Director, Product Owner, CSS Profile

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 vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.    

What We Offer 

At College Board, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We’re a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market. 

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation 

• The hiring range for this role is $80,000–$135,000. 

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board. 

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data. 

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live. 

You’ll have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it’s like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process. Check out our careers page for more. 

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