[Remote] Sr. Manager, Product Operations (contract)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Per Scholas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving mobility and opportunity through technology training. They are seeking a Senior Manager, Product Operations (Contractor) to enhance operational rigor and execution reliability across the Product Services department, ensuring effective management of curriculum products from planning to performance reporting.ResponsibilitiesLead the department’s operating cadence, including bi-weekly sprint planning, weekly execution reviews, monthly portfolio reviews, and quarterly planning support, with clear inputs, outputs, owners, and follow-throughConvert portfolio priorities into executable plans, including milestones, critical paths, dependencies, and delivery checklists that support on-time, high-quality releasesMaintain risk, dependency, and blocker logs; drive resolution by facilitating decision-making and escalating issues with clear options, impacts, and recommendationsProvide capacity and resourcing visibility (load, throughput, constraints) in partnership with Product Management leadership to support transparent tradeoffs and protect delivery commitmentsIdentify operational gaps and implement process improvements that reduce friction, improve cycle time, and increase delivery predictability across Product ServicesOwn end-to-end intake operations, including request capture, triage, routing, prioritization support, stakeholder communications, and status transparencyAdminister and continuously improve Product Services systems of record: Asana and Smartsheet for projects; Airtable for the product catalog. Establish clear rules for where work is tracked and reportedEstablish and maintain SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and templates for planning, execution, launches, reporting, and documentation, including version control and decision-trail requirementsOwn standardization, documentation, and lifecycle management of Product Services course collateral for internal and external use, ensuring materials are current, version-controlled, and easily retrievableDesign and maintain lightweight automations that improve communication and status visibility across departments (e.g., intake acknowledgements, milestone alerts, dashboard refresh routines)Lead cross-functional launch readiness for new and refreshed products, ensuring readiness checklists, enablement needs, communications, and operational handoffs are complete prior to releaseImplement change control practices to document scope changes, decision rationale, and downstream impacts; ensure release notes and stakeholder communications are timely and consistentEnsure launch artifacts meet defined standards (runbooks, enablement materials, system readiness confirmations) before releases proceedOperationalize KPI measurement in partnership with Product and R&E by maintaining KPI definitions, data sources, owners, refresh cadences, and data quality checksProduce executive-ready reporting on a consistent cadence, including monthly performance packets and dashboard updates, with clear status, context, and action plans (owner and due date)Monitor and report execution health signals (throughput, cycle time, backlog aging, milestone variance) and drive corrective actions when performance trends declineManage the operational execution of pilots and learning experiments, including timelines, instrumentation requirements, data capture readiness, and readout coordinationEnsure evaluation work is operationally supported while R&E retains ownership of methodology, analysis, and findingsSkills6+ years of experience in product operations, program management, portfolio operations, or delivery operations in a cross-functional environmentDemonstrated success designing and running operating cadences, including dependency and risk management and executive-ready reportingStrong fluency with work management and reporting tools, including Asana (or equivalent), Smartsheet (or equivalent), Airtable (or equivalent), Google Workspace, and dashboard workflowsExperience operationalizing performance measurement, including data definitions, refresh cadences, data quality checks, and recurring reporting routinesBachelor's degree required; advanced degree is a plusSystems leadership: design repeatable workflows that scale across multiple products and stakeholdersExecution discipline: structure ambiguous work into plans, milestones, and measurable outputsStakeholder leadership: drive alignment, clarify decision rights, and secure closure on priorities and dependenciesData rigor: maintain reliable operational metrics and translate performance signals into actionCommunication excellence: produce concise, decision-ready updates and maintain clear documentationExperience implementing workflow governance and SOPs across complex stakeholder environmentsExperience building lightweight automations that reduce manual coordination and improve visibilityExperience in nonprofit, workforce development, education, or adjacent mission-driven environmentsBenefitsFull-TimePer Scholas team members enjoy over 40 days of paid time off each year through a mix of holidays, vacation, and sick/personal time!All employees are eligible for Holiday pay upon hire (a total of 22 holidays annually, including a week off for Independence day and a week before the New Year).Full-Time Benefits Eligible employees also receive 80 Wellness Hours to use for Sick, Safe, or Personal reasons and accrue Vacation at a rate of 8 hours at the beginning of every month, supporting rest, recharge, and work-life balance.Vacation accruals increase with tenure.Part-time employees are afforded time off on a prorated basis and in accordance with local requirements.Benefit eligible employees can choose from multiple medical plans through Cigna or Kaiser Permanente (where available), with options to fit your needs.Eligible employees also have access to a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) that reimburses eligible out-of-pocket expenses, up to $4,000 for individuals and $8,000 for families.Eligible employees can select from two dental plan options and a vision plan.Employees who waive medical coverage receive employer paid dental and vision premiums.401(k) plan with a current 100% employer match on contributions up to 6%, eligible employees are offered entry and full vesting after 90 days with the company.Free, confidential, 24/7 access to counseling, legal support, and financial resources for employees and their household membersEligible employees are offered up to 6 weeks of 100% paid parental leave to support employees as they welcome a new child and bond with their family.Eligible employees have access to employer-paid life and AD&D Insurance, as well as employer-paid short-term disability coverage, with the option to elect additional life coverage and long-term disability insurance.Flexible Spending accounts are available for healthcare, dependent care, and commuting expenses.Per Scholas also offers a range of voluntary benefits, including: Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Legal Services, and Pet Insurance.Additional resources include healthcare concierge support, financial wellness tools, and employee discount programs.Company OverviewPer Scholas is proud to celebrate 30 years of fostering economic mobility by giving individuals from diverse backgrounds access to high-growth tech careers. It was founded in 1995, and is headquartered in Bronx, NY, US, with a workforce of 201-500 employees. Its website is http://www.perscholas.org/.