The ideal candidate will be responsible for the growth of the ICT & Future skills portfolio in terms of impact, reach as well as revenue over the next 5 years and consolidate Cambridge's position as the education partner of choice for ICT & Future skills. They must have a keen eye for gaps in product offerings and an innovative mindset for filling them. They should come with a proven ability to strategize the full lifecycle of a product, from conception to release.

JOB PURPOSE

• Drive the execution of all processes in the product lifecycle (of the ICT & Future skills portfolio for K-12), including product and market research, competitor analysis, planning, positioning, requirements and roadmap development, delivery, and product launch.
• Translate product strategy into detailed requirements for prototyping and final development.
• Create product strategy documents that describe business cases, high-level use cases, requirements, revenue, and Roi.
• Collaborate closely with technology, marketing, and sales teams in the development, QA, and release of products, and balance resources to ensure success.
• Develop product positioning and messaging that act as differentiators across primary market segments.
• Sustain business-as-usual with the help of regular updates and revision aligned with curricular changes as well as latest pedagogies and methodologies.
• Expand the portfolio in unexplored areas like the skills domain as well as grades 9-12.

KEY RESPOSIBILITIES

• Drive the product- and business-planning processes.
• Analyse customer needs, current market trends, and potential opportunities.
• Assess current competitor offerings and seek opportunities for differentiation.
• Analyse product requirements and develop appropriate solutions to ensure they're met.
• Develop, implement, and maintain production timelines.
• Appraise new product ideas and strategies appropriate go-to-market plans.
• Gain a deep understanding of customer experience, identify, and fill product gaps and generate new ideas that enhance market share, improve customer experience and drive growth.
• Create buy-in for the product vision both internally and with key external stakeholders.
• Develop product pricing and positioning strategies.
• Translate product strategy into detailed requirements and prototypes.
• Act as a product evangelist to build awareness and understanding.

Strategy:

• Prepare plans aligned with overall organisational strategy as well as market trends and patterns.
• Oversee research, identify new product opportunities and build propositions.
• Conduct research to create and support the product strategy.
• Implement expansion into skills space with integrated learning and assessment solution.
• Leverage technology and digital platforms to optimise teaching and learning outcomes.
• Outline the journey of the portfolio in line with user journey, making Cambridge a constant partner.
• Track usage and impact of products and constantly endeavour to improve user experience.

Delivery and Project management

• Manage the process for products from concept to final product delivery to meet quality, budget, delivery and customer objectives.
• Manage intellectual property while driving prioritisation and risk analysis to resolve customer issues and requests.
• Monitor all expense against the budgets and ensure optimum utilisation of resources.
• Responsible for the overall project management for all kinds of products.
• Overseeing and communicating project schedules through the product life cycle phases up until release and implementation and final file delivery to manufacturing / ingestion on platform.

Team Management

• Lead a team of skilled professionals effectively.

• Set clear objectives, define roles and responsibilities and ensure each team member aligns with the team's vision.
• Communicate expectations, goals and feedback to the group regularly and resolve any concerns or issues actively.
• Identify and address conflicts early, facilitating discussions and finding satisfactory solutions for all parties involved.
• Recognise and reward good performance, provide feedback and encourage professional development.
• Support team members' professional development by providing opportunities for training and growth.
• Ensure team compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Support and guide team members to ensure they meet their individual targets and KPIs.
• Coordinate with the people and culture team for hiring activities and requirements.

Knowledge and Experience

• Combination of language proficiency, deep understanding of pedagogies, subject specialisation, and business acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate the team.
• Must have a Master's degree in the relevant subjects from a reputed university.
• At least 5 years of work experience in product development and additionally, at least 5 years' of experience in team management.
• Proven work experience in product management or as an associate product manager.
• Proven track record of managing all aspects of successful product throughout its lifecycle.
• Proven ability to develop product and marketing strategies and effectively communicate recommendations to executive management.
• Strong problem-solving skills and hands-on approach.
• Skilled at working effectively with cross-functional teams in a matrix organisation.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it's safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe that diversity of thought, background, and approach create better outcomes. More importantly, fostering an inclusive culture is the right thing to do, and it's part of how we achieve our purpose: to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Ensuring that anyone, no matter who they are, feels they belong here is an essential part of who we are and the contribution we make to society, and to our planet.

To enable an environment which our people can thrive in, our customers benefit from, and where work complements life, we empower everyone to manage their time and capacity, and to prioritise their wellbeing. That's why from day one everyone at Cambridge University Press & Assessment can discuss flexible working options to find the best solution for them and their role.

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