Principal Product Manager

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage Group, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.   

Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-belonging/.  

As a Principal Product Manager, you will be a strategic leader driving the digital transformation and long-term product vision for the Cengage Schools K12 platform. You will play a pivotal role in shaping our digital strategy, fostering innovation, and delivering high-impact, customer-centric solutions that empower educators and students. Embracing the Silicon Valley Product Group’s Product Operating Model (POM), you will champion dedicated product development, lead cross-functional squads, and influence senior collaborators across the organization.    

You will be accountable for deeply understanding our users—educators, administrators, and students—and translating insights into strategic product decisions. Your role involves steering the product team towards continual discovery, prioritization informed by data, and agile delivery, all in alignment with broader business goals and market dynamics.  

The POM is designed to:

• Shift from delivering outputs to delivering outcomes.

• Align teams around enduring product areas with clear accountability.

• Accelerate delivery through empowered, cross-functional squads.

• Develop innovation through continuous discovery and learning.

• Empower teams to solve relevant problems with autonomy and purpose.  

What You'll Do:

• Lead the digital strategy for the K12 platform, aligning product vision with business goals, customer needs, and market opportunities.

• Partner with executive leadership to define strategic priorities and influence investment decisions across the portfolio.

• Drive continuous discovery by synthesizing customer insights, market research, and data analytics to identify unmet needs and emerging trends.

• Champion innovation by guiding rapid prototyping, experimentation, and iterative development with design and engineering.

• Own the product roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic goals, technical feasibility, and customer value.

• Mentor and influence other product managers, fostering a culture of customer focus, collaboration, and excellence.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, design, marketing, sales, and customer success to deliver cohesive and impactful solutions.

• Establish success metrics and monitor product performance to inform future enhancements and strategic pivots.

• Represent the voice of the customer in strategic forums, ensuring that product decisions are grounded in real-world needs and experiences.

• Navigate complex constraints across legal, privacy, finance, and operations to deliver compliant and scalable solutions.   

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in product management or related roles, with a strong track record of leading digital strategy and delivering successful products.

• Deep understanding of modern product discovery and delivery practices.

• Demonstrated skill in leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior collaborators.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make data-informed decisions in complex environments.

• Experience in K12 education technology or adjacent markets is highly desirable.

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate vision and inspire teams.   

Cengage Group is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, veteran status, and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.   

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [email protected] or at +1 (617) 289-7917.  

About Cengage Group

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.  

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.  Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

In this position,  you will be eligible to participate in the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program.  This position's bonus target amount, which is not guaranteed and is dependent on individual performance and overall company results among other factors, is provided below.