IT Product Manager at National University in Surprise, AZ

Compensation Range: Annual Salary: $78,496.00 - $105,974.00

Experience supporting D2L, student portals, and higher education technology platforms, with a strong understanding of student and faculty-facing processes is required for this position.

Position Summary

The IT Product Manager owns a product or application as the champion and subject matter expert. They will develop and coordinate the product backlog, or the prioritized list of requirements for future product development. The IT Product Manager innovates, launches, and maintains applications and products under their jurisdiction. They utilize big-picture vision and planning, as well as technical and detail-oriented skills at the task level, to provide guidance to all organizational teams involved with the product. The IT Product manager is consistently available to the technical teams to answer any questions team members have regarding the business owner’s view of how they’re implementing a product feature. Additionally, they represent the product and the organization, and as such, holds self to exemplary professionalism with excellent problem resolution and communication skills.

Essential Functions:

• Champions, and serves as subject matter expert in the assigned products and applications.
• Builds strong relationships with business leaders, through regular communication.
• Stays up-to-date on vendor product updates and roadmaps. Proactively sharing upcoming features with business leaders.
• Collaborates with product vendors, matching product capability with business owner needs.
• Collaborates with business leaders to develop roadmaps and drive products from concept to launch in a fast-paced environment.
• Owns and executes product roadmap.
• Oversees innovation and end-to-end launch and maintenance of products.
• Leads the planning and implementation of projects.
• Leads discovery, sets scope, estimates, and develops business case(s) for new engagements.
• Reviews business needs, identifies priorities, and works with the Project Management Office (PMO) team to outline deliverables, milestones, and identifies opportunities and risks.
• Assists leadership to define, research, and prioritize improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational strategies.
• Ensures projects all have clear design, build, run, maintain, support and security considerations met.
• In collaboration with business leaders sets clear and measurable success metrics and KPIs for projects.
• Provides leadership with updates, metrics, and reports throughout the whole SDLC.
• Coordinates projects while collaboratively working with the PMO.
• Translates product roadmap features into well-defined product requirements including features, user stories, tasks and acceptance criteria.
• Creates and maintains detailed documentation of products.
• Works with IT Leadership and PMO to manage product budget where appropriate.
• Provides direction and support to product and project team.
• Schedules and carries out User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with business owners.
• Works in an Agile or Agile hybrid environment using best practices.
• Leads the product functional design.
• Works collaboratively with development and Quality Assurance (QA) teams.
• Coordinates resolution of escalated issues.
• Works with the release management team to coordinate releases and tests features post-release.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of working experience in business analysis required.
• Experience with project analysis, estimating, business case development and financial analysis required.
• Microsoft SQL Server database and Agile experience required.
• Extensive experience in process improvement and project management preferred.
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system required
• Experience with Student Information System (SIS) preferred
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems preferred
• Comprehensive analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving experience required.
• Previous experience serving as a project lead is required.
• Experience in higher education preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise is required.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Proven ability to motivate self and others while maintaining confidentiality, treating others with respect, and upholding organizational values.
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship‑building skills across diverse teams and levels, including internal and external partners.
• Excellent communication skills, including active listening, clear professional communication, conveying requirements across teams, and providing status updates at the executive level.
• Knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) preferred.
• Strong understanding of SDLC processes and experience designing, developing, and implementing software and hardware solutions, systems, or products.
• Knowledge of system integrations and APIs, with the ability to understand how reporting outputs impact business decisions.
• Working knowledge of both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, and the ability to write detailed requirements (user stories, BRDs, FSDs).
• Proficient in running effective meetings with on‑site and remote teams using conferencing tools.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to exercise independent judgment and propose alternative solutions.
• Ability to establish KPIs and success criteria for products and projects and drive toward measurable organizational goals.
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks effectively under pressure in fast‑paced environments with multiple deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Demonstrated accuracy, attention to detail, and strong time‑management skills, consistently delivering high‑quality work at high velocity.
• Creative and innovative thinker who questions conventional approaches, encourages new ideas, and contributes to the design of new or improved processes.
• Ability to work independently while fostering a cooperative, team‑oriented environment across diverse cultures in both small and large teams.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and working knowledge of office management practices in higher education (preferred).

Location: Remote, USA

Travel: Some Travel Required, up to 20%

#LI-Remote

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies. Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family. For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 4,500 faculty and staff and serves over 45,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University.