Head of Product Consultant

Head of Product Consultant

Position Type: Consultant; anticipated 4 - 6 month timeline

Location: NYC preferred

About NYC Public Schools

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is the largest school district in the United States with nearly 1 million students— from pre-kindergarten to grade 12— across the City’s five boroughs. Of those students, 13.9 percent are English Language/Multilingual Learners, 20.6 percent are students with disabilities, and 71.9 percent are economically disadvantaged. Chancellor David C. Banks has set a goal for the district of preparing every student for a path to a rewarding career, aligned with their passion and purpose and offering long-term economic security and a choice-filled life. 

The Adams-Banks administration has outlined a bold vision to reimagine the educational experience for all New York City public school students so they graduate with real-world skills and experience, a head start on postsecondary, and a strong plan to put them on a path to a rewarding career and long-term economic security. Within the context of this vision, the Office of Student Pathways focuses on the alignment of school curriculum, instruction, and operations to ensure that all students graduate with real-world skills and experience, a head start on life after high school, and a strong plan to put them on a path to a rewarding career and long-term economic security. Student Pathways provides leadership and implementation support for the NYC Public Schools Student Pathways to Economic Security Initiative.

About the Role + Key Elements of the Scope

NYC Public Schools is seeking a consultant to serve in a lead/head of product role to drive the envisioning, building, designing, and maintaining of new products and tools focused on ensuring long-term economic security for NYC students. This work will involve measuring student outcomes to inform City policy and guide students in making decisions about their futures. The consultant will collaborate with various stakeholders, including City Hall, City University of NY, NY State Department of Labor, parent and other groups, as well as internal stakeholders like the Research and Policy Support Group (RPSG) and the Office of Student Pathways strategy and data teams.  

The scope will include:

• Creating the product vision and roadmap and conducting stakeholder engagement to ensure buy-in to both;
• Working with teams across NYCPS to align on product elements and timelines for product feature development;
• Implementing early stage product feature development and user research aligned to the product roadmap;
• Building out innovative tools and product features that can be shared with parents, students, and families and establishing actionable longitudinal data systems and products based on past student performance to inform current students' futures;
• Building out insights around student outcomes to inform policy and investments made by NYC Public Schools and city stakeholders;
• Managing the build of longitudinal data products and tools for NYC students beyond graduation, including the incorporation of internal and external stakeholder contributions, and ensuring regulatory compliance and quality standards.

This Head of Product Consultant will play an important role in moving forward the Adams-Banks administration to transform the educational experience for NYC public school students. This person will work within the Office of Student Pathways at New York City Public Schools, which is leading efforts to transform education to be career connected and relevant to students' lives. 

Desired Experience, Skills, And Mindsets

Experience

• Civic Tech Experience: Familiarity with civic or education tech, particularly in the context of NYCPSs, to enable successful navigation of regulatory requirements and alignment with broader educational goals.
• Product Management Experience: Proven track record in leading product development, preferably in an educational context, with a focus on improving student pathways, academic outcomes, and overall educational experiences.
• Collaboration with Diverse Communities: Experience working with diverse communities and understanding the needs and challenges of students from different backgrounds.

Skills

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in leveraging data analytics to inform product strategy, measure impact, and make evidence-based decisions for improving student outcomes.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including educators, administrators, parents, and community members.
• Innovation and Creativity: A mindset for innovation, constantly seeking creative solutions to enhance student pathways and improve the overall educational experience
• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage across teams, manage complex projects, and drive initiatives from conception to implementation within specified timelines.
• User-Centric Design Thinking: Familiarity with user-centric design principles, ensuring that products and initiatives are developed with a focus on meeting the needs and preferences of students and educators.

Mindsets

• Equity and Inclusion: A commitment to promoting equity and inclusion in education, ensuring that student pathways are designed to address the needs of all students, regardless of background or ability.

• Continuous Learning: A mindset of continuous learning and adaptation, staying abreast of educational trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to inform and improve student pathways.
• Adaptability: Flexibility and adaptability to navigate the dynamic nature of education, responding effectively to changing circumstances, policies, and community needs.

Compensation

The budget for this work is between $60,000 and $100,000. The consultant will be compensated an amount within this range based on the finalized scope of work and deliverables.

How to Apply 

Please submit your application here. The preferred application deadline for this position is April 1, 2024. Please note that we do not guarantee review of applications after this date.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qo79KTcBhMhkVgsrvJ_IxFY-IXWaklOwcWHzzQ_928o/