Job Description

Product Manager, High School

The Product Manager, High School leads course revisions and major cross-functional initiatives within Penn Foster High School to improve learner engagement, academic integrity, and readiness outcomes. This role operates within a single large program and focuses on strengthening core system capabilities such as assessment strategy, progression guardrails, and learner support models. The Product Manager partners closely with Academic, Learning Design, Product Experience, Research, UX, Engineering, Operations, and Digital Product Managers to translate instructional challenges into measurable improvements to the learner experience. In addition to course iteration cycles, this role will lead 1-2 strategic initiatives annually (e.g., High School-to-Career/Technical Education pathways, parent/guardian experience, academic support models) through empowered team structures. This position emphasizes hypothesis-driven iteration and cross-functional execution over roadmap management. Success in this role is measured by validated learner engagement, course and program completions growth, and learner readiness for downstream career pathways.

Essential Job Functions:

• Lead end-to-end course revision initiatives, from problem definition through launch and post-launch evaluation.
• Define clear, data-informed problem statements and measurable targets for each revision or iteration cycle.
• Serve as a product lead for 1-2 major cross-functional initiatives within the High School vertical.
• Partner with Academic and Learning Design teams to align course changes with instructional standards and rigor expectations.
• Collaborate with Digital Product Managers, UX Designers, and Engineering teams to implement scalable solutions that support learner engagement and assessment integrity.
• Monitor learner engagement, progression, and completion metrics to evaluate impact and guide continuous improvement.
• Identify and mitigate systemic risks related to rapid progression, non-engagement, and learner readiness.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment and decision-making through structured forums and initiative planning.
• Contribute to the overall strategic direction of the High School vertical by sharing insights on learner, partner, and parent/guardian needs.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• 3+ years of product management experience in complex, cross-functional environments.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively without rigid roadmap structures; comfort with iterative, outcome-driven planning.
• Strong systems thinking skills with the ability to identify root causes beyond surface-level symptoms.
• Experience collaborating with engineering and UX teams to deliver product improvements.
• Ability to partner effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including Engineering, Academic, and Learning Design leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional initiatives in ambiguous environments, partnering with senior stakeholders and contributing to enterprise-level strategic outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Preferred: Experience in educational technology or academically regulated environments.
• Preferred: Familiarity with modern product operating models (e.g., empowered teams, hypothesis-driven development, outcome-based planning).

About Us:

At Penn Foster Group, we are transforming online learning to help learners by uniting Penn Foster, CareerStep, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, and other education platforms. Together, we create an accelerated path to greater economic mobility through real-world skills and knowledge that enable them to achieve long-term success in the workplaces of the future. Our history dates back to 1890 when our founder, Thomas Foster, pioneered distance education by offering training by mail for coal miners to get the necessary skills for safer jobs. Today, with the partners who use our education and training programs, we continue that mission of providing accessible training and education for in-demand skills and are building a workforce that's prepared for the future job market.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

We strive toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Penn Foster Group by intentionally building teams that are diverse in identities, lived experiences, and ideas to create a culture where people feel connected to each other and have a sense of belonging. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion because it is the foundation that enables us to achieve what we set out to do as an organization from maximizing the number of learners who can reach their goals while giving them the kinds of experiences we want them to have, to becoming the type of company we want to work in.

What We Offer:

We offer a robust benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, flexible spending, generous paid time off, sponsored volunteer opportunities, a 401K with a company match, plus free access to all of our online programs.

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