Director, Solutions

The following functions may not be comprehensive in scope regarding work performed by an employee assigned to this position classification. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of this position. Management also reserves the right to make reasonable accommodations so that a qualified employee(s) can perform the essential functions of the position.

*Please note that this position primarily serves our workforce and economic clients

Overview of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL): Strada Collaborative, Inc. d/b/a CAEL (referred to in the document as “CAEL”), is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to partnering with educators, employers, and workforce and economic developers to reimagine and create lifelong pathways that integrate learning and work for adults. CAEL helps organizations succeed by providing expertise, resources, and solutions that effectively support adult learners as they navigate on-and-off-ramps between education and employment. We partner with entities across the adult learner ecosystem to help create actionable career pathways along the journey of lifelong learning and meaningful work.

CAEL’s work is rooted in and expresses the organization’s values; we are committed to being an inclusive organization; prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts; look for opportunities to communicate the link between our mission and eliminating systemic inequity; acknowledge and appreciate daily the challenges facing all those in support of justice for these communities; do not accept or condone racism in any form; commit individual and corporate resources to the pursuit of justice; require employee training on topics such as racial equality and unconscious bias toward maintaining an inclusive culture; provide a library of media and organizational resources to our staff to increase understanding of racial inequality; and incorporate business agreement language that reinforces our anti-racism stance.

CAEL is a virtual organization; all employees work remotely out of their homes.

Overview of Position: The Director of Solutions is a full-time position responsible for product planning and delivery for the Credit Predictor Pro, as well as the management and support of the clients who use the product.

Essential Job Functions:

• Primary Duties and Responsibilities: The four central responsibilities of this position are managing the product roadmap for the Credit Predictor Pro and support of other CAEL Technology products (30% of the time), implementation, training, and support for clients using the Credit Predictor Pro (60%), managing the CAEL Moodle Server (5%), and responding to potential students in CAEL’s industry/education consortiums (5%).




Credit Predictor Pro Product Manager

• Under the guidance of the VP Solutions (Credit Predictor Product Owner) help define the product vision throughout the year by analyzing outside stakeholder (clients) needs, current market trends, current product performance, and their insights on the Credit for Prior Learning process and the needs of higher education institutions and workforce boards. Translate client needs into detailed requirements to be included in product roadmap development.
• Manage all aspects of the product, including customer feedback, requirements, and issues, ensuring the product is delivered to a consistently high-quality standard. Help to define product vision by listening to outside stakeholders (client users) describe their needs and challenges with the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) process. This could include conducting focus groups or Voice of the Customer interviews to gather product feedbackMonitor the market and create competitive analyses, seeking opportunities for differentiationServe as CAEL’s Subject Matter Expert for the Credit Predictor Pro, and as such work with CAEL partnership teams to provide demonstrations via Zoom and address questions via email, meet with potential clients, and complete client technology surveys and forms.
• Review Credit Predictor Pro contracts before signature to ensure they effectively represent the product and services included.
• Create testing scripts and lead the product testing in test and stage environments.
• Responsible for the overall effectiveness of the product, including meeting annual targets for:Number of students in the toolNumber of credits earnedNumber of matches completedClient satisfaction and impact as measured by regular surveys of clientsEffectively manage vendor relationships, ensuring deliverables meet contractual obligations.
• Work with the Operations Team to update project budgets and internal budget/progress reporting.
• Work with VP Solutions to support other products where needed, including testing and training.
• Support the AL360 product for the Initiatives team.




Implementation, Training, and Support for Credit Predictor Pro:

• Lead implementations (12-week projects) for each new Credit Predictor Pro Client, performing duties as both the Project Manager and Change Manager.
• Effectively communicate and develop rapport with diverse clients, leaders, and stakeholders at the colleges and universities who use the Credit Predictor Pro.
• Manage the day-to-day communication with new and existing clients.
• Schedule and lead quarterly meetings with clients, reviewing their usage of the tool and listening to their needs.
• Provide first and second-level technology support for clients (advisors, faculty, and administrators) using the Credit Predictor Pro.
• Meet client renewal goals and ensure invoices and contracts are sent as needed annually. Ensure 95% of clients renew each year, maintained in SalesForce. Prepare, review, and interpret reports for clients and internal CAEL staff regarding product usage.
• Collaborate with Initiatives Team members where Credit Predictor Pro is included as part of a more complex project to ensure product adoption. This includes learning about CAEL’s work within the larger project and integrating client needs and challenges within the Credit Predictor Pro implementation and training.
• Review and interpret client usage reports and develop plans as needed to help them increase usage of the tool.




CAEL Moodle Server Administration

• Create and copy Moodle Courses as needed by the Initiatives team for client work.
• Create Moodle user accounts as needed by the Initiatives team for clients.
• Troubleshoot Moodle for clients and contracted instructors.




Responding to Potential Students:

• The Solutions Department manages the Industry/Education Consortiums for energy and communications, and the Director is responsible for responding to students interested in pursuing degrees at our partner institutions, connecting the students with our contacts there. 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in product design, web design, or related area, or equivalent life experience preferred.
• Minimum of five years experience with product and project management.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Understanding of and appreciation for the needs and concerns of diverse adult learner populations and working with employees at all levels within an organization. 
• Demonstrated project management experience, including setting benchmarks, developing project work plans and timelines, and tracking and reporting of project progress and milestones.
• Understanding of product management, product roadmaps, and user experience.
• Deep expertise in credit for prior learning processes.
• Basic understanding of higher education and higher education systems.

Performance Requirements:

• Proven success in overseeing product development lifecycle.
• Exceptional writing and editing skillsExcellent online presentation skills (using Zoom, Canva, etc.).
• Proven ability to initiate and complete projects with high attention to quality and deadlines.
• Ability to proactively identify and address potential problems/trends.
• Strong communication and analytical skills are required, along with the ability to work well with people.
• Desire to exceed expectations and show initiative and creativity.
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team.
• Experience with balancing multiple projects and working autonomously.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Proficiency as an Administrator for LMS platforms such as Moodle and Canvas.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Comfort using Google Suite - Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms.
• Familiarity with web conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, document storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, and CRM platforms like Salesforce or Zoho.
• Ability to learn how to use new or custom-built intuitive technology platforms.

Travel Requirements: This position will require the incumbent to travel approximately two to five percent (2-5%) of the time for business meetings with some overnight travel required. This is an annual average, and differences may exist week-to-week or month-to-month. Travel amounts are variable depending on project needs and external factors, but preferences for travel are part of staffing considerations. The amount of travel and expectations are subject to change based on business needs and demands. 

Typical Physical & Mental Demands: Requires prolonged sitting with some bending, stooping and stretching; eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone, and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports. Also requires moderate to intense concentration due to complexity and/or need to meet deadlines, and flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.

Security is Everyone’s Responsibility: In order to protect Strada’s personnel, affiliates, customers, assets, and mission, security is the responsibility of every employee. To maintain security, employees are required to read, understand, and follow company security policies including but not limited to the WISP and Employee Handbook. In addition, security training supporting those policies is required at least annually.

CAEL is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate and support diversity in our workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We thrive on diversity and inclusion for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our stakeholders. CAEL advocates for equitable treatment and support of both adult learners and other underserved populations. CAEL is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace. 

When applying, please include a resume and a cover letter. Thank you!