Principal Product Manager, Newsela
$135-150k
+ Incentive Stock Options
Online platform for education content
Be an early applicant
Online platform for education content
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
$135-150k
+ Incentive Stock Options
201-500 employees
Company mission
To provide meaningful classroom learning for every student.
Role
Who you are
- 8+ years of product management experience, with at least 5+ years focused specifically on data, analytics, or business intelligence products
- Proven experience managing both customer-facing data products (e.g., embedded analytics, reporting dashboards) and internal BI/analytics platforms
- Deep understanding of the modern data stack, including concepts like data warehousing, ETL/ELT processes, data modeling, and data governance. You must be comfortable and credible in technical conversations with data engineers and analysts
- A highly collaborative mindset with demonstrated success in creating and executing a product strategy that balances the needs of external users with the operational needs of the internal business
- Extensive experience working with BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker) and product analytics platforms (e.g., Heap, Pendo)
- Hands-on experience with SQL for data exploration and analysis
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority
- A user-centric mindset and a passion for solving complex problems
What the job involves
- Newsela is seeking a strategic, collaborative, data-driven, and experienced Product Manager to own the vision and execution of our entire Data Products portfolio in their first Principal level role
- This role is intended for a Senior Product Manager looking to take that next step to become a Principal PM
- This is a high-impact role responsible for defining how we deliver actionable insights to two distinct but vital audiences: our customers (teachers and administrators) and our internal business stakeholders
- You will be the central product leader for data, sitting at the intersection of our customer-facing application and our internal business intelligence
- As a senior member of the product team, you will be a driver of our collaborative culture and a key thought partner to other product managers
- You'll work directly with two dedicated teams—the Reporting team and the Data Analytics team—to build a unified data product strategy
- Your work will ensure that we are not only building the right features for our users, but also building upon a scalable and reliable data foundation in partnership with our Platform Data team
- In your first 6-12 months, your primary strategic goal will be to develop and begin executing a clear roadmap and strategy that deeply integrates reporting as a core product
- This strategy will connect directly with our other product development teams, ensuring that as they build new features, the reporting and data needs are considered a foundational component from the start, not an afterthought
- Own the Vision:
- Develop and own the long-term vision, strategy, and roadmap for Newsela's product data, encompassing both customer-facing reporting and internal product analytics
- Empower Educators:
- Lead the product lifecycle for customer-facing analytics within the Newsela application. Work closely with UX, research, and customers to understand their needs, and partner with the Reporting engineering team to build intuitive reports and data visualizations that help educators make informed decisions
- Drive Business Insights:
- Partner with the Data Analytics team to define the strategy for internal business intelligence on the Newsela platform engagement metrics. Champion a self-service data culture by prioritizing and building powerful, intuitive dashboards (primarily in Tableau) that empower teams like Sales, Marketing, and Product to make smarter, faster decisions
- Lead & Collaborate:
- Act as a data evangelist and a center of excellence for the entire Product organization. You will be the key driver in making reporting and data a foundational, collaborative component of every feature we build
- Bridge the Technical Gap:
- Collaborate closely with the Platform Data team to ensure that the data models, pipelines, and architecture they build are robust, scalable, and capable of supporting your product roadmaps
- Be the Expert:
- Become the go-to subject matter expert on Newsela's application data ecosystem. Understand its sources, its nuances, and its potential to drive value for our users and our business
Our take
While textbooks have been standard issue in classrooms for centuries, digital instructional materials are now more prevalent. Newsela offers a learning platform that curates and rewrites news articles, historical speeches, and scientific papers to help accelerate learning.
The platform is available in both English and Spanish and includes quizzes, exercises, and writing prompts to help engage students at any level. Millions of teachers and K-12 students use the platform, which has proved extremely popular so far.
In 2021, the company reached unicorn status. Since then, research has shown that Newsela is 70% more effective at promoting reading skills compared to an average summer reading program. This demonstrates the value it brings to the space, and places it well for continued expansion and innovation.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
16% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Feb 2021
$100m
SERIES D
Mar 2019
$50m
SERIES C
Total funding: $172.2m
Company benefits
- Healthcare (pets included)
- Continue your learning - on us!
- Discounts and resources to stay healthy
- Commuter savings (trains/bikes)
- Generous time off for your most important job — maternity, paternity, and adoption
- Unlimited time Off
Company HQ
Theater District, New York, NY
Leadership
Dan Cogan-Drew
(Co-Founder & Chief Academic Officer)A qualified teacher with extensive and varied experience. Recent roles include Director of Programs at EDUCATION CONNECTION and Director of Digital Learning at Achievement First Public Charter Schools.
Matthew Gross
(Co-Founder & Director)Former CEO of the company. Co-founded and was CEO at Grouper Education. Was also a Board Member at New Classrooms, Executive Director at Regents Research Fund and VP at PENCIL.
Pep Carrera
(CEO)Board Member at Follett Higher Education. Was CEO at Nearpod, President at ProQuest, and President and COO at VitalSource Technologies.
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