The Vice President, Product, is a newly created position with responsibility for the definition, development and deployment of NPR-powered products on the Web, mobile, voice-activated and other digital platforms. Working closely with senior management and editorial, business and technology stakeholders, the VP will play the central role in defining and articulating NPR’s digital product strategy, prioritizing development efforts across a portfolio, and leading the successful execution of those products.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in managing the conception and continuing growth and diversity of a range of innovative digital media products, with an acute focus on addressing the needs of end users. While fostering the success of individual product lines and empowering their owners, the Vice President will assert a strong portfolio view that connects and complements these products, with emphasis on the user journey across an ecosystem; integration of partner content and branding across properties; development of revenue opportunities, particularly sponsorship and membership; strategies for data collection and use; and the extension of products and services onto third-party platforms.
The Vice President will also be a thought leader and influencer who, in partnership with others from across NPR and the public radio system, will be instrumental in setting a course toward the renewal of public radio’s value proposition across the digital landscape. High among those strategic opportunities are:
- Re-imagining audio: building on the success of the NPR One app, developing new experiences that deliver content in ways that match the changing needs and behaviors of listeners, particularly on mobile and voice-activated platforms;
- Building a digital network: Developing and executing plans to grow and engage audiences across the breadth of public radio’s digital ecosystem, through such means as integrating and elevating the presence of locally produced content across NPR’s digital platforms;
- Re-imagining pledge: In close partnership with NPR Member stations, devising new tools and practices to optimize the membership funnel across the shared digital ecosystem, from NPR-branded properties to stations’.
- Driving audience development: In partnership with Marketing and other stakeholders, to ensure that the consumer-facing positioning of our digital products is fully aligned with key user profiles and intents and product features and functionality.
Reporting to the Chief Digital Officer, the Vice President will partner with several peers within NPR’s digital division: the Senior Director of Digital Technology; the Creative Director, and the head of Business Operations. Together with those colleagues, he or she will drive a culture of innovation, collaboration, trust and transparency, while also ensuring that development processes are effective, priorities are clear, resources are managed closely, and that finished products meet the standards of NPR’s business models and mission with maximum efficiency, rigor and excellence. The VP and these peers will also bear responsibility for ongoing roadmap refinements and resource allocation.
The successful candidate will be a self-starter, highly collaborative, flexible, unafraid of ambiguity and able to hear, handle and where necessary synthesize multiple points of views.
The position is based at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- Define a digital product vision for NPR and build online audience and revenue through the successful development and deployment of the supporting products.
- Hire and manage a staff who have subordinate responsibility for product development and management over a portfolio that includes NPR One, NPR.org, the NPR News app, NPR newsletters and other products, as well as cross-product strategies and goals for identity management, digital revenue, data collection, distribution and local integration.
- Develop and implement clear roles, work flows, processes and staffing structures to optimize resources and produce the best work.
- Create and oversee detailed product roadmaps.
- Foster open communication and break down silos among functional teams, promoting a collegial environment that encourages teamwork.
- Collaborate closely with peers to apply best practices and tools toward planning, resource management, goal setting and internal communication.
- Co-manage regular cycles of sprint reviews, communicate on a regular basis results, challenges and opportunities to key organization stakeholders.
- Ensure that analytics, user testing and research are fully incorporated to product development efforts.
- Evaluate and implement opportunities to further build audience and impact through deployment of new and emerging digital platforms and tools.
- Partner with Business Development, senior management and others in evaluating, cultivating and negotiating new partnership opportunities for audience and revenue growth.
- Partner with Development to explore opportunities for philanthropic support of digital initiatives.
- Stay up-to-date on the marketplace, competitive set and digital trends, especially as they relate to digital audio, community engagement, membership and subscription.
- Eight to 10 years’ experience managing a high-performing product team, ideally for a media company or other consumer-facing service, and a proven track record in building innovative and popular products.
- Experience with and embrace of the challenges of working across a large organization and a wide network that has multiple stakeholders and agendas; through it all, the ability to remain a strong advocate for the end user, to appraise market opportunities clearly, and to manage and focus resources carefully.
- Experience with content management systems, ad operations services, analytics tools and other technologies.
- A passion for the mission and voices of public media.
- A sense of humor.
- Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to seek help and build coalitions of trust and shared goals.
- The ability to translate listener feedback and data into product requirements and clear KPIs.
- An entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to juggle multiple priorities, make things happen and drive projects to successful completion.
NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development. NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.