Product Manager

Education - It's in Our DNA At Barnes & Noble Education ("BNED") we are dedicated to making tomorrow a better, more inclusive, and smarter world by servicing all who work in education. As a leading solutions provider for the education industry, we are committed to driving affordability, accessibility, and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide by ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Together, our teams work to elevate lives through education. To support this mission, we are seeking a Product Manager, Academic Products to define and deliver solutions that address meaningful customer needs and drive measurable business impact. As the voice of the customer and market, this role leverages insights into user behavior, competitive dynamics, and industry trends to shape product strategy and priorities. You will lead the full product lifecycle—from discovery through launch—partnering cross‑functionally with UX, engineering, operations, and marketing to bring high‑quality, market‑relevant solutions to life. Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, data‑driven decision making, and the ability to influence and align stakeholders. How You'll Make an Impact Own the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, translating customer insights, market trends, and competitive intelligence into prioritized initiatives that drive business outcomes. Serve as the voice of the customer by deeply understanding user needs, behaviors, and pain points through research, direct engagement, and data analysis. Lead the end‑to‑end product lifecycle—from discovery and validation through launch and iteration—ensuring solutions deliver customer and business value. Define and track key success metrics (e.g., adoption, engagement, retention, revenue), using data‑driven insights to optimize product performance. Partner cross‑functionally with UX, engineering, operations, and marketing to align priorities, drive execution, and communicate strategy and trade‑offs to stakeholders. Identify and drive opportunities for innovation, developing new features and initiatives that enhance customer value and strengthen market differentiation. Make informed trade‑offs, balancing customer needs, technical feasibility, and business priorities in a dynamic environment. Champion a customer‑centric mindset across teams, ensuring decisions are grounded in evidence and insight. Additional responsibilities as required. What You'll Need to Succeed 3–5 years of experience as a Product Manager in a SaaS or software environment, with ownership of a product or feature set and accountability for its success. Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams—UX, engineering, operations—to define, build, and launch high‑impact features. Strong experience with customer and user research, discovery techniques, and defining success metrics to guide product decisions and optimize outcomes. Demonstrated ability to identify new opportunities, drive innovation, and deliver products that create measurable customer and business value. Experience or domain knowledge in the Higher Education industry is a plus. Familiarity with database design, front‑end and server‑side JavaScript frameworks, and AI‑powered prototyping or rapid experimentation is a plus. Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is a plus. Please Note: This is a hybrid role requiring in‑office attendance three (3) days per week at our Florham Park, NJ headquarters. Applicants must be within a commutable distance, as relocation assistance will not be provided. How We Elevate Our Employees We believe your success is our success, so our benefits package is designed specifically to support you in every aspect of your life. At BNED, we offer a variety of programs and resources to support the physical, mental, and financial well‑being of our employees by offering a competitive total rewards package for full‑time employees, which includes medical, dental, and vision plans, 401k with an annual discretionary match, life insurance, commuter benefits, paid time off with paid holidays, and a broad range of other benefits. The hiring range for this position is $110,000 - $115,000 per year. This range represents the base salary only, in good faith at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills, and qualifications. This position is bonus‑eligible, with bonus amounts determined at the company’s discretion based on individual qualifications and applicable program terms. Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion At Barnes & Noble Education we empower everyone. Our mission is to support students, faculty and schools, serving as a catalyst to meet the evolving needs of the education system and a new generation of students. That starts with fostering an environment for our employees where diversity and individuality is celebrated. Barnes & Noble Education is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affinative Action Employer committed to diversity in the workplace. In the spirit of inclusivity, qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ethnicity, ability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, nationality, protected veteran status, race, religion or sexual orientation. #J-18808-Ljbffr