Senior Director, Digital and AI Tech Product Management

Job description

Risepoint is an education technology company that provides world-class support and trusted expertise to more than 100 universities and colleges. We primarily work with regional universities, helping them develop and grow their high-ROI, workforce-focused online degree programs in critical areas such as nursing, teaching, business, and public service. Risepoint is dedicated to increasing access to affordable education so that more students, especially working adults, can improve their careers and meet employer and community needs. The Impact You Will Make Risepoint is poised to transform the organization using technology and an AI-first mindset. We are seeking a strategic and highly motivated Sr Director of Digital Product & AI Strategy to lead the discovery, definition, and development of technology solutions that enhance the end-to-end lifecycle of online university programs. Own AI/digital use case development, work with a cross-functional team to drive build vs buy decisions, and identify solutions with a rigorous, ROI first lens. In this role, you will uncover friction points universities face—from student discovery and application to enrollment, persistence, and graduation—and turn those insights into scalable digital products that enhance outcomes for students and institutional partners. The ideal candidate is an experienced product leader who combines strong product vision, analytical thinking, and exceptional execution skills. They have deep knowledge of university systems and processes and can confidently engage with senior leaders at partner institutions. This person thrives in an environment with limited oversight, demonstrates outstanding communication and executive presence, and can independently drive complex, multi-stakeholder product initiatives from concept through delivery. The ideal candidate is an experienced product leader who combines deep product management expertise with strong knowledge of higher education systems, student lifecycle processes, and enterprise technology solutions. This role would be strategically focused and would not have any direct reports during the initial year. How You Will Bring Our Mission to Life What You Will Do University Lifecycle Opportunity Identification & Product Strategy Conduct deep discovery to identify pain points, inefficiencies, and unmet needs across the online program lifecycle, including marketing, recruitment, admissions, onboarding, student support, and academic progression. Analyze partner processes, systems, personas, and workflows to uncover opportunities for innovation and digital transformation. AI Strategy & Use Case Development Work with cross-functional owners to own the tech transformation roadmap (AI/Digital): intake, prioritization, and sequencing of a focused set of high-impact initiatives across functions Identify and prioritize a small number of high-value opportunities tied to measurable outcomes (conversion, cost-to-serve, speed, quality) Evaluate build vs. buy decisions and assess AI/digital tools, vendors, and solution approaches with a rigorous, ROI-first lens Develop a measurement framework to baseline performance before AI/digital interventions and track impact post-deployment Workflow Transformation Redesign workflows end-to-end using a problem-led, future-back approach (not just layering AI or digital tools onto existing processes) Define how roles, tasks, and decision-making shift with AI embedded Partner with functions to move from insight → pilot → scaled workflow changes Ensure solutions are durable, repeatable, and embedded into day-to-day operations Product Strategy & Roadmapping Develop and maintain a clear product vision, strategy, and multi-quarter roadmap that aligns with business goals, partner needs, and the student experience. Define success metrics and use experiments, insights, and analytics to drive continuous improvement. Translate university painpoints into solutions. Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Leadership Build strong relationships with university partners to understand their operational models, technical ecosystems, decision structures, and growth goals. Collaborate with partnerships, engineering, operations, marketing, and student success teams to shape product requirements and deliver scalable solutions. Execution & Delivery Own the end-to-end product development lifecycle—from discovery and prioritization through launch and iteration. Ensure proper documentation, communication, and change management to support adoption across partners and internal teams. Lead requirement definition, including user stories, acceptance criteria, systems integration needs, and user flows. Work closely with technical teams to ensure product delivery meets scope, timeline, quality, and performance expectations. Leadership & Influence Operate autonomously with minimal oversight; proactively identify issues and drive solutions. Influence decisions across the organization using data-driven reasoning, storytelling, and a strong executive presence. What Success Looks Like Identify and deliver high-impact digital and AI-enabled solutions to reduce friction points in the partner journey that improve operational efficiency, enhance the university partner and student experience, and drive measurable business outcomes. Build and execute a clear product and AI strategy roadmap that aligns cross-functional stakeholders, prioritizes the highest-value opportunities, and successfully moves initiatives from discovery through implementation and adoption. Redesign workflows and business processes in a scalable, sustainable way by embedding technology and AI into day-to-day operations, resulting in improved speed, quality, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness. How Impact Will be Measured Develop and gain alignment on a multi-quarter digital product and enterprise AI roadmap that identifies and prioritizes high-impact opportunities across the university partner and student lifecycle, with clear business outcomes and success metrics defined. Lead discovery, design, and implementation of a focused set of digital and AI-enabled workflow transformation initiatives that improve operational efficiency, user experience, speed, quality, or cost-to-serve across key business functions. Establish strong cross-functional partnerships and scalable product management practices by creating repeatable processes for intake, prioritization, measurement, stakeholder alignment, and delivery of enterprise digital and AI initiatives. What You’ll Bring to the Team Experience That Matters Most 8+ years of tech product management experience, with significant time spent in digital product leadership roles. (Must have) Strong knowledge of university systems, processes, and online program operations (e.g., CRM, SIS, LMS, admissions workflows, student support models, marketing funnels). Either via experience with EdTech firms or with universities. (Must have) Proven experience (within the last 2–4 years) driving AI-led product development and workflow transformation inside an organization, not just deploying tools or running pilots. You can point to workflows that changed and outcomes achieved, not just pilots that launched. (Must have) Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment with a builder mentality, strong ownership mindset, and growth-oriented approach to problem solving. Comfortable operating with ambiguity, establishing new processes and capabilities, and driving organizational transformation through innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Experience That’s Great to Have Prior consulting experience with top-tier consulting firms will be a plus Proven track record of owning product strategy, roadmaps, and cross-functional execution for complex, multi-stakeholder systems. Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and executive-level presentation skills. Ability to independently lead discovery, build requirements, and translate business needs into technical solutions. Strong analytical mindset; able to structure ambiguous problems and make data-driven decisions. Preferred - Experience working with or for higher education institutions Preferred - Familiarity with integrations, APIs, middleware, and data pipelines in university ecosystems. Risepoint is an equal-opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce.