Digital Product Manager, Publishing Systems

Title:  Digital Product Manager

Location: Remote, District of Columbia

Work Type: Remote, Full Time

Job ID: R0002751

Job Description:

The Digital Product Manager, Publishing Systems serves as the designated product owner for publishing systems and is responsible for prioritizing enhancement requests, approving development priorities, coordinating vendor implementation activities, and maintaining platform roadmaps of PNAS and PNAS Nexus content under the direction of the Senior Manager, Publishing Operations. Has direct responsibility for leading project planning, coordination, contractor oversight, and quality control. This role works independently to support editorial and publishing operations by providing coordinated engagement, prioritization, and delivery of workflow enhancement initiatives and by leading the effort to improve and modernize the publishing technology platforms which enable post-acceptance and author billing workflows. This role sits in a crucial position between operations and technology and is expected to act as a constraint on platform development by evaluating process and system change requests against a prioritization framework and advising on scalable alternatives when appropriate. Works collaboratively with other responsible staff officers on cross-departmental projects but is a recognized expert on technical aspects of the systems.

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Manages end-to-end implementation of workflow configuration changes and software code updates, including drafting project plans, user acceptance testing, scheduling, and reporting changes to all relevant stakeholders.
• Leads product development lifecycle process for publishing systems, identifying opportunities for friction points encountered by system users (staff, authors, editors, reviewers, etc.) and develops solutions aligned with organizational objectives in collaboration with key stakeholders across all PNAS departments.
• Serves as product owner by overseeing the product backlogs for publishing systems and regularly engages with stakeholders in Editorial Operations, Production, and Finance to prioritize future feature development.
• Oversees a system maintenance program for all publishing systems, including a regular set of tests to identify possible regressions in platform updates, to ensure product quality.
• Collaborates with stakeholders on rolling out new features, including coordinating user acceptance testing activities.
• Partners with members of the Product team to measure usability of end user-facing aspects of the peer review and production systems, through scripted usability test interviews or web analytics tracking (Google Analytics). Translates usability data into actionable insights and future platform development features.
• Ensures that the peer review and production systems are compliant with global regulations, including but not limited to, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Supports and informs process and workflow decisions for editorial and production managers; guides decisions through reliance on technical and systems expertise; and serves as a resource to PNAS staff on systems-related matters.
• Identifies, tracks, and reports on systems performance effectiveness and metrics.
• Manages vendor and contractor relations including reviewing service level agreements and appraisal of vendors' performance and work.
• Tracks spending for enhancements to the online peer review system, production tracking system and billing systems.
• Liaises with ITS and outside vendors to troubleshoot IT problems and recommend IT solutions, including new hardware and software upgrades, and tracks progress of resolutions.
• Acts as escalation triage support for queries pertaining to publishing systems from authors, reviewers, editors, staff, vendors, and readers and provides troubleshooting assistance.
• Regularly communicates information and updates to PNAS staff.
• May include other job responsibilities as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• Subject Matter Expertise: In-depth knowledge of scholarly peer review systems, workflows, and best practices. Ability to solve varied and complex problems using originality and ingenuity. Ability to operate independently, and exercise latitude for independent judgment, discretion, and action. Experience with eJournalPress preferred.
• Planning and Executing Work: Highly organized with proven project management skills and able to plan and oversee multiple projects simultaneously, using appropriate tools to organize, collaborate, and report. Able to work successfully in a team environment, to form and maintain effective teams, and to navigate competing priorities to execute on all assigned tasks.
• Relationship Management: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to interact effectively with all levels of stakeholders. Ability to operate independently, and exercise significant latitude for independent judgment, discretion, and action. Experience working in complex environments with a high degree of organizational effectiveness.

NONESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Related duties and special projects as assigned.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Excellent knowledge of publishing technology, industry trends, standards, and implementation of these technologies and their application. Proven track record in the responsibilities above and of driving product growth through innovation. Demonstrable communication, project management, problem solving, and quantitative analysis skills. Strong leadership, selling and influencing skills that achieve results at all levels of management. Experience in presenting and communicating key concepts and ideas across all areas of the organization.

Ability to undertake tasks broad in nature, requiring ingenuity, and originality. Ability to solve intellectual problems of appreciable complexity and variety using originality and ingenuity. Ability to operate using appreciable latitude for independent judgment and action. Ability to work successfully in a team environment and to form and maintain effective teams. Ability to develop relationships with co-workers and employees in other National Academies' departments through effective communication. Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to effectively interact with all levels of employees.

Minimum Education/Training Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Business or related field, or equivalent knowledge.

Minimum Experience: Six years of related professional experience. Four to six years of experience in developing and managing complex product strategies for electronic information products preferred.

Physical Capabilities: Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.

Required Licenses, Certification or Registration: None.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Controls: Reports to Senior Manager, PNAS Publishing Operations. General direction is provided.

Work Environment: This role has been approved for 100% remote status, with occasional travel between National Academies' facilities and to off-site meeting/sponsor locations. Please note that any remote work arrangement will need to be reviewed and approved

Compensation & Benefits: An estimated compensation range for this position is $92,040 - $126,550. Compensation offered to the selected candidate will be based on the candidate's relevant knowledge, skills, and work experience, commensurate with compensation of current employees in comparable positions with similar knowledge, skills, and work experience, and subject to budget parameters. Note it is not typical for a candidate to be hired at the higher end of the range. This is a benefits-eligible position. Our Benefits Plan offers competitive and comprehensive benefit options, including medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement and savings benefits, leave benefits such as paid holidays and paid personal leave, transportation subsidies, and education assistance. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Some functions in this description may be specific to a particular unit of the National Academies and not applicable to other units