Head of Product - SkillsWave (Canada based)

PLEASE NOTE: D2L announced a planned spin-out of the D2L Wave product into a standalone independent company. This role will be a part of the new entity known as SkillsWave, and post-close will not be affiliated with D2L. 

SkillsWave is a dynamic upskilling and education-as-a-benefit company dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the rapidly evolving landscape of work. Our innovative approach combines cutting-edge technology with personalized learning experiences to equip employees with the skills they need to succeed in their careers. To do this, we need to give talented, enthusiastic, and passionate people opportunities to create, develop, and collaborate on projects that revolutionize the learning environment.

Job Summary:

The Head of Product at SkillsWave is responsible for leading the product development of Wave as part of an overall corporate growth strategy.  Aligning across sales, marketing, client success, and educational partnerships, and reporting to the President of SkillsWave, this position will be a primary leader of the creative development of the Wave platform, as well as the strategic approach to building out the platform in a speedy and agile fashion.  The Head of Product, SkillsWave is responsible for the success of Wave and related product features and outcomes, from overall product alignment to specific product requirements through to delivery to the market and end of life.

With research-based inputs, and in partnership with senior leadership, this product development leader will partner cross-functionally to develop the product roadmap and take it through execution in an iterative and rapid manner.   The Head of Product for SkillsWave will be responsible for driving the market analysis, product strategy and definition, business case, and competitive analysis.  This includes being responsible for the execution of planned products and projects and delivery of the products with the goal of increasing the adoption of existing products and introducing and developing new products to increase market share and revenue. 

How will I make an impact?

• Lead the product development of the Wave platform within the context of the overall strategy for growth.
• Collaboratively prioritize and flexibly iterate on the product roadmap to consistently deliver new features and functionality in product.

Competencies (What you’ll bring to the role):

• Able to lead product development in a complex environment
• Passionate about discovering creative solutions for accelerating platform development in a sustainable and scalable way
• Proven track record of successful execution of platform development in the ed tech or learning and development fields
• Ability to assess risks, plan mitigation measures and execute on these measures
• Solicit inputs for your roadmap by collaborating with engineering, marketing, sales, customer engagement, and other stakeholders
• Define a vision for your products and/or features that reinforce a persuasive vision of the future of learning
• Create strategy for your product or features which identifies market opportunities, grows the product portfolio, and drives the go-to-market execution
• Actively develop and maintain a data-driven product roadmap to deliver on the product vision and strategy
• Define end-to-end tactics, milestones and success metrics that are easily understood and measurable
• In collaboration with engineering and design, translate the product vision and roadmap into feature level details and user stories with success criteria
• Manage the impact of scope change and priority with all stakeholders
• Ensure products are delivered on schedule and with high quality results
• Well-developed leadership, interpersonal skills and sales development skills, with the ability to collaborate with diverse personalities
• Strong business acumen and judgment
• Ability to work independently and with a team with minimum supervision
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Willingness to travel 

Skills

• Ability to create the necessary artifacts to communicate initiative goals, scope, solution proposals, and product status effectively
• Ability to define features and to create associated success metrics
• Ability to develop a product roadmap
• Strong collaboration and advocacy skills
• Create product roadmaps that synthesize input from a variety of sources

Suggested Qualifications/Experience: 

• Minimum 10+ years of experience in product development, showing continued progression in a complex technology solutions sales and leadership role
• Minimum of 5+ years in EdTech environments, or in the learning and development industry
• A background in software product management with a track record of delivering quality software solutions to the market
• Experience in managing a product through all phases of the product life cycle, including concept, definition, planning, development and implementation