Associate Portfolio Product Manager - Political Science

$58,300 - $93,200/Yr

Cengage Learning - Wilmington, DE

Full-time - Entry Level

Wilmington, DE

Publishing Industries

About the position

The Associate Portfolio Product Manager (APPM) at Cengage Group is a pivotal role within the Academic Portfolio Product Management (PPM) team, specifically focusing on the US Higher Education Political Science portfolio. This position is designed for individuals who are eager to develop their skills in product management while contributing to the creation of innovative educational products that enhance learning experiences for students and instructors alike. The APPM will engage in a variety of tasks that include understanding the target audience, analyzing market trends, and making informed product design decisions based on data-driven insights. In this role, the APPM will lead a profitable product line and collaborate closely with the Portfolio Product Director to develop strategic business plans. This involves making objective decisions regarding investment prioritization to benefit the organization as a whole. The APPM will also provide product leadership, representing the portfolio and its customers across various audiences, and will utilize data to inform business proposals and guide strategic decisions. The position requires the ability to balance experience and market knowledge to make impactful decisions and long-term plans. The APPM will be responsible for translating priorities into organized development plans, ensuring effective communication within project teams, and delivering multiple products on time and within budget. Additionally, the role involves maintaining relationships with key authors, recruiting new talent, and building connections with adoption decision-makers to gain insights and strengthen product adoptions. The Associate PPM role emphasizes learning and development, allowing individuals to hone the skills necessary for a full PPM position. The APPM will regularly analyze product and portfolio plans to align forecasting and measure progress towards goals, while also partnering closely with Marketing and Sales teams to secure adoptions. This role is integral to the success of Cengage Group's mission to provide quality educational materials and solutions to millions of learners.

Responsibilities

• Lead a profitable product line and develop strategic business plans in partnership with the Portfolio Product Director.
• Make objective decisions regarding investment prioritization for the overall organization.
• Provide product leadership, representing the portfolio and customers across various audiences.
• Use data to make market-informed business proposals and guide strategic decisions.
• Balance experience, market knowledge, and insights to make impactful decisions and long-term plans.
• Translate priorities into organized end-to-end development plans with budgets, resources, performance goals, and key checkpoints.
• Provide project team direction, facilitating effective communication, and ensuring timely delivery of multiple products simultaneously within scope and budget.
• Cultivate an environment of creativity and collaboration.
• Deliver quality learning experiences to students and instructors.
• Maintain key author relationships and recruit new talent as necessary.
• Build relationships with adoption decision makers to gain customer insights and strengthen adoptions.
• Develop a deep understanding of competitors and anticipate competitor activity.
• Identify and test product ideas within segments, including the administration of focus groups, advisory boards, reviews, and customer meetings as appropriate.
• Regularly analyze product and portfolio plans to align forecasting and measurement of progress towards goals.
• Partner closely with Marketing and Sales teams to seed and secure adoptions.
• Create compelling needs-based discipline, course, and product positioning for campaign and sales enablement efforts.
• Make presentations at internal and external meetings, campus visits, and academic conventions in support of sales efforts.

Requirements

• BA or BS Degree
• Understanding of the educational technology and publishing industry
• Ability to clearly articulate vision and strategy and help team members understand how their work impacts business success
• Customer focus with understanding of how customer needs and challenges translate into opportunities
• Demonstration of strong communication skills with keen ability to facilitate team meetings, presentations, focus groups, and interviews
• Ability to inspire change through influence; honed interpersonal skills
• Self-discipline with a high degree of accountability
• Strong financial analysis and modeling skills and an understanding of business metrics
• Natural curiosity and willingness to learn paired with a desire for continuous improvement
• Proven written and verbal abilities enabling the preparation and presentation of information and recommendations to a diverse and senior level audience
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in product management, product development, brand management, marketing, or other relevant management role
• Cross-functional team leadership experience

Benefits

• Comprehensive Total Rewards package
• Competitive salary range
• Opportunities for professional development and learning
• Inclusive workplace culture
• Diversity and inclusion initiatives