VP of Product and Partnerships | JobSetuu

Description

Job Overview

• Source: RemoteOK

Job Description

uConnect is on a mission to improve access to career services to help more people realize their potential — early in their lives and throughout their careers.

Focused on the US higher education market, uConnect's All-In-One Virtual Career Center is used by leading institutions like UCLA, MIT, and Baton Rouge Community College to transform the career services experience and radically scale career engagement, readiness, and outcomes.

We're a mission-driven team working in a fun and collaborative culture that puts people first. We operate as a fully remote organization, encouraging mobility and empowering all employees to work from their ideal environment

 

 

About the Role

As VP of Product and Partnerships at uConnect, you will own the bridge between strategic vision and product reality. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will define and drive a clear, prioritized roadmap, leading the full product lifecycle from discovery through delivery, while building the content partnerships and platform integrations that extend uConnect's value to students and institutions.
You will lead customer discovery, shape feature prioritization, and work closely with engineering to ship a product that delivers measurable outcomes for career services teams and the students they serve. You will bring executive presence, deep market understanding, and strong internal communication to a role that sits at the intersection of product, partnerships, and commercial strategy.

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Job Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Roadmap: Partner closely with the CEO to translate product vision into a clear, sequenced roadmap with defined milestones, priorities, and success metrics. Own the development and grooming of specific product requirements and communicate roadmap direction clearly across the ELT, engineering, and customer-facing teams.
• Market & Customer Intelligence: Inform the roadmap by developing a deep understanding of customers and market dynamics. Run focus groups, user interviews, customer testing, and structured beta programs. Combine direct customer engagement with a working knowledge of the higher education and workforce ecosystem, strategic buyers, and technology trends to make sharp, well-grounded prioritization decisions.
• Strategic Partnerships: Own all aspects of uConnect's partnership strategy, including content partnerships and platform integrations. Identify, evaluate, and manage relationships with content providers, technology partners, and integration vendors whose offerings enhance the student and career services experience within the Virtual Career Center.
• Internal Enablement & GTM Alignment: Serve as a strong internal communicator and product champion. Support Customer Success, Marketing, and Sales with product messaging, value pitch development, and internal enablement to ensure every customer-facing team can speak confidently to what uConnect builds and why.
• Engineering Collaboration: Bring sufficient technical understanding to collaborate effectively with engineering leadership on planning, scope, sequencing, and delivery. Define requirements and communicate priorities clearly to ensure smooth handoffs throughout the development lifecycle.
• Product Monetization: Bring a track record of implementing monetization strategies and nuanced ideas for expanding monetization within the Virtual Career Center. Partner with Finance and the CEO on packaging, pricing, and feature tiering, including usage-based, outcomes-based, and add-on models, ensuring the roadmap reflects both customer value and commercial opportunity.
• AI & Innovation: Own the product roadmap for AI-powered features and develop a clear vision for leveraging AI internally across product and design operations to scale team capacity and accelerate delivery. Drive a framework for responsible, customer-informed AI product development in the higher education context.
• Data Architecture & Strategy: Bring a strong point of view on how to evolve uConnect's Virtual Career Center into a data-driven platform. Lead the product vision for outcomes data, engagement analytics, and institutional reporting that positions uConnect as essential infrastructure rather than a discretionary tool.
• Thought Leadership: Build and maintain a presence in the higher education, career services, and edtech space. Bring a network, a voice, and the credibility to represent uConnect externally and attract the right partners, customers, and talent.
• Team Leadership: Build and mentor a high-performing product team. As uConnect scales, you will establish the organizational practices, documentation standards, and cross-functional workflows needed to sustain product excellence. 

Required Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of product management experience, including 3+ years in a senior or leadership role at a SaaS company.
• Demonstrated ability to translate executive vision into a structured, sequenced product roadmap with clear priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Proven track record of owning product requirements end-to-end, from discovery and grooming through delivery and adoption.
• Experience running customer research programs including focus groups, user interviews, surveys, and beta testing, with a demonstrated ability to turn customer and market insights into roadmap decisions.
• Strong technical understanding sufficient to meaningfully inform roadmap planning and engage credibly with engineering teams in an agile or lean development environment.
• Data-driven approach to prioritization and decision-making, with comfort using both qualitative and quantitative inputs.
• Executive presence and strong internal communication skills, with the ability to align cross-functional teams and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, startup or scale-up environment where adaptability and ownership are essential.
• Familiarity with modern product tooling (e.g., Jira, Linear, Productboard, Figma, Notion, or equivalents).
• Track record of implementing product monetization strategies, with nuanced ideas about packaging, pricing, and expanding revenue within an existing customer base.
• Experience building or managing content partnerships and technology integrations, including evaluating partners, negotiating agreements, and managing ongoing relationships with content providers and platform vendors.
• A clear vision for applying AI to both product features and internal product and design operations to scale team capacity.
• Strong point of view on data architecture and how to evolve a SaaS platform into a data-driven solution that creates defensible long-term value.
• Demonstrated thought leadership, network, or external influence in the higher education, edtech, or career services space.
• Background in higher education, edtech, career services, or workforce development is strongly preferred. Candidates with direct experience building products for universities, community colleges, or workforce development organizations are highly encouraged to apply.

What You'll Get

• Remote work and flexible schedule
• Gold PPO health insurance with nation-wide networks covered at 100% for employee premiums and 60% for dependents
• Dental insurance covered at 75% for employee premiums and 50% for dependents
• Vision insurance covered at 75% for employee premiums
• Optional Health and Dependent Care FSAs
• One Medical Primary Care Membership
• 100% vested 401(k) with 100% of employee contributions matched up to the first 3% of pay and 50% of employee contributions matched on the next 2% of pay, after a 90-day waiting period
• Employer-paid $50,000 basic life insurance policy
• Unlimited paid vacation time
• Quarterly mental health days
• 12 weeks paid parental leave after one year of employment
• Home office stipend
• Equity participation in uConnect’s stock option program

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What Else Should You Know?
At uConnect, we care deeply about our people. We know that a properly incentivized and highly motivated team is critical to our success and seek to ensure our employee experience reflects that. We offer competitive compensation, including participation in a generous employee equity stock option program, a wide range of employee benefits, and are always committed to being an equal-opportunity employer. 

 

Interested but not sure you’re the right fit?
If this sounds like a company you would like to join but this may not be the right role, please don't hold back from reaching out. Whatever skills you bring to the table or background you're coming from, we welcome you to start a conversation with us. Just use the subject line: "General Interest." 

Expert Career Tips for VP of Product and Partnerships Roles

To succeed in a competitive market as a VP of Product and Partnerships , you need more than just technical skills. Here are some expert strategies to elevate your profile:

• Build a Strong Portfolio: For technical roles, a clean GitHub or a personal project site is essential. For non-technical roles, a case study portfolio demonstrating problem-solving and impact is equally valuable. Show, don't just tell, what you have achieved in your previous positions.
• Master the Narrative: When interviewing, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Quantify your results wherever possible—mentioning "increased efficiency by 20%" is much more impactful than saying "improved efficiency."
• Continuous Learning: The industry moves fast. Whether it's staying updated with the latest AI tools or mastering a new management methodology, continuous professional development is key. Consider obtaining industry-recognized certifications that align with VP of Product and Partnerships requirements.
• Networking: Connect with other professionals in similar roles. Join online communities, attend webinars, and engage in meaningful discussions on professional social networks. Often, the best opportunities come through referrals and community engagement.
• Soft Skills Matter: Communication, empathy, and leadership are often the deciding factors between two equally qualified technical candidates. Cultivate these skills as they are universally valued across all industries and seniority levels.

Additionally, research the specific company's culture and values. Tailoring your application to show how you align with their mission can significantly increase your chances of moving forward in the process.

Salary & Compensation

Salary not disclosed; typically competitive for the role.

Work Arrangement

Type: On-Site

Standard business hours at the office.

Comprehensive Application Strategy & Hiring Process

Applying for a new role is a marathon, not a sprint. Follow this strategic approach to maximize your success rate:

1. Initial Research & Tailoring

Don't send the same resume to every employer. Spend at least 30 minutes researching the company. Look for recent news, their product roadmap, and their team structure. Modify your summary and core competencies to reflect the specific keywords found in the job description.

2. The Perfect Cover Letter

If the application allows for a cover letter, use it to tell a story that your resume cannot. Explain why you are passionate about this specific company and how your unique background makes you the perfect fit for the challenges they are currently facing.

3. Navigating the Multi-Stage Interview

Most modern hiring processes involve 3-5 stages. This typically includes a recruiter screen, a technical or skill-based assessment, a peer interview, and a final leadership round. Prepare for each stage differently: focus on enthusiasm and fit for the recruiter, technical depth for the assessment, and strategic vision for the leadership round.

4. Post-Interview Follow-Up

Always send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours of each interview. Reference a specific topic discussed during the call to demonstrate your active listening and genuine interest in the role.

By following these steps, you demonstrate a high level of professionalism and attention to detail that sets you apart from the average applicant.

Typical Interview Process

1. Resume screening
2. HR call
3. Skill interview
4. Final manager interview
5. Offer

Tip: Research the company's products and culture.

Global Market Intelligence & Relocation Insights

At JobSetuu, we specialize in helping talent navigate the global job market. Here is what you need to know about the current landscape in Global and beyond:

The demand for skilled professionals is increasingly borderless. For roles based in Global, understanding the local cost of living, visa requirements (if applicable), and cultural nuances is vital. If this is a remote role, consider the time zone alignment and the asynchronous communication culture of the hiring organization.

Relocation Support: Many forward-thinking companies offer relocation packages that include moving stipends, temporary housing, and legal assistance with work permits. When evaluating an offer, look beyond the base salary—consider the total compensation package, including equity, bonuses, and healthcare benefits.

Work-Life Balance Trends: Hybrid and remote work have become standard in many regions. Research the local labor laws and common practices regarding work hours and vacation time to ensure the role aligns with your lifestyle goals.

Leveraging JobSetuu's tools can help you compare salaries across different cities and understand the "purchasing power" of your potential offer, ensuring you make an informed decision for your long-term career path.

Skills & Competency Roadmap for Professional Development

To remain competitive in Professional Development, we recommend focusing on the following core competencies over the next 12-18 months:

• Technical Mastery: Deepen your expertise in the core tools and languages relevant to your field. For developers, this might be cloud architecture; for marketers, it might be data-driven attribution modeling.
• AI Augmentation: Learn how to leverage generative AI and automation tools to increase your productivity. Understanding how to integrate these technologies into your workflow is becoming a non-negotiable skill.
• Leadership & Strategy: Even in individual contributor roles, the ability to think strategically and lead projects from inception to completion is highly valued. Focus on stakeholder management and high-level project planning.
• Data Literacy: The ability to interpret data and use it to drive decisions is essential across all business functions. Familiarize yourself with data visualization and basic analytical concepts.

By investing in these areas, you not only prepare yourself for the role you are applying for today but also build a resilient foundation for the opportunities of tomorrow.

Apply via JobSetuu

Discover your next career milestone on JobSetuu. This VP of Product and Partnerships position is part of our commitment to bringing you the most relevant and high-impact job openings globally. At JobSetuu, we simplify your job search by aggregating premier listings and providing the tools you need to stand out. Don't miss the chance to elevate your professional journey—explore more opportunities and career insights on our platform today.