Senior Director, Product Management

Job Description

Senior Director, Product Management (Hybrid)

Senior Director, Product Management

Department:  Product & Technology
Corporate Area: PBS KIDS
Status: Full-time/Regular/Exempt
Supervisor: Senior Director, & Head of Product & Technology

Position Overview:

The Sr. Director of Product Management is responsible for leading management of the entire lifecycle of a suite of PBS KIDS-owned platforms, including pbskids.org web services, PBS KIDS Games app, and PBS KIDS for Parents.

This leader of the Product Management team will provide excellent people management, drive product strategy and goal setting, oversee product management and operations, and develop strong relationships with stakeholders while maintaining the commitment to high-quality experiences, safety, and audience trust that are core to the PBS KIDS mission.

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Team Management and Leadership
• Lead the creation and iteration of product management best practices and processes for PBS KIDS.

• Lead the Product Management team. Develop team members by nurturing high-potential talent, providing guidance, motivation, feedback, and development opportunities.

• Partner with other functional team leads and stakeholders to develop product strategies that meet the needs of children and families, and achieve PBS goals.

• Collaborate with the Sr. Director of Technology to establish and maintain product development operations.

• Collaborate with functional team leads to drive efficiencies and foster innovation.

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholder leadership. Ensure effective communication between the Product Management team and their stakeholders.

• Provide insights and perspective to stakeholders and leadership to support decision making and formation of business plans.

• Lead and/or contribute to the team's Request for Proposals processes for selection of vendors.

• Oversee product budgets and manage vendor contracting and relationships.

Product Strategy
• Create product strategies and identify new product opportunities that achieve PBS KIDS' goals. Develop roadmaps and budgets to carry out strategies.

• Collaborate with functional leads and stakeholders to ideate product features and new products. Work with them to develop these ideas into actionable strategies.

• Stay abreast of competitor products and market trends. Provide insights to the Product & Technology team, stakeholders, and leadership.

• Connect with internal and external stakeholders to develop strategies that support kids, families, and PBS stations.

Product Management and Operations
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of product roadmaps across the PBS KIDS product portfolio.

• Lead goal setting processes and reporting on progress.

• Lead the Product Management team in developing new processes that improve productivity, resource allocation, product quality, communication, and innovation.

• Gather and disseminate data to inform business decisions. Work with the Business Intelligence and Learning Intelligence teams to evaluate products and initiatives.

• Identify risk and work with product managers, engineers, and other functional groups to recommend and implement mitigation strategies.

• Partner with the Sr. Director of Technology to align resource needs with roadmaps. Provide recommendations to leadership on sequencing, scope, and other strategies to address resource constraints.

• Oversee the Quality Assurance team and processes. Ensure PBS KIDS products and games meet the highest quality standards.

• Lead the identification and implementation of new product management tools. Partner with stakeholders and other functional leads to ensure management and communication tools work effectively across groups.

Stakeholder Management
• Ensure effective communication of the Product Management team to stakeholders.

• Develop and implement strategies to report product development status, goal performance, risk assessment, prioritization, and other common needs across the product portfolio.

• Regularly engage stakeholder leadership to ensure the Product Management team and PBS KIDS products meet their needs.

• Connect with external stakeholders and partners on behalf of PBS KIDS. Develop collaborative relationships while providing clear communication.

Requirements for success:
• 7+ years' progressively responsible experience in technical product management and software development, including experience developing products for children.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Educational Technology, Interaction Design, Computer Science or related field, or equivalent work experience. Master's degree a plus.

• Experience in directly managing a team of people and attracting and developing talent.

• Experience in developing a high-level strategy, detailed operating plan and product roadmap to align with an organization's larger goals and strategy.

• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered. Proof of vaccination required.

Skills/Abilities Required:
• Ability to prioritize and manage workload for self and a team of product managers in order to meet goals, deadlines, grant requirements, and budgets.

• Ability to create and implement roadmaps across products that achieve company goals

• Strong strategic thinking and long-term planning skills. Ability to quickly evaluate opportunities and align to long-term goals.

• Knowledge of the children's media and ed tech landscapes.

• Ability to develop and retain product management professionals.

• Able to build strong, collaborative relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups.

• Ability to lead large cross-functional teams.

Mission and Values:
• A clear understanding of the PBS KIDS mission and a passion for supporting media that can support children's learning and development.

• An unquestioned reputation for integrity and ethics; a strong character that will quickly gain the trust of others.

• Able to deal professionally, diplomatically, and courteously with conflict or difficult conversations when needed.

• Creative, versatile, intuitive, and driven; mission oriented.

PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with the EEOC and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r1z8p0-3-16-81-94-42 in your application.