Product Manager, The Lab

Education is ever-evolving. And so are we.

We seek passionate people from diverse backgrounds who are committed to helping improve the work of schools as a trusted partner in advancing learning. By joining the Cognia team, you will be immersed in a community of energetic and resourceful people dedicated to a common vision to impact and inspire education providers to advance and enable pathways of success for all learners. At Cognia we have developed a holistic approach to education that empowers schools to create real outcomes and optimize learning for students of all backgrounds, servicing more than 36,000 institutions, 5 million teachers, and 25 million students in 85 countries. When you join Cognia, you join a team of experts passionate about our mission and embracing our core values in everything we do.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Product Manager, The Lab reports to the Director of The Lab and serves as a cross-organizational resource supporting product lifecycle management across the enterprise. The Product Manager plays a critical role in ensuring Cognia's products are timely, relevant, and responsive to the needs of educators and the field. This individual will manage and advance multiple products simultaneously - often in evolving and uncertain contexts -requiring an agile mindset, strategic flexibility, and a solutions-oriented approach. The role is responsible for translating field needs into actionable product strategies, executing product roadmaps, coordinating cross-functional project teams, and maintaining alignment with both internal priorities and external partner expectations. The ultimate goal is to ensure that products effectively address real-world problems of practice and deliver meaningful impact across the education ecosystem.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES:

Product Management

• Lead the full lifecycle of product development within The Lab, including staffing new projects in collaboration with the Director of The Lab, Chief Membership Officer, and content teams; launching kickoff meetings; and managing ongoing development and quality control.
• Drive product development forward with a persistent, solutions-oriented approach - navigating uncertainty, mitigating risks, and overcoming obstacles with agility and focus.
• Maintain a deep awareness of the challenges educators face in the field today and apply an entrepreneurial lens to identify and advance real-world, impactful solutions.
• Work closely with the development team to communicate business needs and priorities and collaborate on understanding the technical effort required for feature analysis and value assignment.
• Collaborate with the Director of The Lab and Chief Membership Officer to develop and refine product management processes, tools, and templates, ensuring efficient communication, decision-making, and product delivery.
• Unite key stakeholders and internal groups throughout the development process to advocate for the shared vision of the product.
• Identify key performance metrics and analyze data to recommend market opportunities and enhancements.
• Develop implementation plans and budgets for potential product builds, including allocating staff and consultant resources.
• Oversee product development lifecycle for Innovation Lab projects and products, managing project schedules, risks, and ensuring timely delivery.
• Offer subject-matter expertise to ensure the technical soundness and effectiveness of Membership Services products.
• Ensure high-quality execution of product initiatives by proactively identifying risks, developing contingency plans, and maintaining accountability for timely delivery.

Project Implementation

• Assist in managing project schedules by working with Project/Grant Managers to facilitate internal schedule reviews, track consultant work and invoices, and update schedules and deliverable dates as projects progress.
• Maintain consistent and proactive communication with project teams and clients to ensure work remains on track.
• Complete and distribute weekly and monthly project status reports.
• Participate in routine project meetings (both internal and external) and maintain detailed and accurate notes, work products, and key decision points.
• Provide meeting support to project/grant teams, including preparing support materials, agendas, slide presentations, and meeting minutes.
• Assist with scheduling and calendaring across projects as needed.
• Develop process documents, standard language, and templates as assigned.
• Ensure internal documents and folders are consistently named, organized, and updated according to project guidelines and specifications.
• Perform duties and fulfill responsibilities that may, from time to time, include related or unrelated tasks.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree required
• A minimum of three (3) years of related experience working in the education or nonprofit sector required; teaching experience a plus
• Experience in product management and/or business development required
• Demonstrated experience in project management and/or coordination required
• Proficient with technology, including Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, online project management tools, and collaboration tools required
• Experience creating business plans, product strategy, roadmaps and use scenarios required

Competencies:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Problem solver with a respectful and collaborative approach
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to discern business value, assess needs, and negotiate and prioritize projects to achieve a common goal
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to operate with a high sense of urgency and personal initiative, responding to multiple time-sensitive deadlines while maintaining good coordination and communication with colleagues and staff
• Demonstrable success in taking products through the product development lifecycle, from product strategy and requirements definition to design, development, and product launch
• Strong knowledge of product, strategy, and business development best practices

Anticipated Travel (may include local, national, and/or international travel):

• Limited travel (0-10%)
• Travel to Annual All Staff Company Meeting required

At Cognia, we recognize the critical role played by our teams in carrying out the organization's important educational mission. As a reflection of that recognition our exceptional benefits offerings include generous paid time off and holiday breaks, comprehensive insurance plans, and a 12.5% retirement savings contribution which is immediately vested, all effective on your date of hire. This represents a strong commitment by the organization to attract and retain the highest quality workforce - to ensure our continued ability to effectively serve our mission for years to come.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristics protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. Cognia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.