Technical Product Owner, Data Management & Operations

Cengage Group; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage Group is seeking a Technical Product Owner for Data Management & Operations in Columbus, OH. Lead data strategy with Data Engineering, translate complex data needs into actionable specs, and ensure scalable, governed data capabilities across the enterprise.

You will own roadmaps, drive data quality, and partner with cross-functional teams to balance new capabilities with platform health and governance compliance.

Qualifications

• Extensive background in technical product ownership and data operations.
• Experience translating business data needs into engineering tasks.
• Solid understanding of enterprise data management, governance, and data quality.

Responsibilities

• Develop Data Management & Operations strategy, priorities, and roadmaps.
• Serve as a strategic collaborator with business and technology teams.
• Strengthen data governance, data quality, metadata, and policy alignment.
• Manage data operations and continuously improve data platforms and health.
• Collaborate with data engineering teams to implement data capabilities.

Skills

Data governance

Data management

Data operations

Strategic collaboration

Agile delivery

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Portfolio planning

Data quality

Enterprise data understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IS/Data Management or related

CDMP certification

Tools

Snowflake

SAP

Salesforce

SQL

Python

Job description

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping learners 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. Make an impact by connecting business and technology needs with the data capabilities that drive Cengage.

In the role of Technical Product Owner for Data Management & Operations, you will partner with Data Engineering leaders and teams leading data operations across Cengage. You will direct priority setting, transform detailed data needs into feasible technical specifications, and help ensure the delivery and ongoing enhancement of dependable, scalable, and well-controlled data capabilities.

This position lies at the crossroads of data engineering, architecture, governance, operations, and the groups that use enterprise data. You will bring product ownership experience and subject matter knowledge to assist Cengage in improving the acquisition, integration, transformation, management, monitoring, and accessibility of data for business and technology objectives.

Develop Data Management & Operations Strategy and Priorities

• Collaborate with Data Management & Operations leadership to develop functional strategy, priorities, roadmaps, and investment plans.
• Turn strategy into a consistent portfolio of initiatives, capabilities, operational developments, and technology investments.
• Help establish and maintain multi-year roadmaps.
• Provide leadership with access to portfolio health, competing priorities, capacity constraints, dependencies, risks, and decisions requiring attention.

Serve as a Strategic Business and Technology Collaborator

• Develop a solid understanding of Cengage business strategies, processes, technology landscape, and data needs.
• Translate sophisticated data concepts for technical and non-technical audiences.

Strengthen Capabilities in Business Data Governance and Control

• Partner with collaborators to shape and enable scalable data capabilities.
• Champion the adoption and steady refinement of data management methods.
• Drive adoption of data quality practices.
• Drive alignment with data governance policies, standards, and practices.
• Identify systemic gaps and opportunities across data processes.
• Assist in establishing criteria for success regarding data capabilities and initiatives.
• Collaborate with program/project managers and technical teams to coordinate implementation.
• Work jointly with other TPOs and technology leaders on cross-platform initiatives.
• Support productive delivery approaches, clarity, answerability, and constant development.

Manage Data Operations and Continuous Advancement

• Collaborate with leadership and technical teams to set and track expectations for data capabilities.
• Use operational performance indicators to identify systemic improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a suitable balance among new capabilities, operational improvements, risk remediation, technical debt, and platform health.
• Consistently advance Data Management & Operations workflows and indicators of success.

Extensive background in technical product ownership, technology business collaboration, portfolio/program oversight, data management, data operations, business analysis, or a related technology role.

• Demonstrable experience working alongside data engineering teams and translating business and technical requirements into well-defined engineering assignments.
• Solid understanding of data engineering concepts, including data pipelines, ETL/ELT, data integration, data modeling, data storage, APIs, data warehouses/lakes/lakehouses, cloud data platforms, and batch and/or real-time data processing.
• Knowledge of data management areas including data quality, metadata, lineage, governance, security, access, and lifecycle management.
• Experience with operational elements of data platforms, including monitoring, reliability, incident management, performance, scalability, and service-level expectations.
• Experience representing a technology or data function with senior business and technology collaborators.
• Demonstrated experience managing sophisticated portfolios or roadmaps involving multiple initiatives, collaborators, dependencies, competing priorities, and constrained capacity.
• Solid foundational knowledge of enterprise data management and data governance.
• Experience with enterprise data platforms and applications; familiarity with Snowflake, SAP, Salesforce, or comparable technologies is preferred.
• Practical understanding of operational and analytical data modeling concepts.
• Experience working across Agile and other technology delivery practices.
• Familiarity with SQL and/or Python is a plus.
• Familiarity with established data management frameworks and practices such as DAMA-DMBOK and/or CDMP certification is preferred.
• Experience contributing to technology investment planning, arguments, vendor evaluations, capacity planning, or other portfolio-level investment decisions is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Data Management, Business, or a similar field, or equivalent work experience.

Our job applicants are considered regardless of any 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 accommodations.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.

Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. 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.

Individual Target$101,900.00 - $163,000.00 USD