Fast Facts

Cengage Group is seeking a Director of Product for Milady (remote) to lead the transformation of trades education by evolving digital learning experiences tailored for students and educators.

Responsibilities: The Director of Product will drive digital transformation, set product vision and strategy, lead cross-functional teams, and engage with stakeholders to enhance the learning ecosystem and deliver impactful educational products.

Skills: Candidates should have 10+ years of product leadership experience, a strong background in digital product development, exceptional analytical skills, and a passion for customer-centric solutions.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience with the Product Operating Model and a track record of using data to inform decisions and capture customer feedback.

Location: The position is remote, based in the USA with an expected travel of about 20%.

Compensation: $163000 - $175000 / Annually

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage Group, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.     

Our culture values diversity, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive and diverse workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through inclusive programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-diversity/     

At Milady, we’re transforming trades education for the next generation of professionals. As the Director of Product, you’ll lead the charge in evolving our products into intuitive, impactful digital experiences that support students, educators, and schools nationwide.   

You’ll bring teams together, set ambitious strategies, and create products that are easy to use, easy to love, and built for scale. This is a big opportunity to make a real difference in the way trade school students learn and grow.    

What You’ll Do  

Drive Digital Transformation  

• Evolve our digital learning platform from a single static course to a personalized, outcomes-driven learning ecosystem that meets customer needs.
• Lead our shift from print to digital learning experiences through data driven decision making and deep customer knowledge.
• Lead experimentation to apply innovative tools that make learning more accessible and engaging.
• Identify new digital revenue streams by developing products that result in owning more of the customer experience and increasing the lifetime value of a customer.    

Set Product Vision and Strategy  

• Define a clear roadmap aligned with business goals and customer needs.
• Stay close to our users—students, instructors, and school leaders—to shape products they truly value.   

Lead Cross-Functional Teams   

• Inspire organizational change, creating a digital first product culture across the business
• Partner with engineering, content, AI/ML teams, regulatory departments, customer experience, marketing and sales to drive alignment and a unified vision.
• Develop rationale to secure required investments to meet customer needs.
• Create an empowered team where everyone feels ownership and pride in what we build.    

Understand the Market and Our Users  

• Through a systems based approach, apply customer centric methodology to identify customer problems and validate potential solutions
• Use research, data, and direct feedback through rapid prototyping, user testing and iterative feedback loops to shape decisions.
• Keep an eye on industry trends and competitor moves to stay ahead.   

Deliver Products that Matter  

• Lead product development from idea to launch.
• Support ongoing improvements that keep our products fresh and effective.   

Data Analytics and Insight  

• Leverage data analytics to make informed decisions, see opportunities for improvement and measure the performance of our digital products.  

Engage with Stakeholders  

• Keep internal teams in the loop—from sales and marketing to leadership.
• Build lasting partnerships with schools, educators, and industry experts.  

Measure and Improve Performance  

• Define success metrics and use them to guide decisions.
• Celebrate what works, and quickly learn from what doesn’t.  

Manage Resources Thoughtfully  

• Develop budgets and allocate resources where they’ll have the most impact.
• Keep projects on track and aligned with priorities.  

What You’ll Bring  

• 10+ years of experience leading product teams; experience in tech is a must.
• Experience building digital products and driving organizational change.
• Experience with the Product Operating Model is preferred.
• Proof of making decisions based on data analysis
• Proven approach to capturing regular customer input
• Strong critical thinking and planning skills.
• Curiosity, experiment oriented and a strong sense of purpose.
• Outcomes oriented with an ability to deliver
• Clear communication skills—you know how to bring people along with your vision.
• Expected travel ~20%   

Who You Are: An ambitious, passionate leader who thrives in ambiguity and sees opportunity in change. You’re customer-obsessed, data-informed, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. You love experimentation and building what’s next—and bringing others along for the ride.   

Why Milady?

We believe education changes lives—and we’re on a mission to make it more effective, more inclusive, and more inspiring. You’ll join a passionate team that values innovation, connection, and real-world impact. At Milady, your work will help empower future beauty professionals to thrive in their careers.   

Milady, a Cengage Group Company, is the leading provider of beauty and wellness learning solutions for schools worldwide. We have been influencing the beauty education industry ever since our founder started his own one-man barbering supply business nearly a century ago. Today, we are proud to redefine the standards of being a professional and explore the endless possibilities of beauty's impact on individuals, communities, and the world. Join Milady and be part of a team that is transforming the education industry. To learn more about Milady and our vision, visit milady.com/about.   

Cengage Group is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, veteran status, and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.   

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [email protected] or at +1 (617) 289-7917.   

About Cengage Group   

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

$163,000.00 - $175,000.00 USD