Senior Product Manager, Learning

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing public charter schools dedicated to providing an exceptional K-12 education in economically disadvantaged communities. Operating in Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester, we are committed to closing the college completion gap and preparing every student for college and beyond. Our students consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting our dedication to their success. We invest deeply in our educators, offering weekly coaching, feedback, and professional development to ensure excellence in teaching and leadership. Join us to work hard, do good, and make a lasting difference!

As a senior member of Uncommon’s Product Management Team, the Product Manager will be deployed to ensure that the Team achieves its most important goals and objectives. We are looking for a candidate with 5+ years of IT experience and 3+ years of experience in education, specifically working with assessments, SIS, and EdTech. Beyond technical knowledge, the Product Manager must have strong change management, planning, and communication skills in order to manage technology and processes at Uncommon’s scale and high standard.

Duties & Responsibilities

Independent and Expert Administration of Multiple Products

• Set a vision for the technical management of all EdTech to best support Instructional partner goals (Clever,mClass, Illuminate etc)
• Deeply understand Instructional goals and use cases for the platforms (i.e. replace teacher instruction versus practice based on live instruction)
• Develop and manage the implementation of all processes for day-to-day platform use (i.e. Student & teacher access, reporting)
• Build policy resources, including user management policy around roles, access level, and responsibilities for stakeholders and the Data & IT team
• Troubleshoot & manage vendor to resolve Tier 3 issues
• Manage system upgrades, backups, testing, connectivity with other enterprise applications
• Attend training/webinars offered by vendors to build expertise
• Use robust product knowledge to improve systems and process
• Identify new areas/ways the product can be used (either internally or externally)
• Support the implementation and roll-out of new applications

Management

• This position directly manages up to 3 FTE 
• Guide and review team member work product (e.g. product roadmaps, product documentation, product backlogs).
• Support the team members' individual growth within Uncommon and the K-12 Data space
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, retrospectives,etc.
•  Leader planning for 8 to 12 weeks of work for the Value Stream Team via the Planning Increment ceremonies
• Create and foster a cross-functional community by allowing space and opportunities for team members to deeply engage and collaborate with each other
• Facilitate cascading communication through cohorts to breakdown functional team silos and ensure that we are functioning as a fast agile team

Training and documentation

•  Own creation and management of all internal and school-facing Knowledge Base articles on support, troubleshooting, and best practices for all platforms to be used by all teachers and Ops leaders
• Develop and facilitate training for school leaders, which they will turnkey to their staff 
• Help define and coordinate vendor-offered training sessions at the right level for those managing the Service Desk and Relationship Managers.
•  Work with School Leaders to document existing processes related to supported applications (e.g. documentation of methods and procedures of PowerSchool)

Vendor Management

• Manage renewal and payment of yearly contract
• Build relationships with vendors, act as liaison between vendor and Uncommon on any projects, and own school-level escalations & difficult conversations.
• Manage vendor escalations to deliver best-in-class performance to Uncommon stakeholders

Organizational Relationships

• Work closely with Regional Superintendents, school-based Directors of Operations, Curriculum Directors, Chiefs of Staff, and members of the Data and IT Team. 

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required

Experience Requirements:

• 7-9 years of directly related experience
  • 5+ years working in K-12 environment
    • 3+ years managing or building EdTech software
    • 3+ years managing or supporting student-facing technology/student information system or assessment platform: PowerSchool, Illuminate
    • Experience with SQL or other programming languages and how to use data dictionaries to understand data structures 
    • Advanced skills in Excel and Google Sheets/Forms
    • Previous management of 3 to 5 direct reports who own significant workstreams
    • Experience managing policies and procedures to set best practices and deliver high-quality support
    • Working knowledge of help desk ticketing software (e.g. Zendesk)

Schedule:

• 3 days a week in our central office located in downtown Manhattan

Our people are what make us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families. Our compensation philosophy values equity & fairness and attracting & retaining top talent.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $104,800 to $123,300. 

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant professional experience, education, certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools. If you meet all job description requirements you will likely receive an offer of $111,000.

Benefits

• 19 days of paid time off
• 3 weeks of paid Winter and Summer org-wide holidays
• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans
• 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits
• Pre-tax flexible spending, dependent care, and health saving accounts

*A detailed list of all benefits is located HERE.

At Uncommon, we believe that a supportive and welcoming environment helps our students, staff, and community thrive. We are dedicated to building a team that brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, reflective of the communities we serve---with over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color. Our organization values respect and open dialogue on important topics that shape our school culture.

As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email recruitment@uncommonschools.org.