Technical Innovations Product Manager

Technical Innovations Product Manager

Under the supervision of the Senior Director of Global Innovation and Strategy, this innovative individual will be responsible for the next generation product vision for many of APH’s technology endeavors. The successful candidate will be responsible for product management, planning, and execution throughout product lifecycles, including: gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, defining the product vision, and working closely with all stakeholders to ensure customer satisfaction and business goals are met.  The Technical Innovations Product Manager will be responsible for guiding the roadmap for multiple product lines simultaneously, keeping inclusive design at the core of what they do. 

 This is a remote position, relocation to Louisville, KY is not required. 

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

•    With a solid understanding of collaboration, engage with the field, including partner vendors, to balance and leverage partnership opportunities, with the goal of creating innovative and exciting new products.
•    Solicit product feedback and ideas from customers and experts using various product research methods, such as focus groups and surveys; build relationships with customers and experts in the field of blindness and visual impairment.
•    Collaborate with APH staff and outside consultants to coordinate valuable and valid field tests and / or expert reviews. 
•    Define the product specifications, develop and meet project timelines, and manage the scope of projects and development costs. Using proven product management skills, coordinate the development of multiple projects containing a varied product portfolio. 
•    Track mainstream market trends and identify where APH can take advantage of new emerging technology, to create new, inclusive products for the classroom and beyond.
•    Suggest new products and product lines, using market research and focus groups to justify prioritizing such new initiatives.
•    Analyze the competitive landscape, provide feedback to help in developing and maintaining product roadmaps, and define changing user scenarios.
•    Analyze ongoing sales information and trends to inform product strategy.
•    Due to the wide variety of technical innovations products, collaborate seamlessly with project leaders and other internal and external subject matter experts. 
•    Ensure all technology products are within safety and compliance guidelines set by APH. 
•    Write clear product use cases, work collaboratively across APH and partner resources to ensure those use cases are understood and developed into specifications according to user needs. Must be comfortable making educated product change decisions when necessary. 
•    Possess a good understanding of braille translation, the braille code, tactile graphics, and low vision user’s needs.
•    Represent APH at conferences through attendance, presentations, and support of APH’s exhibition of products. Perform product trainings and webinars as needed.
•    Serve as a thought leader in the field on a national and international level, conducting interviews, creating podcasts, and writing blogs and articles with the goal of raising APH’s prominence on a global scale.
•    Work with international partners and distribution networks to increase APH’s brand and product recognition globally.
 

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

•    A bachelor’s degree is required, master’s degree preferred. May substitute education for 3-5 years of industry experience.
•    Possess a solid understanding of the braille code, tactile graphics needs and in-class general education curriculums, to identify where accessibility holes are present, highly preferred.
•    Extensive experience with screen readers (such as JAWS, NVDA) and braille translation software (e.g. BrailleBlaster, Duxbury).
•    Must have a passion for creating high quality, innovative products and experiences.
•    The candidate will demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills.
•    Must be extremely user focused and a tremendous problem solver.
•    Must be knowledgeable of basic educational principles and concepts. Demonstrated success developing and launching excellent products.
•    Interest in the science, technology, engineering, art and math, (STEAM), needs of blind and low vision students to ensure they can perform at the same level as their sighted classmates.    
•    Have an understanding of the needs for both students and teachers in the classroom and during virtual instruction 
•    Must show experience in leading teams, including being able to communicate, compromise, and work across departmental lines while ensuring successful completion of projects. 
•    Must have experience with product development and familiarity with the stage-gate process.
•    Beneficial to have an understanding of the quality assurance process and a customer empathy, ideally with experience supporting customers in the field.
•    Must have advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Must have working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat, Internet browsers, and assistive technologies. Virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc.)
•    Candidate should have experience with bug and backlog tracking software such as Redmine, Jira, etc.
•    Must be willing to travel 3-4 weeks per year.

COMPENSATION

 Minimum: $59810.87        Midpoint: $75037.01

CLICK HERE to apply. If you have issues applying online through Paycom, please email Zach Korby at zkorby@aph.org.

APH IS A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. An offer of employment is conditioned upon successfully passing a drug screening test and background check. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, place of birth, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability or protected veteran status. EOE/AA/M/F/Vet/Disability Employer