Director, SME - IT and Cybersecurity

DEPARTMENT: National Program

POSITION TITLE: Director, SME - IT and Cybersecurity

REPORTS TO: Sr. Dir., Strategy & Curriculum Design

Who We’re Looking For

Per Scholas seeks a mission-driven, outcomes-obsessed Product Line Owner (SME) to own the full lifecycle and health of our IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity training product lines. You combine deep technical expertise with product management rigor, instructional design savvy, and a bias for data-informed decisions. You’re energized by listening to learners and instructors, partnering with employers and vendors, and continuously iterating curriculum so that graduates land quality roles and advance over time. You execute the VP-owned portfolio vision and roadmap and operate within existing Per Scholas systems and frameworks, contributing insights to refine them.

Why This Role Matters

Our learners trust us to deliver training that translates into economic mobility. As the Product Line Owner, you will be accountable for ensuring your product lines lead to strong outcomes—from enrollment to job placement to alumni advancement—while staying on the cutting edge of technology and workforce needs. You execute the VP-owned portfolio vision and roadmap, providing data-backed recommendations to refine it over time.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Translate the VP-owned Career Pathway vision and roadmap into executable quarterly plans for the IT Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and related product lines; own day-to-day delivery and product health.
• Operate within existing Per Scholas systems and frameworks (product governance, curriculum standards, QA, Salesforce dashboards) to deliver releases on time and to spec—optimize, don’t reinvent.
• Maintain and prioritize the product backlog (curriculum updates, assessments, labs, enablement) based on impact and evidence; recommend roadmap adjustments to the VP with clear data and rationale.
• Simultaneously manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

• Maintain standardized feedback loops across learners, instructors, alumni, and staff (surveys/NPS, retrospectives, interviews, classroom observations, forums); ensure fidelity and high response rates.
• Synthesize data from Salesforce, learning analytics, assessments, placement outcomes, and retrospectives to spot issues/opportunities and drive iteration.
• Translate insights into actions within the established delivery model: add/update/remove modules, adjust pacing, update labs/tools, refine assessments, and inform instructor enablement; document decisions and timelines.

• Monitor labor market intelligence (job postings, skills trends, wage data) and convert findings into actionable curriculum changes and proposals.
• Co-create with employer partners: validate role profiles, must-have competencies, hiring screens, and certification preferences; secure pilot and placement commitments.
• Provide evidence-backed recommendations to the VP on roadmap prioritization and new product opportunities; refresh the learner exit profile and competency map accordingly.
• Conduct planning and research using a variety of databases, the internet, and industry tools, demonstrating a clear understanding of client stakeholders' requirements, and matching to the proposed solution.
• Provide technical presentations and demonstrations detailing how the Per Scholas solution will solve the client's challenges and meet their needs.
• Assume primary responsibility for the analysis and design phase of new curricula or customizing existing curricula. (about 60% of the time will be spent here)

• Lead curriculum updates using established models (e.g., ADDIE, SAM, UDL); ensure materials are job-aligned, inclusive, accessible, and certification-ready.
• Set standards for labs, scenarios, case studies, and performance tasks that reflect real-world tools and environments (cloud, virtualization, security stacks, SRE/DevOps, where appropriate).
• Partner with Instructional Design, Instructor Development/QA, and EdTech to ensure classroom readiness and instructor upskilling.
• Design slide decks for clients/funders, highlighting the design choices made by the client.
• Assist sales activities that require advanced technical product knowledge.

• Source, evaluate, and manage content, lab, and platform and industry vendors via established procurement and vendor-management processes; ensure licensing/compliance and track performance and learner experience.
• Pilot new technologies/tools; make scale/retire recommendations based on outcomes and cost-effectiveness.

• Recruitment & Admissions: Align entry criteria and assessments with success predictors.
• Talent Solutions / Employer Engagement: Align to demand, co-develop hiring pipelines, and coordinate job attainment tech and processes.
• Alumni & Career Accelerator: Create clear advancement pathways and stackable upskilling options; ensure seamless handoffs and progression post-immersive.
• Evaluation (LEAD) & Data: Define KPIs, run A/B/pilot tests, and measure impact.
• IT/IS & EdTech: Ensure the right platforms, labs, and infrastructure for delivery at scale.
• Marketing/Comms: Keep program profiles and value props current; support launches.

Success Metrics & KPIs

You are accountable for the health and performance of your product lines. Success is measured by:

• Learner Outcomes: Graduation rate, job attainment within one year, wage gains post-training; certification pass rates when targeted.
• Career Progression: % of graduates engaging with Career Accelerator within 6–12 months; alumni advancement and wage growth.
• Product Quality & Experience: Learner and instructor NPS; rubric-based curriculum quality ratings; classroom readiness and issue resolution time.
• Market Fit: Alignment with employer demand and in-demand skills; employer satisfaction; repeat hiring; signed MOUs/placements.
• Operational Excellence: On-time releases; cycle time from insight → curriculum change; cost-effectiveness; utilization across markets/modalities.
• Data Discipline: Completeness and fidelity of product and outcomes data in Salesforce and other systems.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO US:

Required Skill Sets

• A bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, or related fields of study.
• Minimum of 5+ years of hands-on experience in IT with a focus on networking, security, and compliance, with a demonstrated progression of responsibilities.
• Experience designing, implementing, managing, and monitoring network infrastructure, including servers, databases, and other critical components.
• Experience with virtualization technologies, either on-premise or in the cloud (AWS, Azure.
• Experience implementing cybersecurity measures and compliance frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in building partnerships with enterprise clients and experience in a consultative sales engineering type role.
• Industry-recognized certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CompTIA A+, Security+, Network+, or relevant cloud certifications.
• In-depth technical knowledge across a broad spectrum of IT, networking, security, and compliance concepts, tools, and frameworks.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for a diverse audience.
• Experience with the following productivity suites: Google Suite, MS Office 365, etc.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, instructors, and enterprise clients.
• Up to 20 to 25% travel required 

Preferred Skill Sets

• Experience in Cyber Security 
• Experience in curriculum development, instructional design, and/or technical training design/delivery within a workforce development or bootcamp context.
• Familiarity with utilizing the ADDIE, SAM models for instructional design

Personal Characteristics

• Tech-savvy and comfortable working in a remote environment.
• Process-oriented & highly organized with excellent problem-solving skills.
• Adaptability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement in workforce development.
• Interest in being part of a culture of continuous improvement.
• Has powerful communication skills and enjoys working with the entrepreneurial avatar as the primary SME.
• Experience in effectively partnering with other SMEs when necessary.
• Has strong leadership skills and is comfortable working with executives.
• Can operate independently and make decisions confidently.

#LI- Remote 

Compensation 

For this role specifically, we are targeting a salary range of $75,000 - $85,000, where the difference in salary is typically determined by several factors, including the geography in which the selected candidate resides and alignment with qualifications and experience.