Director, Product Owner, CSS Profile

About the role

The Financial Aid Products and Services team is a close-knit, dedicated group of professionals with a passion for higher education. The team is committed to providing exceptional tools and customer support to students and colleges, facilitating the awarding of over $10 billion in financial aid each year. We pride ourselves on innovation through continuous improvement of our products and services. The CSS Profile team works closely with our broader ecosystem, including Institutional Methodology, Institutional Needs Analysis System, Net Price Calculator, and PowerFAIDS . We also partner with a variety of external vendors to support our products and customers. As the Director of CSS Profile, you are the product owner for a critical financial aid tool that helps over 400,000 students access need-based financial aid each year. You are a collaborative partner who drives product innovation to exceed customer expectations (students, parents, and colleges). You own and manage the yearly release and ongoing product operations, with a focus on innovation, stability, and efficiency. You will drive student access and support institutions by listening closely to users, collaborating across teams, implementing improvements, and ensuring reliable systems that guide students through the financial aid process. In this role, you will: Product Release and Management (60%) Collect inputs, analyze user needs, and develop business requirements for CSS Profile through user interviews, focus groups, and cross-functional collaboration Document requirements using business use cases, specifications, mock-ups, workflow charts, and diagrams Provide guidance and subject matter expertise to support others in developing requirements documentation Complete user acceptance testing and support release testing Own, plan, and maintain the full product backlog, including enhancement requests Groom and prioritize the backlog to support yearly improvements aligned with the overall product strategy Collaborate with other product owners, IT, and external partners to ensure successful planning and on-time delivery Product Strategy (20%) Contribute to long-term product roadmaps, including technical transformation Position the product for future success by staying ahead of higher education and technology trends Develop a deep understanding of customer needs to anticipate future demands Monitor and interpret shifting federal regulations and translate insights into product improvements In-Market Product Operations (20%) Drive processes and procedures to meet key operational metrics (uptime, customer satisfaction, contact rate, completion rates, SLAs) Respond to system outages and high-priority customer escalations Represent the product in webinars, conferences, user group sessions, and direct customer engagements About You You have: 5-7 years of direct, on-campus Financial Aid experience Bachelor's degree Strong knowledge of postsecondary financial aid administration, including federal requirements, institutional practices, delivery systems, and software products Experience in product ownership, product management, or project management Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into effective, scalable solutions Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously Strong problem-solving skills, including data-informed decision-making Excellent writing skills with the ability to clearly document complex information Excellent communication skills, including presenting to groups (15+) in both virtual and in-person settings Experience managing relationships with third-party vendors, IT teams, or external partners Preferred: Knowledge of Institutional Methodology, CSS Profile, and/or PowerFAIDS Experience with digital product development, cloud computing, or SaaS Experience working in agile software development environments Experience translating customer needs into product vision and requirements Ability to travel 3-5 times per year All roles at College Board require: A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively. Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely , respectf