Director, Product Strategy and Operations

Office of Strategic Enrollment Management 

Exempt, Regular, Full Time, Pay Grade 3.4

Job Location: Stateside, Remote

Summary:

UMGC is seeking a Director, Product Strategy & Operations, reporting directly to the Associate Vice President, Digital Strategy & Operations, to help develop, lead, and build product strategy and drive outstanding product execution. They will establish the vision and lead the development and operations of UMGC's workforce development marketplace, UMGC's digital marketing initiatives, and optimize the author user experience of the content management system. The successful candidate will coordinate with and lead the digital experience through innovation and continuous improvements to achieve the team's key performance indicators (KPI): leads, applications, and enrollment. This strategic role will manage and lead the technical and functional teams and act as the bridge between Marketing, Corporate Learning Solutions, IT Operations, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and web development - maximizing web technologies to build and improve our digital presence and meet the overall web needs of UMGC.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Operational responsibility for digital properties, content management and delivery systems to ensure SLAS are met for content publishing, page load times, uptime, and other business critical metrics
• Develop and manage the strategic product roadmap and pipeline (future releases) that deliver exceptional user experience, including website content, design, and usability
• Develop, manage, and prioritize use cases and product backlog items using business (KPIs) and long-term strategic value as drivers
• Provide vision and direction to stakeholders, developers, operations staff
• Lead meetings including standups, retrospectives, reviews, and planning
• Manage and resolve impediments impacting the team's completion of releases and sprint goals
• Present and showcase site enhancements, gather and document feedback
• Evaluate the quality of completed work during every step of the development process and perform user acceptance testing for stories
• Create a product backlog for the continued optimization of the Adobe Experience Manager content management system.
• Manage all technology requirements including maintenance needs of web systems and technology partner integrations used to generate and capture leads for the University
• Utilize website content and engagement best practices to optimize website experience, visitor engagement, and conversions
• Collaborate to optimize SEO programs and web experience to increase quality web traffic, leading to improvement in KPIs

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience
• Nine plus (9+) years as Product Owner, Product Manager, or comparable experience responsible for site management experience, specifically with website planning, design, development, optimization and administration (hands-on Adobe AEM experience strongly preferred)
• Five plus (5+) year's experience working in an agile Scrum development and release process
• Five plus (5+) years of experience managing teams of technical, functional, and contractor staff
• Previous experience as a product owner/manager for an enterprise CMS
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment managing a medium-sized team of full-time and contractor technical and functional staff in a high-profile environment
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute effectively under pressure
• Bring a positive attitude to difficult situations and partners to facilitate collaboration and decision making
• Critical thinking to quickly understand and lead operational issues, escalation, and prioritization to achieve resolution
• Successfully bridge the gap and collaborate between Technology, Marketing, and Business Units to deliver an exceptional web experience to UMGC's prospects and students
• Ability to assess verbal and written communications from key stakeholders and customers and demonstrate excellent technical, verbal and communications skills
• Well-rounded knowledge of product owner activities, web technologies, and web content management systems (Adobe AEM strongly preferred)
• Ability to evolve skill sets and quickly adopt to new technologies and priorities
• Equally comfortable working on a project team as well as an independent contributor
• Outstanding attention to detail to effectively organize, plan, and prioritize
• Understanding of marketing and sales lifecycles and their respective pressures on the marketing function to drive demand and revenue
• Comfortable managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously amid ambiguity to meet marketing objectives
• Excellent project management, analytical and problem-solving skills — scoping work, driving execution and delivering on tight deadlines while working with multiple stakeholders

All submissions should include a cover letter and resume.

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. UMGC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Workplace Accommodations:

The University of Maryland Global Campus Global Campus (UMGC) is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive working environment for people of all abilities. UMGC is dedicated to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, based on disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the University, or be subjected to discrimination. For information about UMGC's Reasonable Workplace Accommodation Policy or to request an accommodation, applicants/candidates can contact Employee Accommodations via email at employee-accommodations@umgc.edu. 

Benefits Package Highlights:

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy 22 days of paid vacation, 15 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and 15 paid holidays (16 during general election years). For part-time employees, time off rates will be prorated based on the number of hours worked.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access to health care, medical with vision, dental, and prescription plans for both individuals and families, effective from the 1st of the month following your hire date.
• Insurance Options: Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance. Part-time employees working less than 0.5 FTE are not eligible for LTD.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Retirement Plans: Choose between the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS).
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: include 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and various Roth options. The university does not provide matching funds.
• Tuition Remission: Immediate availability for Regular Exempt Staff. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission after two years of service. NOTE: For part-time employees (at least 50 percent of the time), tuition remission benefits are prorated.

Hiring Range: