Principal Product Manager

Arizona State University; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 104,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona State University (ASU) Enterprise Technology is seeking a Principal Product Manager to own the vision, strategy, and outcomes for high-impact product lines serving learners, advisors, faculty, and staff. This senior IC will translate a long-range vision into multi-year roadmaps and align cross-functional teams around shared outcomes.

The role emphasizes shaping architecture, conducting discovery, and defining metrics while collaborating with academic and administrative units,

Qualifications

• Experience owning ambiguous, high-impact strategy areas across product lines.
• Track record of creating forward-looking product strategies and multi-year roadmaps.
• Ability to use market and user insight to identify durable advantages.
• Ability to shape cross-group product architecture and navigate trade-offs.
• Demonstrated ability to define strategic metrics and success measures.

Responsibilities

• Own vision, strategy, and outcomes for one or more product lines.
• Translate long-range vision into multi-year and rolling one-year roadmaps.
• Define the what and why, grounding decisions in user needs and data.
• Shape product architecture with cross-group coordination.
• Lead discovery to ensure teams solve the right problems.

Skills

Ambiguity handling

Strategy development

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

AI knowledge

Job description

Enterprise Technology (ET) is seeking a Principal Product Manager to lead the strategy and long-termin evolution of high-visibility products that serve learners, advisors, faculty, and staff. This is a senior individual contributor role for a product leader who works across broad, ambiguous problem spaces and delivers outcomes that scale across multiple teams and departments.

The Principal Product Manager owns product vision, problem framing, and strategy for one or more product lines, ensuring each develops as a coherent, trustworthy platform rather than a collection of disconnected features. The role partners with academic and administrative units, engineering, design, research, and data to align stakeholders on shared outcomes and trade-offs. While the role has no formal management responsibilities, it is expected to raise the standard for product practice across the organization.

As with all members of the Enterprise Technology team, this role carries core responsibilities, including fostering a sense of belonging and cultivating a culture that is relational, visionary, and empowering. With a strong emphasis on authenticity and compassion, this position is dedicated to embodying and advancing our culture.

Position Salary Range:

$103,700.00 - $125,000.00 annually; depending on experience

Essential Duties:

• Own the vision, strategy, and outcomes for one or more product lines, measuring success by impact on users and the institution rather than feature output.
• Translate long-range vision into an adaptable multi-year roadmap and a rolling one-year roadmap, connecting group-level objectives to ET and institutional strategy.
• Define the "what" and the "why," grounding decisions in user needs, institutional goals, and data, and clearly articulating priorities and trade-offs.
• Shape cross-group product architecture, balancing local optimization against system-wide impact.

• Lead discovery and validation to confirm teams are solving the right problems rather than automating existing processes.
• Define and scope strategic research needs across the portfolio in partnership with Research.
• Translate institutional complexity, including policy, operational constraints, and technical considerations, into clear and usable experiences.

• Align academic leadership, administrative partners, engineering, design, data, and policy stakeholders around shared outcomes.
• Influence leadership-level decisions through clear narrative, strategic insight, and trust.
• Strengthen working partnerships across Product, Engineering, Design, Research, and Data.

• Establish strong foundations from the outset: problem statements, success metrics, outcome-based roadmaps, and governance.
• Lead improvements to product development frameworks across the organization and set the standard for how product success is defined, evaluated, and evolved.
• Identify systemic quality risks across teams and drive continuous improvement.
• Coach others in clear, persuasive product communication.

• Guide the responsible use of AI capabilities, such as scenario planning, insight generation, and proactive guidance, while maintaining accountability, transparency, and user trust.
• Leverage AI in routine tasks and contribute ideas for using AI to improve the unit's efficiency and overall performance.
• Take responsibility for fostering a positive culture, upholding organizational values, and championing engagement in all its forms.
• Collaborate across teams and actively participate in ET/ASU events and programs.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience owning ambiguous, high-impact strategy areas across product lines with minimal guidance.
• Track record of creating forward-looking product strategies aligned to enterprise goals and translating them into multi-year roadmaps that prioritize long-term outcomes over current-state problems.
• Ability to use market, industry, and user insight to identify durable advantage and opportunity across domains.
• Ability to shape cross-group product architecture and navigate trade-offs between local and system-wide impact.
• Demonstrated ability to define strategic metrics and success measures.

• Demonstrated ability to define strategic metrics and success measures.
• Record of defining, owning, and evolving product lines that support multiple teams and long-term goals.
• Demonstrated ability to lead across functions, groups, and disciplines and to influence without formal authority.

• Inclusive, collaborative leadership; ability to remove barriers and build structures for cross-functional success.
• Knowledge of AI-enabled products and responsible AI practices.
• Knowledge of higher education or other complex, policy-driven environments.
• Demonstrated experience owning product strategy and roadmaps for complex, multi-stakeholder products.
• Demonstrated ability to model empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence.
• Experience in a values-driven organization with a strong commitment to inclusion and belonging.
• Ability to cultivate a psychologically safe environment where all team members can thrive.
• Capacity to inspire and drive meaningful change in individual, institutional, and corporate behaviors to support a more sustainable environment.
• Commitment to leading by example through effective communication, active participation, and advocacy for the institution's sustainability programs.

Working Environment:

• Activities primarily take place in a standard, climate-controlled office environment and may involve extended periods of sitting, standing, or moving between office spaces.
• This role involves regular use of a computer (desktop and/or laptop), including a keyboard and mouse.
• Required to stand for varying lengths of time and walk moderate distances to perform work.

Department Statement:

Enterprise Technology (ET) embraces its role as both an enabler and catalyst for advancing the vision and work of the New American University. We are a values-driven organization. Our commitments are reflected in all of the work we do in pursuit of operational excellence, the experience and delight of our community, and our strategic and innovation initiatives. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.

Join the team that sparks human-centered innovation

ET is a rapidly reconfigurable and entrepreneurial organization at ASU that prioritizes and executes to meet the needs of our community of learners, faculty, researchers and staff. Our work emphasizes autonomy, flexibility and distributed decision-making to leverage the strengths of individuals. Together, we embrace a culture that nurtures, engages and embraces many voices with a shared lens of positive community impact and expanded opportunities for collaboration.

Why join us?

Mission oriented.

Everything we do is to advance ASU's charter -- measuring who we include and how they succeed. We are staunch champions of learner success and put people first.

Flexibility.

Our flexible work environment allows employees to explore opportunities with their supervisor beyond the traditional work schedule. Opportunities include hybrid work where staff are in person three days per week.

Culture forward.

We embrace a Positive Core culture: Belonging, Relational, Authentic, Visionary and Empowered.

Scale of impact.

Our work changes the world. With 200k+ learners, faculty, researchers and staff, working with ET means you have the capacity to improve many lives and entire communities.

World-class, low cost education.

Our professional development is built in! ET encourages staff to seek additional certificates and degrees via ASU's top ranked programs with major tuition breaks.

Exposure to industry giants.

ET partners with Amazon, Apple, Arista, Cox, Verizon, Salesforce, Alteryx and a diversity of technology companies to enhance our innovations and deepen their impact.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Notice of Availability of the ASU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

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ASU's comprehensive benefits package is a key part of your total compensation. Visit the ASU Compensation Estimator

Employment Verification Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

Background Check Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the background check.

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions inclusive excellence, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

ASU is a tobacco-free university. For details visit https://wellness.asu.edu/explore-wellness/body/alcohol-and-drugs/tobacco