Today, 67% of students and 82% of low-income students can’t read at grade level by the end of third grade. That’s when students are supposed to go from learning to read to reading to learn. It’s America’s number one education crisis and we know how to fix it.
Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader. We pair students who need extra support with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes their decoding gaps. We focus on the foundational reading skills—phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight words—kids need to master so they can decode a sentence. Students in Ignite Reading’s program achieve over 2 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction, and notably all students achieve the same outstanding results including students with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch.
Ignite Reading is a mission-driven public benefit corporation. We believe we can do well for our team members and shareholders while we solve one of the nation’s biggest challenges. We believe we will be more successful with a diverse team and are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Your Role
Ignite uses technology to enable the delivery of our virtual tutoring services, maximize the learning of our students, and accelerate our ability to scale. To this end, the product is focused on four key technology needs:
- A tutoring logistics platform, which enables us to schedule, conduct and report on our tutoring sessions.
- A tutor workflow platform, which lets tutors know exactly what to teach each student every day.
- An extended learning application, which enables students to practice what they learn in their tutoring sessions after they return to the classroom or go home at night.
- An AI/ML implementation, which will enable us to ensure lesson fidelity as we scale.
Reporting to the VP of Engineering, the Product Manager for Ignite! Reading will manage the development and launch of our platform products, ensuring they meet customer needs and business objectives. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, operations, academics, sales, and marketing to define product requirements and ensure successful product launches.
Responsibilities
- Conduct market research and analysis to identify customer needs and market trends.
- Develop product roadmaps and work with cross-functional teams to prioritize and execute on them.
- Define and document product requirements, including user stories, use cases, and functional specifications.
- Collaborate with design and engineering teams to create and deliver high-quality products that meet customer needs.
- Work with marketing and sales teams to develop go-to-market strategies and ensure successful product launches.
- Monitor product performance and gather feedback from customers to identify areas for improvement.
- Define and track product metrics to measure success and drive continuous improvement.
Competencies
- 3+ years of experience in a product management role.
- Experience with Education Technology is not required, but considered a plus.
- Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle and agile methodologies.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
- Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
- Passion for creating innovative products that meet customer needs and drive business growth.
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, engineering, or business.
- Experience at early stage startups is a plus
At Ignite Reading, we’ve decided to embrace a transparent compensation structure for a few reasons:
To promote fairness and equity: This approach supports fairness within our structure. When everyone knows how compensation decisions are made, it reduces the likelihood of pay discrimination based on factors like gender, race, relationships, or negotiation skills.
To provide accountability for our approach: The same role receives the same compensation, with no negotiation.
To build trust within the organization: When employees understand how their compensation is determined, they are more likely to trust organizational structures and decisions, which can lead to an overall better culture.
To support legal considerations: Many states are moving to requiring compensation listed on job descriptions and we want to follow these rules.
Salary: $140,000 - $160,000
Apply
- If you are passionate about product management and have the skills and experience we are looking for, we would love to hear from you. Please apply with your resume and a cover letter explaining why you are the right candidate for this role.
We believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where all applicants are considered for employment without attention to color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested!
We are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a virtual organization with headquarters in the California Bay Area.
What We Do
When kids learn to read on time their opportunities in school and life improve profoundly. If a child cannot read by the time they are in third grade, they are four times less likely to graduate high school.* In 2022, only 33% of U.S. fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders were reading at grade level (National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment scores). Ignite Reading is on a mission to fix this.
Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches K-8th graders the foundational skills they need to become confident, independent readers. We pair developing readers with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes decoding gaps. Students across all demographics achieve the same outstanding results–an average of 2.4 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction–including students with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch. By ensuring all students master the foundational skills to fluently read any word, Ignite Reading empowers them to move forward and unlock everything school and life have to offer.
"Ignite Reading is one of the most, if not the most, successful interventions we have implemented in our district. The student results and program design are indisputable."
- Claudia Salvestrin, Assistant Superintendent, Red Bluff Union Elementary School District, CA
