Digital Product Manager

ABOUT AFS-USA:

AFS-USA is part of a worldwide network of AFS partner organizations that work together to advance global education and foster meaningful connections across cultures. As the networks largest partner, AFS-USA works to increase the global competency of U.S. citizens by providing a variety of international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities. We are proud of our Staff of dedicated individuals, working from our national office in New York City as well as home offices across the county, who collaborate with our more than 4,000 AFS-USA Volunteers to deliver high-quality programs and global education resources. These include immersion-based study abroad experiences in over 40 countries worldwide; opportunities to host foreign AFS exchange students; and global learning workshops and curricula for educators, schools, and businesses.

The Digital Product Manager is responsible for defining a vision for AFS-USA customer-facing digital products, working with our design and development teams to implement specific features while working closely with staff and volunteers to drive adoption.

As a member of the team, you'll be working alongside smart, creative, mission-driven team members who are looking to find the best solution collaboratively. We value customer-centric design thinking that is accessible-first. Our recent digital efforts are breaking down siloes internally so you'll be working alongside digital marketing, IT, and business intelligence team members.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Ensure product success from end-to-end, including ideation, design, build, test, launch, adoption, and measure post-launch.
• Identify and articulate customer needs and business objectives for projects / initiatives aimed at enhancing the digital experience of host families and volunteers
• Prioritize product features and capabilities
• Outline the plan for achieving success
• Develop and manage feature backlog
• Translate product strategy into key features and benefits and develop prototypes to test and iterate
• Drive product launches including working with marketing and communication team, senior management, volunteer leaders and other product management team members
• Work closely with business and technology partners to ensure products within the organizations product portfolio are achieving user and business needs
• Monitor performance, measure the impact of product and communicate performance metrics to key stakeholders throughout the organization
• Act as a product evangelist to build awareness and understanding
• Incorporate Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) standards into all facets of the role

CRITICAL SKILLS:

• Enthusiastic and creative leader with demonstrated ability to inspire others.
• Skilled at working effectively with cross functional teams in a matrix organization.
• Excellent communication skills: effective at presenting, pitching, and influencing outcomes that move the business forward
• Think strategically and creatively to gather product and customer insights and help define the product vision and strategy
• Analyze current products to define friction points and create seamless and effortless experiences
• Proven facilitator of prioritization discussions
• Utilizing a "customer-centric" mindset in designing roadmaps and building products/platforms that both meet current and future needs

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors degree required with an emphasis on Product Design, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 3-5 years experience in product management required, preferably within the education space
• Solid technical background with experience in software development and web technologies.
• Proven track record of managing all aspects of a successful product throughout its lifecycle.
• Proven ability to develop product and marketing strategies and effectively communicate recommendations to executive management.

WORK CONDITIONS:

The Digital Product Manager is a remote position. The full-time workweek at AFS-USA is 35 hours, although this role requires availability to work outside these hours as needed, including evening and weekend work.

NON-DISCRIMINATION:

AFS-USA is committed to a work environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Therefore, AFS-USA prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, including behavior that targets an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics, such as but not limited to: race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, familial status, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage, citizenship status, caregiver status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offense or stalking, unemployment status, status as a certified medical marijuana patient or any other legally protected classification.