Technical Product Manager

Description

 Reports to: Head of Product Management

About REACH Pathways: REACH is the college and career pathway that connects high-performing under-resourced students (HiPURS) to companies and colleges. REACH connects top talent with top opportunities within a virtual world ecosystem. Less like homework and more like a video game, REACH rewards students for finding jobs and completing real-life and in-game tasks. Recruiters access prepared, top-performing, and diverse talent.

REACH is a for-profit spin off based on the research-based curriculum of Chicago Scholars, a nonprofit that has served nearly 6,000 students get to and through college and into career at 2-3X the national average. REACH Pathways launched in October 2022 and has since won SXSW Pitch for Future of Work, the Learning Engineering Tools Competition, Fast Company World Changing Ideas List, the Chicago Innovation Awards 2023 top 100, and came in runner up in the Wintrust Business Spotlight with Chicago Innovation and Cubs. We are on a path to scale rapidly, raise capital to build out the product, and launch.

Position Overview: The Technical Product Manager will lead the technical strategy, execution, and innovation of the REACH Pathways platform. The Technical Product Manager will support the development of product roadmaps, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and ensure the delivery of a seamless user experience. An ideal candidate for this role will have demonstrated passion for supporting under-resourced youth, comfortable with ambiguity, and excited to join a small, diverse, and talented team of leaders. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the technical development of the REACH platform, including architecture, design, and coding.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including our Scholar Advisors to define technical requirements and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Work closely with external vendors to ensure effective implementation of the product. Make recommendations and support the vetting process of vendors.
• Implement best practices for coding standards, code reviews, and software development methodologies.
• Define and maintain the technical architecture, ensuring scalability, security, and reliability of the platform.
• Work directly with a team of Scholar Technical Advisors with backgrounds in computer science and game design to develop components of the platform, collect feedback, and improve the product.
• Translate product visions into detailed technical specifications, user stories, user journeys and wire frames. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define technical requirements, test and review the platform, and ensure alignment with strategic goals and quality assurance standards.
• Integrate third-party tools and features over re-creating the wheel. 
• Implement robust quality assurance processes, including testing and validation, to ensure the platform's reliability and performance.
• Ensure product success metrics are collected and reported to the team.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends to drive continuous innovation within the platform. 
• Contribute to a positive and collaborative team culture, fostering innovation and growth. 

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Proven experience (3+ years) in leading technology teams and managing complex technical projects.
• Strong expertise in software development, including front-end and back-end technologies. 
• Experience with web and mobile application development, cloud services, and APIs. 
• Proficiency in programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C#, or Java. 
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and version control systems. 
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Experience in education technology, e-learning, or edtech platforms is a plus.

Core Competencies:

• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Able to break down tasks into manageable sections in order to make informed decisions and solve problems. Able to perceive and resolve a gap and overcome obstacles between a present situation and a desired goal. Ability to leverage the strengths (superpowers) of others to tackle a problem 
• Accountability/Project Management: Effectively manages own work, and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of high-quality work.
• Values & Prioritizes Inclusion: Consistently sees, learns from, and takes strategic action related to diverse perspectives; and demonstrates the self-awareness and behaviors to work with stake holders respectfully and effectively.
• Continuous Improvement Minded: Identifies strategies to improve organization's impact; weighs diverse inputs to inform strategies; sets course and drives implementation. 
• Teamwork/Collaboration: Demonstrates awareness and respect of cultural and individual values. Listens to ideas from others, even when different from own. Is careful to ensure all sides are heard reaching a conclusion. Shares time, energy and knowledge with others to ensure they can succeed.
• Communication: Communication is the ability to read and interpret information effectively, clearly articulate a plan of action, and influence others by way of written and verbal mechanisms.

Salary range: $80,000- $90,000.

Best Offer First Policy: The data nationally show for every $1 paid to white men, women earn 83 cents, black men earn 88 cents, and black women earn 80 cents. Women and black and brown people are also less likely to negotiate than their white male peers. Chicago Scholars and REACH Pathways have decided to offer our best offer first rather than wait for a potential negotiation. This allows us to set salaries based on market data and internal equity and ensure fair and equal pay for every role. 

If you have questions regarding either of the above policies, or any of Chicago Scholars and REACH employment policies, please reach out to the Human Resources team at jobs@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line: Policy Question.

To Apply: Complete the enclosed application and submit a cover letter stating why your experience and qualifications make you a good fit for the role.