Managing Director Product Development

OneGoal

OneGoal (non-profit) is a leading postsecondary access and success organization dedicated to closing the degree divide and creating a more equitable future. The OneGoal classroom-based model serves students whose postsecondary opportunities might be limited due to their academic and socioeconomic profiles. Students take the OneGoal class during their junior and senior years of high school and continue receiving one-on-one support through the first year of their postsecondary journey.

Despite decades of work and millions of dollars invested, the degree divide continues to be one of our nation’s most complex and critical injustices, with deep roots in systems of oppression and racism. Only 22% of students from low-income communities earn a college degree, compared to 67% of their peers from high-income areas. 

OneGoal has grown from a small afterschool program serving just 32 students in Chicago to a nationwide movement that is serving some 12,500 students in six communities. Our model, honed over 14 years, has three core differentiators: A rigorous, culturally relevant content and experience, cohorts of students who can support each other over the course of three years, and a teacher who supports our most vulnerable students’ long-term ambitions. 88% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution and 79% of those who enroll persist one year after high school.

 

The Person

OneGoal is seeking a Managing Director, Product Development to lead the development of custom technology tools, along with integrating our existing technology systems, including Salesforce and Canvas LMS. Working closely with the Vice President, Technology, the ideal candidate will bring experience in software development, user research, design process, and project management that will support our product development and system architecture. The Managing Director, Product Development will be responsible for managing external teams of engineering contractors building the next generation of OneGoal’s technology systems.

 

You will collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders, end users, and partner organizations to define, prioritize and execute on the project roadmap. The Managing Director, Product Development will join the organization during a period of technology funding to support strategic growth and serve as the driving force behind a highly visible, mission-critical set of products used by individuals and organizations around the country, poised to change the way schools support their students to graduate from high school college-ready and succeed in college.

 

You will do this by:

 

• Lead and manage a team of engineers: Evaluate, hire, manage, and review the work of a distributed team of engineers, devops and QA professionals
• Manage the engineers through the Agile software development lifecycle
• Build and lead a team of Product Managers, Business Analysts, and Quality Assurance testers
• Manage collaboration between the UX Design team, and your product team so that Business Analysts can write functional & technical requirements for new product development
• Own aspects of the product lifecycle from planning to execution and release
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to define and manage product strategy and roadmap 
• Ensure engineers understand product requirements in collaboration with business product stakeholders.
• Design a component-based system infrastructure with an eye toward stability and scalability
• Decide on the technology stack, including determining frameworks, subscriptions, products for both managing product development and development operations.
• Define and track KPIs for products and software; Monitor usage data and customer feedback to gauge success and plan for iterations
• Become an expert in OneGoal’s program design and implementation and generate new ideas based on program strategy as well as new product and technology trends

 

Though the Managing Director, Product Development is likely to see himself/herself/themselves in the following examples, these are not requirements. These examples are designed to help you determine if this opportunity aligns with your own passion and purpose.   

 

You believe deeply in our Fellows (students) and their ability to graduate from a post-secondary institution.

• You believe that our Fellows face real systemic barriers to post-secondary completion, and that empowering their families, their teachers and themselves to own their unique path will help them to overcome those barriers.
• You have audacious hope for a future where every young person in America will have a real opportunity to complete their post-secondary aspiration – and the life that comes with it. 

 

You put people first.

• You understand that people drive impact for our Fellows (students), not technology. You work to build technology that will empower Fellows and staff to spend time doing what matters: deepening authentic relationships with one another.
• Your relationships with key stakeholders are authentic and grounded in honesty, integrity, and trust. You earn people’s trust and maintain confidence by letting others speak and understanding their viewpoint.  

 

You are a puzzle-solver and strategist. 

• You like to explore and build innovative approaches and have designed new ways of doing things. You make connections, determine fits, and build plans that are responsive to interlocking and evolving challenges and opportunities. 
• Contingency-planning and problem-solving excite you, and working to streamline and improve systems gives you energy.
• You are driven by solving at both the group and individual level, using both data and experience, recognizing the complexity of action and strategy requires evidence as well as an ability to dream big.

 

You are a continuous learner. 

• You are constantly learning, adapting and developing your managerial and leadership skills; you create and seize opportunities to refine your knowledge, skills and mindsets in both your personal and professional life. 
• You put more energy into learning, collaboration and innovation, always asking the question “is there a better way?” and being willing to try something new.
• You proactively seek feedback, practice active listening, and are willing to admit and learn from failures, knowing that is key to your growth and success. 

 

Qualifications & Experience:

• 10+ years of product development experience with demonstrated success building high quality web-based software, preferably in a B2B or educational technology company
• 5+ years Experience evaluating, selecting, and managing contract engineers and/or consulting firms
• 5+ years Experience managing a distributed team of full time and contract product and engineering staff
• Experience with business/functional requirement writing in an Agile environment
• Experience with modern Javascript frameworks – i.e. React, VueJS, Angular or similar
• Experience with data structure design and implementation
• (Optional) Engineering experience in Python and Postgres.
• (Optional) Experience supporting product integrations with CRM systems such as Salesforce, and LMS tools such as Canvas
• (Optional) Academic or continuing professional study in Computer Science related fields, including AI/Machine Learning, and big data

 

Soft skills:

• Good intuition and judgment on how to make software that is easy to use 
• Superior analytical skills with the ability to distill feedback from disparate sources, make recommendations and decisions 
• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to manage up and influence cross-functional teams without formal authority 
• Exceptional project management skills fueled by persistence and amazing follow through
• Curious, insightful and innovative with a natural bias for action, thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Experience working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders and communities across diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Views differences between individuals (race, gender, age, cultural heritage, physical ability, education and lifestyle) as an asset and demonstrates an appreciation of diversity within OneGoal and with our stakeholders
• Lived experience of the Students we serve (Preferred)

 

This position requires that the employee be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on or before the start date. Consistent with applicable laws, OneGoal will provide reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability (as defined by applicable law) or sincerely-held religious beliefs, provided that such accommodation would not result in an undue hardship on OneGoal. 

Our Team 

Guided by a clear set of core values and beliefs, you will join an impressive group of more than 150 OneGoal staff across the country who believe in the untapped potential within students. The OneGoal team challenges themselves and others to regularly ask, “Is there a better way?”

 

The Tangible Good 

 

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package* which includes medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, retirement matching, paid parental leave, and more. We also offer a generous paid time off policy, including 20 paid vacation days, holidays and 6 wellness days (flexible sick time). 

*OneGoal reserves the right to change benefits at anytime according to business need.  

 

You believe in people and the promise of humanity and are committed to equity and inclusion 

 

You believe in an inclusive and culturally competent society and the essence of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We believe that in order to create the change we seek, each person we hire brings a remarkable and diverse set of experiences, skills and characteristics that individually and collectively, will contribute to the radical change needed to move us towards a more equitable and just nation.

 

Throw Your Hat in the Ring.Please click “Apply For This Job Now” at the bottom of the page to start your application!

If you require a reasonable accommodation to submit an application or to participate in the application or interview process, please reach out to our Human Assets Team to request an accommodation. Our Human Assets Team can be contacted at 773-321-2630 or HumanAssets@onegoalgraduation.org. 

 

OneGoal is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability (mental or physical), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, parenthood, genetic characteristic or information, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.