Catalyst:Ed - Vice President, Product and Technology

Catalyst:Ed is looking for an exceptional mission-aligned leader to join our team as Vice President, Product and Tech to envision and build the next generation of our technology platform, aligned to the mission and strategic priorities of the organization. This position reports to the Founder and CEO, Leona Christy. 

Who We Are

Catalyst:Ed is a national nonprofit that catalyzes equity, innovation, and improvement by connecting leaders and teams to critical expertise, hands-on support, and resources.

We are on a mission to improve outcomes for America’s children and youth by strengthening the schools and nonprofits that serve them. Ultimately, our vision is to help transform the capacity of the nation’s education and social sector ecosystem, to help unlock the potential of every child.

We help school systems, education agencies, postsecondary institutions, nonprofits, and philanthropies tap into the expertise of our network of leaders and technical assistance providers in order to spur change and power organizational learning and capacity. Our pioneering model leverages technology, networks, and data to rapidly and effectively match education organizations to the capacity-building support they need to become more effective, innovative, and equitable. 

We are now poised for our next big growth spurt, including an expansion beyond education to support place-based partnerships! This is an exciting time for our team as we look to grow from serving hundreds of organizations to thousands, and we’re looking for a product and technology leader to join our leadership team and drive our product and technology vision and strategy to scale our footprint and impact.

Our Team & Your Role

The team at Catalyst:Ed

We’re a team of entrepreneurial, visionary educators, researchers, and storytellers committed to our mission and guided by our core values to: seek truth, center humanity, be intentional, and stay curious.

How you’ll help expand our impact as the VP, Product and Technology at Catalyst:Ed:

Catalyst:Ed has evolved how it works and who it works with, and its technology platform, processes, and people need to evolve in step. As our first VP, Product and Technology you’ll be responsible for leading the product and technology transformation at Catalyst:Ed. You will leverage your strategic leadership and hands-on technical expertise and work directly with the CEO, the executive leadership team, and our small and mighty product team to design and build the next generation of our platform to power our growth and deepen our impact.

Responsibilities:

This will include a focus on the following core functions:

Product and tech strategy (20%)

• Define, develop, and execute the organization’s product and technology strategy in alignment with our overall mission and goals and based on a deep understanding of our users.
• Provide technology, and product leadership leveraging best practices in project management, process improvement, and systems thinking
• Continuously identify tech-forward opportunities to drive the organization’s impact and efficiency, taking data-driven decisions based on users, business objectives, and technical viability. 
• Build strong working relationships with partners and providers
• Communicate the product and technology vision, strategy, and progress to the executive team, board of directors, and other stakeholders.

Technology management (40%):

• Lead the technology team in developing scalable, reliable, accessible, and secure technology solutions.
• Leverage new technology to develop tools, systems and features that help scale and propel output and impact
• Oversee the architecture, development, and maintenance of the organization’s technology infrastructure and platforms.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and best practices in technology and cybersecurity.
• Lead the end-to-end process of planning, coordinating, and executing new technology release versions, ensuring timely and successful delivery
• Oversee internal IT operations.

Product Development (40%) 

• Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and design to development, launch, and post-launch optimization.
• Ensure products meet the needs of our partners and providers, leading to increased usage and willingness-to-pay. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including programs, network engagement, and growth, to ensure successful product launch and adoption.

Senior Leadership & Team Management 

• Build and grow a strategic team that leverages both internal talent and external resources, such as development agencies, to deliver against the tech vision and goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop internal staff while fostering a collaborative team culture and environment that embodies our core values

Our world is constantly changing. What else can you imagine for us? We can’t wait to hear your ideas.

Requirements

Who you are and what you’ll bring to the team:

• Deep understanding and a successful track record across both technology and product
• Experience in technology and products with a portfolio of products to show:
• An engineering background (any tech stack) with experience in leading engineering teams through demonstrated technology solutions
• Experience building product tech architecture and data architecture from scratch as part of the technology team as a leader or senior
• Experience in building B2B and B2C marketplace software products a strong plus
• Passion for “tech for good” and a commitment to the Catalyst:Ed mission and core values.
• A proven ability to take projects from requirements and rough ideas and experiments through to robust solutions - distilling complex product requirements into deliverable features
• Experience hiring, coaching, and managing top talent, as well as effectively managing external partnerships with development agencies or consultants. Adept at building lean, high-impact teams and maximizing output with limited resources.
• Experience working in education, place-based partnerships, or in public or social sectors (e.g., housing, economic development, public health, etc.) is ideal but not required.
• A comfort with high-growth start-up environments, with the creative problem-solving ability to adapt rapidly to a changing landscape. You thrive in these situations and can support others through it as well.
• Ability to work well in both independent and collaborative work settings, and are able to galvanize a team around new ideas.
• A demonstrated track record of using agile development methodologies and techniques to successfully deliver great software - working in lean, iterative ways to create software from the ground up.
• Good communication skills and experience interfacing with technical and non-technical counterparts on presentations, product demos, and implementation work.

Good to Know:

Application Deadline: If this sounds like the right role and the right mission for you, please complete the application by July 19, 2024.

Learn More: Watch our CEO, Leona Cristy quick overview video to learn more about this role and our FAQ document 

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 LGBTQIA+.

Benefits

• Salary range: $180,000 - $220,000 Compensation is commensurate with experience.
• Full benefits inclusive of medical and dental insurance coverage, 403(b) with up to 5% match on base salary, and a generous leave policy
• Preferred start date: Sept 2024
• Location: We are a remote, national team, with an office in New Orleans. Team members can work from a location of their choosing. 
• Travel requirements: Occasional travel required for attendance at in-person team meetings