Director of Product Management
Economic Mobility Center (EMC) DBA Economic Mobility Systems (EMS)
About Us
Economic Mobility Center (EMC), also known as Economic Mobility Systems (EMS), is a nonprofit organization that partners with states, regions, and educational institutions—from K-12 through higher education—to harness the power of data and technology. We work to improve student education and workforce outcomes, ultimately driving economic mobility.
Job Overview
As a Director of Product Management at Economic Mobility Center, you’ll own the full product lifecycle – not as a one-time process, but as an evergreen, continuous loop of discovery, definition, design, development and deployment. Our work is never truly “done”; we learn, adapt, and improve through real-world usage, user feedback and evolving needs. Your role is to steward this ongoing cycle with intention and discipline – ensuring that what we build is impactful, intuitive, and mission aligned to help school districts and partners support students from high school into college and living-wage careers.
You’ll create the conditions for collaboration – inviting others into your work to ensure what we build delivers value to users, supports the business, and reflects the voices of those closest to the work. You’ll be responsible for shaping strategy, validating it through user engagement and data to ensure what we build delivers value to users, supports the business, and reflects the voices of those closest to the work.
This is a highly strategic and hands-on role for a strong communicator, systems thinker, and natural leader who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven, entrepreneurial environment. This role will report to the VP of Product Management, and initially be an individual contributor.
Key Responsibilities
Product Leadership & Strategy:
- Translate user and stakeholder needs into intuitive, scalable solutions, user stories, and feature specifications.
- Use data, market trends, user feedback, and internal input to shape strategy, develop and execute against product roadmaps finding new ways to convert data into actionable recommendations for students, schools and employers.
- Own and communicate the product vision—clarifying what we’re building, why it matters, and how it aligns to broader goals.
- Define the long-term vision and product roadmap aligned to business goals.
- Clearly articulate the “why” behind what’s being built.
- Continuously adapt strategy based on market shifts, feedback, and outcomes.
Requirements and Design:
- Conduct structured discovery with users (e.g. counselors, district leaders) to surface pain points and test hypotheses.
- Define shared data models, ingestion workflows, business rules, and reporting components in collaboration with technology and analytics teams.
- Use Voice of Customer (VoC), behavioral analytics, and usability data to guide product roadmap direction and iteration.
- Write clear product requirements, epics and user stories.
Execution & Collaboration
- Advocate for clean, accessible, and user-friendly product experiences across audiences.
- Run usability tests and drive consistency in design across the platform.
- Leverage user behavior data to refine flows, reduce friction, and drive engagement.
- Partner with Technology to coordinate sprint planning, backlog grooming, and setting delivery milestones.
- Partner with IT, Partner Success, and Marketing to ensure coordinated go-to-market, support, and implementation.
Communications
- Provide regular updates through roundtables, roadmaps, and product metrics reports.
- Ensure stakeholders are informed of key product changes, priorities, and outcomes.
- Create and collaborate on product management artifacts and process
Qualifications & Experience
- 5+ years of demonstrated success in product management, ideally in EdTech, CRM, data or platform products.
- Proven ability to lead discovery, strategy, execution, and iterative improvement.
- Strong communicator across audiences—technical, operational, and executive.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and energized by solving complex problems through user insights and creative design.
- Strong project management, documentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Familiarity with agile frameworks and values-driven roadmap prioritization.
- Highly accountable, self-motivated, and committed to delivering value.
Preferred Tools and Skills
- Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides).
- Experience working in or with school districts, higher ed, or workforce development ecosystems.
- Familiarity with Salesforce—data models, licensing, custom apps, and reporting tools.
- Background in data integration, system interoperability, or modular architecture.
Why Join Us?
- Make a meaningful impact on the lives of students and families.
- Collaborate with a passionate team committed to equity and access.
- Help shape strategy and communications for one of the largest college promise programs in the nation.
- Competitive benefits package, including:
- Competitive salary (commensurate with experience)
- Bonus opportunity
- 15 days of Paid time off
- 14 paid holidays
- 403(b) retirement plan with company match.
- Health, dental, and vision insurance.
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and HSA.
- Hybrid work schedule based in Dallas, TX (75247)