Specialist, Product Program Manager

Responsibilities

• Program & Project Leadership
• Lead and manage multiple technical projects across the School IT Services portfolio, ensuring timely, high-quality delivery aligned to school-calendar windows (start-of-year readiness, mid-year transitions, spring testing, and year-end transition).
• Develop comprehensive project plans, including scope, schedule, resources, risks, dependencies, and milestones; partner with the Lead of School IT Services and Product Manager to translate roadmap into executable delivery plans.
• Identify and mitigate program risks, resolve issues, and surface tradeoffs to stakeholders to keep delivery on track.
• Ensure alignment of program and project goals with broader business objectives and strategic priorities.
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Operate as the project management partner in the School IT Services 4-in-the-box pod (TPM, Product Manager, Lead of School IT Services, and GTM), driving operating cadence, decision-making, and accountability across the four functions.
• Collaborate with engineering, IT operations, security, service delivery, and customer success teams to align on requirements, capacity, dependencies, and release windows.
• Foster cross-team collaboration, open communication, and knowledge sharing to address dependencies and improve overall delivery efficiency.
• Support the management of external vendors as needed to ensure their contributions align with program goals, timelines, and quality standards.
• Stakeholder Communication & Change Management
• Communicate program status, progress, risks, and outcomes to stakeholders-including senior leadership, school leaders, and internal cross-functional partners-in a clear and concise manner.
• Partner with the Lead of School IT Services, Product Manager, and GTM to support release readiness, including launch communications, training enablement, and adoption tracking, so changes land well in schools.
• Establish and maintain feedback loops with schools and internal partners that feed continuous improvement.
• Facilitate effective team collaboration and communication, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.
• Process & Operating Rhythm
• Drive continuous improvement in project management processes, intake, prioritization, and delivery methodologies.
• Establish and maintain the 4IAB operating cadence.
• Maintain delivery artifacts (project plans, risk log, dashboards, status reports) that provide a single source of truth across the 4IAB and for executive stakeholders.

Requirements

• Required
• Bachelor's degree.
• 5+ years of experience as a Technical Program Manager, Technical Project Manager, or similar role in a technology-driven environment.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering complex, cross-functional programs on time and within budget.
• Strong project management skills, with proficiency in modern tools and methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Kanban).
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, and analytical abilities.
• Ability to navigate and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with shifting priorities.
• Preferred
• Experience delivering IT services or IT service management (ITSM) programs, ideally in a K-12, EdTech, SaaS, or service-oriented environment.
• Familiarity with school operations and the rhythms of the K-12 school year (start-of-year readiness, testing windows, year-end transitions).
• Awareness of education compliance, privacy, and security requirements (e.g., FERPA, COPPA).
• Strong technical background with hands-on experience in software development, systems engineering, cloud technologies, or SDLC/DevOps practices.
• PMP, PgMP, or other relevant project/program management certifications.
• Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As requir

Additional Information

Specialist, Product Program Manager, School IT Services Description: This role aligns to Industry Level Titles such as Technical Project Manager. The Technical Product Program Manager (TPM), School IT Services is responsible for leading cross-functional program execution to deliver complex, high-impact technology services that support K-12 virtual and blended school operations. Sitting within the Product Delivery team, this role provides the delivery role of a "4-in-the-box" (4IAB) product model alongside the Product Manager, the Lead of School IT Services, and a Go-to-Market (GTM) partner-together driving the strategy, definition, delivery, and adoption of School IT Services capabilities. The TPM is accountable for translating the School IT Services roadmap into executable program plans; coordinating engineering, IT operations, security, communication, and go-to-market teams; managing risk and dependencies; and ensuring releases land smoothly against the rhythms of the K-12 school year (August-June).

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