Senior Director, Digital and AI Tech Product Management

Risepoint

10d

About The Position

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. 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.

Requirements

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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Prior consulting experience with top-tier consulting firms will be a plus
Preferred - Experience working with or for higher education institutions
Preferred - Familiarity with integrations, APIs, middleware, and data pipelines in university ecosystems.

Responsibilities

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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.