emails related to your application process. We also encourage you to check your spam folder as emails from The Art of Education and/or Paycom can be marked as spam.  

Applicants residing in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Maryland, Nevada, Rhode Island, New York, Jersey City, or Washington may reach out to teamandculture@theartofeducation.edu  for compensation details. Do not send letters of interest to this inbox as they will be disregarded. 

The Art of Education University is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. The Art of Education University will not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of actual or perceived age, race, color, national origin/ethnicity, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related conditions), physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Art of Education University is a participant of E-Verify.

Qualifications