Principal Product Operations Manager

Role Description

The Principal Product Operations Manager is the operational architect and connective force within the AI product organization. This role ensures that AI product teams move in sync with each other and the broader organization while maintaining focus on their strategic priorities. Acting as a cross-functional integrator, this position spans product, engineering, GTM, legal, PR, and intellectual property — building the frameworks and processes that enable scale and stability. The Principal Product Operations Manager also serves as a trusted advisor and problem-solver, stepping in to resolve operational challenges and drive alignment across teams.

What you'll do here

• Operating Model Ownership: Develop and maintain processes, cadences, and frameworks that keep AI teams aligned, efficient, and conflict-free.
• Case Development: Write and lead investment cases that frame opportunities, clarify value, and unlock resources.
• Research & Insights Coordination: Orchestrate customer, market, and technical research so insights are shared across teams and translated into action.
• Risk & Compliance Partnership: Work with legal and governance to anticipate and clear risks, enabling teams to innovate safely.
• Patent & IP Stewardship: Build and coordinate the patent portfolio and broader IP position, ensuring defensibility and long-term leverage for AI products.
• Mentorship Without Authority: Coach PMs across all teams, sharpening their craft and lifting their ability to deliver impact without requiring reporting lines.
• Portfolio Cohesion & Focus: Ensure the AI product ecosystem is connected and employed under a cohesive vision, while protecting each team’s ability to focus on its specific market and problem.
• Engineering Partnership: Provide engineering with clarity and visibility, helping them be efficient and amplifying their work as inspiration across the org.
• Market & Communications Alignment: Support PMs in partnering with sales and GTM teams, while also working with PR and communications to ensure external narratives, customer messaging, and product positioning are consistent, trusted, and impactful.
• Leadership Flex & Troubleshooting: Act as a “safety valve” for the org, able to step into leadership gaps, stabilize trouble spots, or carry critical initiatives when extra capacity is needed.
• Evangelism & Storytelling: Carry and amplify the narrative of what the org is building — inside to encourage alignment, and outside to inspire trust, momentum, and thought leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
• 15 years of experience in product management or related roles, with a strong background of leading digital strategy and delivering successful products.
• Experience in products targeted toward technology users or adjacent markets is highly desirable.
• Proven track record to build experiences using Generative AI.
• Deep understanding of modern product discovery and delivery practices.
• Experience finding product market fit for new products.
• Validated skill in leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior collaborators.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make data-informed decisions.
• Outstanding communication and storytelling abilities, capable of expressing vision and motivating teams.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower employees.
• Eligibility to participate in the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program.
• Bonus target amount of 25% Annual: Individual Target.
• Base pay range: $138,200.00 - $221,100.00 USD, varying based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.

Company Description

Cengage, 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.