Senior Product Manager at George Mason University

Department: Academic Administration Transformation Management & OperationsClassification: Info Technology Spec 3Job Category:Classified StaffJob Type:Full-TimeWork Schedule:Full-time (1.0 FTE 40 hrs/wk)Working Hours:8:30 am to 5:00 pm (M-F)Location: Fairfax VAWorkplace Type:Hybrid EligibleSponsorship Eligibility:Not eligible for visa sponsorshipPay Band:06Salary:Salary commensurate with education and experienceCriminal Background Check:YesAbout the Department:The Office of the Provost champions an all-inclusive university community devoted to academic excellence consequential research and scholarship and innovative practices that inspire engage and transform lives. The Office of the Provost is charged with overseeing all aspects of education research and public engagement of the university. The provost has direct oversight over all colleges schools and academic support units. Additionally in conjunction with the senior administration of the university the provost is responsible for the allocation of resources for academic programs and functions. Supporting the provost in these efforts is the Academic Administration team which is devoted to sustaining George Masons mission.Patriot Connect is the new system of student engagement for George Mason University. Using Salesforce Patriot Connect is transforming the student lifecycle experience by replacing disconnected platforms and procedures with a new-university wide-system of engagement for the student journey. Patriot Connect is maintained by a Center of Excellence that brings together representatives from ITS Enrollment Management University Life and other units across the campuses.About the Position:The Senior Product Manager leads the product management team as part of our Patriot Connect program and drives the strategic vision for our integrated student lifecycle platform. This role serves as the primary product strategist for our Salesforce Education Marketing and Service Cloud implementation and maintenance working to create a comprehensive student 360-degree experience across all university touchpoints. The Senior Product Manager provides product management expertise with a focus on higher education to translate complex university processes into cohesive product strategies. This position works closely with IT development teams functional unit leaders and stakeholders across the institution to ensure our Salesforce platform delivers maximum value to students faculty and staff. This position reports to the Executive Director of Transformation Management and Operations and supervises a team of three product owners.Responsibilities:Strategic Product LeadershipDevelops and owns the comprehensive product roadmap for Patriot Connect the universitys Salesforce platform across Education Marketing and Service Cloud implementations;Defines product vision and strategy that aligns with institutional goals and student success outcomes;Conducts market research and competitive analysis within the higher education technology landscape; andEstablishes product success metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure platform effectiveness.Stakeholder Management & CollaborationPartners with executive leadership and functional unit heads including but not limited to enrollment management university life and academic affairs;Serves as the primary liaison between business stakeholders and IT development teams;Facilitates cross-functional collaboration to ensure product decisions support university-wide objectives; andCommunicates product strategy roadmap updates and progress to senior leadership and stakeholders.Product Development & DeliveryWorks closely with IT scrum teams to provide clear product direction and acceptance criteria;Prioritizes feature development based on user research institutional needs and strategic impact;Leads agile product development processes including sprint planning backlog grooming and release planning; andEnsures product releases meet quality standards and deliver measurable value to end users.User Experience & ResearchConducts user research with students faculty staff and external stakeholders to inform product decisions;Analyzes user behavior data and platform usage patterns to identify optimization opportunities;Champions user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle; andValidates product hypotheses through testing feedback collection and data analysis.Team Development & LeadershipBuilds and leads a high-performing product management organization;Mentors and develops product management talent within the team;Establishes product management best practices processes and governance frameworks; andFosters a culture of data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.Other duties as assignedRequired Qualifications:Bachelors degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;Generally 3-5 years experience in roles with multiple direct reports while working with executive leadership developing technology roadmaps understanding and advocating for stakeholder needs and holding decision-making authority for product development;Demonstrated experience in higher education environments with deep understanding of university operations student lifecycle and institutional processes;Experience managing enterprise software platforms and complex technical implementations;Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud Marketing Cloud and/or Service Cloud implementations;Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing complex multi-stakeholder initiatives;Demonstrated understanding of Salesforce platform capabilities limitations and best practices;Knowledge of CRM systems data integration and enterprise software ecosystems;Familiarity with agile development methodologies and product management tools;Proven track record of developing and executing successful product strategies;Demonstrated analytical skills with experience using data to drive product decisions;Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences; andUnderstanding of user experience design principles and user research methodologies.Preferred Qualifications:Masters degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;Previous experience implementing or managing Salesforce platforms in higher education settings;Experience with change management and organizational transformation initiatives;Knowledge of student information systems learning management systems and other higher education technologies; andFamiliarity with federal regulations affecting higher education (FERPA ADA compliance etc.).Instructions to Applicants:For full consideration applicants must apply forSenior Product Manager at and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information and provide a cover letter and resume for review.Posting Open Date:November 25 2025Posting Close Date:December 9 2025Open Until Filled:NoRequired Experience:Senior IC Key Skills Time Management,Data Analytics,Analytical,Agile,Requirement Gathering,Strategic thinking,Visio,Communication,Problem Solving,Market Research,UML,Cross Functional Teams Employment Type : Full-Time Experience: years Vacancy: 1