Senior Associate, Product

Accepting Applications

Catalyst:Ed Mission

We help education organizations build capacity and deepen their impact by connecting them to the expertise, resources, and hands-on support they need to drive transformational outcomes for students, especially those from underserved communities.

In order to deliver on the mission, the Product Team:

  • Creates, curates and maintains products and applications that increase our model’s accessibility and efficiency, allowing us to grow and strengthen our customer base and direct team time and resources to our most mission critical projects and initiatives.
  • Supports the team in effectively and efficiently utilizing the products and applications by developing training materials and programs, onboarding new team members, and offering ongoing technical support and troubleshooting
  • Supports the design and execution of key team processes and develops the necessary technology components.
  • Ensures security of data.

Your Role Within the Product Team

Product Senior Associate primarily responsible for support in our product and systems work, both to our internal team as well as external stakeholders. They are responsible for finding and resolving issues in our systems and processes where they arise, documenting our products for ease of reference, and building training materials for the processes Product maintains. Product Senior Associate should manage their own workstream with support from the rest of the Product team. They also should maintain primary ownership of one or several key products used by the team, with insight and support from their manager.

This position reports to: Director, Product

Key Components of Your Role

For all Products owned by Senior Associate:

Product Leadership

  • Outline, plan, and validate functions and features of the system with support and guidance as needed
  • Plan for change management needed and support in communication
  • Create training materials and onboard new team members to system
  • Ensure data accuracy and utility for research and impact
  • Guide ongoing upkeep and improvement
  • Surface and fix issues and bugs
  • Own responsibility for the connections, results, and side effects of the system in each iteration. Keep system efficiency and sophistication balanced with positive user experience and impact.

 

For all Products supported by Senior Associate:

Platform-Building and Data Management

  • Work closely with the programmatic and functional team members to maintain and improve the JAMS system in each iteration
  • Support the Product Director in planning and executing new version builds of the JAMS system
  • Contribute on key questions around how to best capture the rich information we need in order to do our work well in the long-term
  • Execute on platform design for long-term use by a scaling team
  • Ensure data entry and clean-up processes are completed with great attention to detail. Surface key strategic decisions around unique cases as they are found.
  • Build new strategic systems and processes as our team grows
  • Work to maintain data across systems through consistent and systematic bug-fixing
  • Think strategically about ways to solve application problems, streamline processes, and codify systems in our programmatic and functional work. Bring ideas and solutions to the People and Product team and advocate for them.
  • Track and solve errors, bugs, and missed steps across all Zaps and Automations making up the JAMS system.

Documentation

  • Gather and own structural information on the process and background of our products, especially the JAMS system
  • Create descriptive documents and guides to accompany systems the Product team builds, especially JAMS as it evolves
  • Work with team members to surface and clarify any confusion during product training and everyday use

Training and Change Management

  • Build and maintain training materials on our internal-facing and external-facing products
  • Support stakeholders with errors as they occur
  • Support the programmatic and HR teams in guiding new team members as they train on our systems
  • Develop a deep understanding of our model’s processes as they evolve, and support others in maintaining accurate information about the processes.

Technology

  • Build products across a variety of low code/no code tools as well as traditional programming languages as needed
  • Support operational technical needs as needed
  • Upkeep third party tech tools as needed
  • Build skills to contribute to build and upkeep of new systems as needed

Supports you’ll receive from others to be successful

  • Your manager and other People and Product team members will support you in solving puzzles and prioritizing your workload. They will also support you in identifying your professional goals and work to find you opportunities to grow. Crucially in your role, you will grow your skills in data, systems design, product design, project management, training + development, and other technical and nontechnical foci.
  • Your manager, teammates, and peers in the Associate and Senior Associate roles will support you in ongoing professional development.

Skills and Qualifications

  • Attention to detail: You are curious and driven, and you ask questions often, because fully understanding something you are working on is important to you. You are meticulous in your execution.
  • Operational excellence: You’re able to strategize, plan, and get things done. You have experience working on projects with multiple work-streams and tight deadlines. You demonstrate attention to detail and consistent follow-through.
  • Interest in systems: You are someone who thinks about how structures and processes impact people, relationships, and interactions. You are invested in designing systems that work well and create a positive impact on the world, and you are looking to learn about what that might mean in the nonprofit/public sector.
  • Comfort with technology: You often find yourself picking up new systems and technical ideas faster than others, and are interested in learning even more about data architecture, database best practices, automation design, and low-code/no-code platforms. You know basic programming principles and can translate features and processes into technical specifications.
  • Communication skills: You speak and write simply and clearly and are able to convert technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
  • Demonstrated ownership: You take responsibility for your work and it’s outcomes
  • Equity-centered: You have an equity-focused mindset
  • Project management: You are responsible, reliable, and are able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
  • Experience:
    • 2-5 years of experience in product, systems, operations, tech, logistics, or project management.
    • Strong commitment to nonprofit work or mission-driven organizations
    • Experience with frontend or backend programming, database management, API/automation systems, UI/UX design systems and principles, no-code tech tools, and user-centered design will be considered as well.

Good to Know

  • Compensation: This is a full time, salaried position with full health benefits and retirement. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Salary range: $58,800-$69,300.
  • Start date: April, 2024
  • Location: Catalyst:Ed works nationally. We are a remote team with an office in New Orleans. Team members can work from a location of their choosing.
  • Travel Requirements: Minimal travel may be required for attendance at in-person team retreats (1-2 per year).
    Physical Demands and Working Environment: The bullet points below are representative of the physical demands and working environment that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

    • Standard/remote office setting; proximity to office equipment that includes electronic devices.
    • Multiple people-facing meetings and interactions a day using Zoom or other video call software
    • Must remain at a workstation for at least 50% of the time; will need to use equipment that includes electronic devices.
    • Perceive and interact with text, media, and people.
    • Communicate and accurately exchange information with text, media, and people.
    • Additional Note: This is a people-facing position, and to be successful, you will need to have comfort interfacing regularly with team members and external stakeholders as well as dealing with a range of personalities across multiple domains.

How to apply

We will review applications on a rolling basis shortly after they are received. The selection process includes a work exercise and 1-2 virtual interviews of 45-60 minutes each.

Catalyst:Ed has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly folks who identify as people of color, first generation, low income, or LGBTQ.