Director, Product Owner, CSS Profile

Director, Product Owner, CSS Profile College Board   –   H igher Ed, Membership, and Access   Location:   This is a remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the   option   of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office) . All CB employees   are required to   occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes.   Role Type :   This is a full -time position   About the Team     The Financial Aid Products and Services team is a close-knit, dedicated group of professionals with a passion for higher education. The team is committed to providing exceptional tools and customer support to students and colleges,   facilitating   the awarding of over   $10 billion   in financial aid each year.   We pride ourselves on innovation through continuous improvement of our products and services. The CSS Profile team works closely with our broader ecosystem, including Institutional Methodology, Institutional Needs Analysis System, Net Price Calculator, and   PowerFAIDS . We also partner with a variety of external vendors to support our products and customers.   About the Opportunity      As the Director of CSS Profile, you are the product owner for a critical financial aid tool that helps over   400,000 students   access need-based financial aid each year.   You are a collaborative partner who drives product innovation to exceed customer expectations (students, parents, and colleges). You own and manage the yearly release and ongoing product operations, with a focus on innovation, stability, and efficiency.   You will drive student access and support institutions by listening closely to users, collaborating across teams, implementing improvements, and ensuring reliable systems that guide students through the financial aid process.   In this role, you will:     Product Release and Management (60%)   Collect inputs, analyze user needs, and develop business requirements for CSS Profile through user interviews, focus groups, and cross-functional collaboration    Document requirements using business use cases, specifications, mock-ups, workflow charts, and diagrams    Provide guidance and subject matter   expertise   to support others in developing requirements documentation    Complete user acceptance testing and support release testing    Own, plan, and   maintain   the full product backlog, including enhancement requests    Groom and prioritize the backlog to support yearly improvements aligned with the overall product strategy    Collaborate with other product owners, IT, and external partners to ensure successful planning and on-time delivery    Product Strategy (20%)   Contribute to long-term product roadmaps, including technical transformation    Position the product for future success by staying ahead of higher education and technology trends    Develop a deep understanding of customer needs to   anticipate   future demands    Monitor and interpret shifting federal regulations and translate insights into product improvements    In-Market Product Operations (20%)   Drive processes and procedures to meet key operational metrics (uptime, customer satisfaction, contact rate, completion rates, SLAs)    Respond to system outages and high-priority customer escalations    Represent the product in webinars, conferences, user group sessions, and direct customer engagements    About You     You have:   5–7 years of direct, on-campus Financial Aid experience    Bachelor’s degree    Strong knowledge of postsecondary financial aid administration, including federal requirements, institutional practices, delivery systems, and software products    Experience in product ownership, product management, or project management    Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into effective, scalable solutions    Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously    Strong problem-solving skills, including data-informed decision-making    Excellent writing skills with the ability to clearly document complex information    Excellent communication skills, including presenting to groups (15+) in both virtual and in-person settings    Experience managing relationships with third-party vendors, IT teams, or external partners    Preferred:   Knowledge of Institutional Methodology, CSS Profile, and/or   PowerFAIDS     Experience with digital product development, cloud computing, or SaaS    Experience working in agile software development environments    Experience translating customer needs into product vision and requirements    Ability to travel 3-5 times per year    All roles at College Board require:   A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work   Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.    Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal   A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving   timely , respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input.   A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking.   A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success   Authorization to work in the United States   About Our Process     Application review will begin   immediately   and will continue until the position is filled.   This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.   While   the   hiring process   may