Department

Press Information Technology

About the Department

Since its origins in 1890 as one of the three main divisions of the University of Chicago, the University of Chicago Press has embraced as its mission the obligation to disseminate scholarship of the highest standard and to publish serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life. Through our books and journals, we seek not only to advance scholarly conversation within and across traditional disciplines but, in keeping with the University of Chicago's experimental tradition, to help define new areas of knowledge and intellectual endeavor.

Job Summary

The Technology Product Manager for UChicago Press’ Information Technology organization will lead the evolution of innovative digital products and platforms, acting as the key point of contact between editorial, business, and technology teams. This role is responsible for the strategic planning of digital platforms and tools that enhance content creation, distribution, and monetization, while ensuring seamless user experiences. As an Agile Product Owner, the individual will prioritize features, manage the product backlog, and work closely with technology delivery teams to deliver value-driven outcomes.

Responsibilities

Product Strategy & Vision: Develop and maintain a product roadmap for digital publishing platforms and tools that align with the Press’ strategic goals. Work closely with key stakeholders to identify market opportunities, user needs, and industry trends, translating them into a clear product vision. Ensure the product strategy supports both business goals (e.g. revenue growth, audience engagement) and operational efficiency.

Agile Product Ownership: Act as the Product Owner within Agile Scrum teams, managing the product backlog and prioritizing features based on business value, user feedback, and stakeholder input. Create clear and actionable user stories with acceptance criteria, ensuring that the development team understands the vision and requirements. Participate in sprint planning sessions, backlog refinement, and daily stand-ups to guide the team’s efforts toward delivering high-quality products.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with editorial, marketing, sales, and technology teams to align product initiatives with broader business goals. Serve as the primary liaison between business stakeholders and the development team, communicating product goals, milestones, and challenges. Conduct product demos and presentations to stakeholders, gathering feedback and adjusting product direction as needed.

User Experience & Data-Driven Decision Making: Work closely with UX/UI designers to create engaging, intuitive digital experiences for both internal users (editors, marketers) and external users (readers, subscribers). Use data analytics tools and metrics (e.g., engagement, traffic, conversion) to evaluate product performance, identify areas for improvement, and drive optimization. Implement A/B testing and other techniques to refine product features and enhance user experience.

Backlog & Prioritization: Maintain a well-organized, constantly prioritized product backlog that reflects business needs, user requests, and technical feasibility. Make data-informed decisions to prioritize features and enhancements that deliver the highest value within given timelines and resource constraints. Ensure proper sequencing and delivery of work to meet sprint goals while managing dependencies and risks.

Innovation & Market Awareness: Stay abreast of digital publishing trends, emerging technologies, and competitor products to ensure that the organization remains competitive and innovative. Proactively identify opportunities for feature enhancements that could benefit the organization’s content production, distribution, or monetization efforts.

Monetization & Business Development: Work with sales, marketing, and business development teams to define revenue-generating opportunities. Align product development with business objectives to drive customer acquisition, retention, and revenue growth. Define, measure, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to track product success and impact on business goals.

Works with users to ensure deliverables are meeting or exceeding expectations. Provides support and communicates issues to users as defined by IT standards.

Plans, tests and guides roll-out of patches and upgrades to the BI and analytic software. Solves problems in the development and interpretation of BI and analytics system standards and procedures.

Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Computer Science, Business, Marketing, or Digital Media.

A Master’s degree or MBA is a plus.

Experience:

7+ years of product management experience, ideally within the digital publishing, media, or technology sectors.

Proven experience managing product development cycles using Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Proven ability to manage product life cycles, from ideation to ready-for-development, with a focus on iterative development.

Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Experience working with third-party platforms and vendor relationships  

Licenses and Certifications:

Agile certifications (e.g., Certified Scrum Product Owner, Agile Certified Professional) are a plus.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

Strong understanding of web and mobile technologies, content management (CMSs) or digital asset management systems (DAMs), APIs, and digital publishing workflows.  

Preferred Competencies

Ability to balance technical requirements with business needs and market opportunities.  

Deep understanding of Agile frameworks, particularly Scrum, and hands-on experience leading Agile teams as a Product Owner.  

Expertise in writing and prioritizing user stories, managing a backlog, and collaborating with development teams to deliver incremental value. 

An understanding of digital business models (e.g., advertising, subscriptions) and the ability to balance technology with business needs. 

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to convey complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders and to influence stakeholders at all levels. 

Proficient in using data analytics and customer insights to drive product development and optimization decisions. 

Proficient in using data analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to assess product performance and drive decision-making. 

Passion for leveraging technology to improve content creation, distribution, and audience engagement. 

Working Conditions

This is a dynamic role requiring collaboration across departments and with multiple stakeholders.

This role operates in a dynamic and collaborative environment, where cross-functional teamwork and Agile principles drive the product development process.

The position may involve occasional travel to industry events or coordination with external vendors.

Application Documents

Resume (required)

Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Information Technology

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$86,700.00 - $112,200.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.