Fast Facts

We are seeking a VP, Product Operations to lead cross-functional collaboration and optimization within our product team, enhancing product development processes and driving data-informed decision-making.

Responsibilities: Oversee the coordination between product management, design, and engineering teams, optimizing processes and facilitating agile ceremonies while managing stakeholder relationships and strategic planning for product roadmaps.

Skills: Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills; proficiency in Jira, Confluence, and data analysis tools; ability to lead through influence and manage multiple projects.

Qualifications: 10+ years in product operations or related fields, experience in Agile environments, and a passion for the education sector, particularly EdTech.

Location: The position is based in the United States, with no specified travel requirements.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $150,000 - $250,000.

We are looking for a highly skilled VP, Product Operations leader to play a crucial role in supporting our product team with efficient and effective product development practices. You will be responsible for optimizing processes, facilitating communication, and providing data-driven insights to enhance product management decisions. This high-visibility role collaborates cross-functionally with product marketing, sales, and operations teams. Your efforts will help our product team focus on creating and delivering exceptional products.

In This Role You Will:

Lead Cross-Functional Coordination for the Product Team:

•  Serve as the central point of contact between different departments involved in product development and delivery

•  Manage a cross-functional operations team focused on supporting the product organization (Product Management, Design, Engineering, Curriculum) 

•  Facilitate communication and collaboration across teams to ensure alignment and smooth operations

•  Monitor and report on project progress and address any issues that arise

•  Manage the facilitation of agile ceremonies and broadcast outcomes

Optimize Processes, Improve Continuously:

•  Identify, implement, and optimize new systems and processes to enhance the efficiency of the product team (ex., Investment council, architecture council, design critiques, visioning sessions, etc.) 

•  Review and reflect on existing processes, identifying opportunities for improvement; implement changes to enhance productivity and product quality

•  Develop and enforce best practices for product management, design, and development teams

•  Establish communities of practice for the product organization to ensure we are always learning and growing. 

Decision Support:

•  Analyze data to provide insights that inform product management decisions

•  Create pathways to amplify the customer voice among product team members

•  Manage Discovery’s research function, ensuring we both understand and address customer needs, and evaluate the efficacy of our products in the market. 

•  Ensure data-driven decisions lead to measurable improvements in product adoption, customer satisfaction, and ROI.

•  Lead the product analytics team, ensuring the development and maintenance of dashboards and reports to track key performance metrics

Stakeholder Management:

•  Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders

•  Create pathways to gather and prioritize feedback from customers, sales, and support teams

•  Provide transparent insight into prioritization decisions and help collect the data that supports them 

Strategic Planning and Road Mapping

•  Facilitate and coordinate the development of product roadmaps and strategic plans

•  Own the strategic planning cadence and ensure alignment with corporate objectives and market trends.

•  Leverage insights and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation within our product portfolio

Chief of Staff for the Product Organization

•  Leading across the full product organization, you will present data and insights that can drive more efficient resource use and allocation. 

•  Ensure alignment between product strategy and operational execution

•  Manage the R&D investment by product, ensuring the resource allocation is aligned to the product lifecycle phase we are driving towards. 

Core Competencies for Success:

•  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

•  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

•  Ability to manage multiple projects, stakeholders, and priorities simultaneously

•  Ability to lead through influence and authority

•  Highly collaborative – inspired by team wins rather than individual success

•  Strong financial acumen, able to connect investments to outcomes. 

Credentials and Experience:

•  10+ years proven experience in product operations, product management, or a related role.

•  Demonstrated proficiency in Jira, Confluence, and user research tools (ex: Dscout, Dovetail) 

•  Proven ability to leverage customer feedback to meaningfully influence product roadmaps

•  Experience with a wide suite of data analysis and reporting tools (experience with Lookr a plus) 

•  5+ years working in an Agile development environment (SAFe experience a plus)

•  Demonstrated passion for education (experience working in EdTech a plus)

•  Legal right to work in the United States