How to apply for Product Manager, Academy Products (Remote)

About NAF

NAF is a national education organization that supports a network of 600+ academies, with plans to grow to 1,200 or more. The Product Manager, Academy Products will build digital products that serve students, educators, and the broader NAF network. This is a remote role with up to 20% travel.

About the role

You will own a small portfolio of digital products and tools used across the NAF network. You will work with internal teams, students, and educators to define requirements, prioritize work, and move initiatives from idea to launch. After launch, you will use data and user feedback to improve the experience and define success metrics.

A typical day

You might start with a stand-up with engineering, then meet with educators to gather feedback on a current tool. Later, you could review analytics to define success metrics for a new feature and prioritize the backlog. You might also prepare for an upcoming regional meeting or travel to a NAF academy.

Who NAF is looking for

• 3-6 years of experience in product management, project management, technology, education, business, design, or analytics.
• Previous product management experience with ownership or co-ownership of a digital product.
• Experience working on digital products, websites, or software.
• Comfortable working with cross-functional teams and external users like students and educators.
• Able to work remotely and travel up to 20% for regional and national meetings.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any product management experience where you owned or co-owned a digital product from idea to launch.
• Show that you can work with diverse stakeholders, including non-technical users like students and educators.
• Mention specific examples of using data and user feedback to improve a product.
• Note your ability to work remotely and your willingness to travel up to 20%.
• If you have experience in education, technology, or analytics, make that clear in your resume.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience managing a product or feature from concept to launch.', 'How you have used user feedback and data to make product decisions.', 'Your ability to work with cross-functional teams and external users.', 'Why you want to work on digital products that support education and a national network.']

Research before applying

• Learn what NAF academies are and how they support students and educators.
• Find out what digital products NAF currently offers to its network.
• Understand NAF's growth plans from 600+ to 1,200+ academies and what that means for product scalability.
• Check if NAF has published any case studies or annual reports about their technology tools.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk us through a product you owned from idea to launch. What was your role and what was the outcome?
• How do you prioritize features when you have limited resources and many stakeholders?
• Describe a time you used data or user feedback to change a product direction.
• How would you approach understanding the needs of students and educators in NAF academies?
• This role involves up to 20% travel. Are you comfortable with that? How do you manage remote work?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without any examples of owning or co-owning a product.
• Ignoring the education context and focusing only on technical product skills.
• Not addressing the remote nature of the role or the 20% travel requirement.