Director, Product Owner, CSS Profile

Role Description

As the Director of CSS Profile, you are the product owner for a critical financial aid tool that helps over 400,000 students access need-based financial aid each year. You are a collaborative partner who drives product innovation to exceed customer expectations (students, parents, and colleges). You own and manage the yearly release and ongoing product operations, with a focus on innovation, stability, and efficiency.

You will drive student access and support institutions by listening closely to users, collaborating across teams, implementing improvements, and ensuring reliable systems that guide students through the financial aid process.

In this role, you will:

• Product Release and Management (60%)
  • Collect inputs, analyze user needs, and develop business requirements for CSS Profile through user interviews, focus groups, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Document requirements using business use cases, specifications, mock-ups, workflow charts, and diagrams.
  • Provide guidance and subject matter expertise to support others in developing requirements documentation.
  • Complete user acceptance testing and support release testing.
  • Own, plan, and maintain the full product backlog, including enhancement requests.
  • Groom and prioritize the backlog to support yearly improvements aligned with the overall product strategy.
  • Collaborate with other product owners, IT, and external partners to ensure successful planning and on-time delivery.
• Product Strategy (20%)
  • Contribute to long-term product roadmaps, including technical transformation.
  • Position the product for future success by staying ahead of higher education and technology trends.
  • Develop a deep understanding of customer needs to anticipate future demands.
  • Monitor and interpret shifting federal regulations and translate insights into product improvements.
• In-Market Product Operations (20%)
  • Drive processes and procedures to meet key operational metrics (uptime, customer satisfaction, contact rate, completion rates, SLAs).
  • Respond to system outages and high-priority customer escalations.
  • Represent the product in webinars, conferences, user group sessions, and direct customer engagements.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of direct, on-campus Financial Aid experience.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Strong knowledge of postsecondary financial aid administration, including federal requirements, institutional practices, delivery systems, and software products.
• Experience in product ownership, product management, or project management.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into effective, scalable solutions.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including data-informed decision-making.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to clearly document complex information.
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting to groups (15+) in both virtual and in-person settings.
• Experience managing relationships with third-party vendors, IT teams, or external partners.

Requirements

• Knowledge of Institutional Methodology, CSS Profile, and/or PowerFAIDS.
• Experience with digital product development, cloud computing, or SaaS.
• Experience working in agile software development environments.
• Experience translating customer needs into product vision and requirements.
• Ability to travel 3-5 times per year.

Benefits

• A meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.
• Fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market.
• The hiring range for this role is $80,000–$135,000.
• Open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it’s like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process.