Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Position Summary:

We are currently seeking a highly skilled and motivated Product Manager to join our team. The main responsibility of the Product Manager will be researching user data, helping guide vision, and managing the releases for mercatus.org. This role involves understanding our strategic and competitive position and delivering products that are recognized as the best in the industry. This position will also serve as a supporting role to all Mercatus digital marketing efforts and as a project manager for discrete projects as assigned.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work to implement the vision and definition of the product for mercatus.org and marginalrevolution.com
• Manage the product backlog, prioritization, and roadmap to meet strategic objectives and key results.
• Work as a project manager across functional areas, including product, marketing, and content creation.
• Define and communicate product requirements and specifications to the development team.
• Collaborate closely with stakeholders, developers, designers, and business teams to execute and launch product initiatives.
• Facilitate release planning sessions to organize and schedule work in a way that optimizes resources and delivers maximum value.
• Monitor and analyze product performance and customer feedback post-release to inform future product iterations.
• Work with cross-functional teams to manage and track product releases.
• Ensure releases align with the vision, goals, and objectives of the Mercatus Center.
• Communicate effectively all concepts and guidelines to the development team.
• Solve product-related problems, make decisions, and complete trade-off analysis to stay on track toward business deliverables.
• Provide support for the organization’s non-mercatus.org digital platforms as needed

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, in Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or similar role in product management.
• Experience as a project manager in areas other than digital products
• Deep understanding of Agile methodologies, technology, and platforms, technical understanding of web-based systems.
• Exceptional project management and organization skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to think outside the box and roll up one’s sleeves to get the job done.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Scrum Product Owner certification (CSPO) or equivalent.
• Previous experience working with educational, research or non-profit organizations.
• Experience as a digital marketer is a huge plus.
• Familiarity with the university’s academic environment

Mercatus Center at George Mason University