About HIEC

HIEC is an innovative not-for-profit social enterprise that focuses on partnership, mentorship and workforce development in Ontario. With over 30 years of experience as an active community-focused organization, HIECs goal is to enhance career education and inspire youth to make informed career decisions.

Why Us?

At HIEC, our goal is to make a positive impact in the career journeys of others, and this also applies to our own internal team! We offer a team environment that encourages innovative ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging so everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. Simply put as possible, we care about our employees (have a look for yourself!)

This role also offers:

- Competitive salary (we included the details!)

- Comprehensive company paid for benefits after 3 months

- Mental Health Supports (Calm App Subscription, Better Help Sessions)

- 2 Weeks Vacation + a Holiday ShutDown

- Hybrid Work Model

- PD/Career Development Opportunities

Position Description

The Product Manager will oversee the organizations websites, including ApprenticeSearch.com and other HIEC-owned websites, driving their strategy, development, and continuous improvement to ensure alignment with organizational goals and user needs. This role is pivotal in managing core product components, from initial concept through development to successful adoption, leveraging best practices in web technology and user experience. With a focus on strategic oversight and hands-on leadership, the Product Manager will play a high-impact role in delivering a seamless and engaging experience across the organizations digital platforms.

Job Responsibilities and Key Accountabilities

Product Development

• Co-define and communicate the product vision, strategy and objectives with the development team and applicable stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding of the overall direction of the product.
• Create and maintain a prioritized product backlog by collaborating with stakeholders to gather requirements, prioritize items and ensure the backlog is refined and ready for development.
• Participate in all aspects of the product development lifecycle, including analysis, design, testing, and integration.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define product requirements and prioritize features.
• Work collaboratively with business development to conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify market trends, customer needs, and opportunities.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including IT, operations, and marketing, to define, deliver, and support cutting-edge technologies.
• Meet with the Marketing Manager, Program Manager, and other stakeholders to learn more about what is required of the platform and ensure that product features appeal to users and capabilities; meet with representatives from all facets of the organization to develop product(s) and related processes while considering all of the organizations operations.
• Work with users, marketing, program, and other stakeholders to identify key business use cases that drive enhancements and requirements in the product development process.
• Act as the voice of the customer/user within the organization
• Deliver Market Requirement Documents and Product Requirement Documents with prioritized features and corresponding justification.
• Work with external third parties to assess partnerships and licensing opportunities.
• Collaborate with marketing to develop core positioning and messaging for our websites.
• Perform product demos for various stakeholder audiences.
• Create and maintain product documentation.
• Conduct market research and analyze competitor websites to ensure a cutting-edge user experience and feature set.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for website direction, managing cross-department communication regarding website updates and enhancements.
• Oversee UX/UI design efforts, ensuring sites provide an accessible, engaging, and intuitive user experience.
• Use analytics and user feedback to identify pain points and prioritize improvements.
• Monitor website performance using analytics tools to drive improvements and inform future development.
• Develop and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to track user engagement and website effectiveness.

Project Management

• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure successful product development, launch, and lifecycle management.
• Ensure that applicable project management practices are followed throughout project lifecycles.
• Collaborate with administrators, users, and other applicable staff to set project parameters, prioritize feature requests, and establish release roadmaps.
• Develop project goals, work plans, timelines, and coordinate resources, including implementation strategies, while tracking progress.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including presenting product plans and progress updates.
• Develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders, understanding their needs and ensuring alignment with the product roadmap.
• Act as the primary point of contact for product-related communication across teams, including development, strategic relations, customer support, and marketing
• Develop budgets for projects and make recommendations.

Product Performance and Optimization

• Stay informed on new or emerging trends and technologies that benefit the organization, business partners, and/or customers.
• Ensure a seamless user experience through continuous optimization and enhancements based on customer usage data and feedback.
• Strategically gather user feedback to guide product improvements and new feature development.
• Present product updates, feature demonstrations, and progress reports to senior leadership and other team members.

Executive Functions

• Ensure compliance with department and organizational policies.
• Any other duties as assigned or required of an Executive Member.

Qualifications to Succeed:

• A bachelors degree or diploma in Computer Science, Engineering, or Information Technology. An equivalent combination of experience, training, and education may be considered.
• 5 7 years of experience in product management, managing web applications and/or digital products.
• Experience in software development and product transformation, with a strong track record of revamping legacy products into modern, innovative solutions. Ideally, experience includes reimagining existing products to better meet current market needs and trends.
• Expertise in Ruby on Rails, knowledge of PostgreSQL, web frameworks like React and Vue, and other modern technologies are strong assets.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification is an asset
• Exceptional experience writing technical scope
• Demonstrated ability to understand and translate complex business problems into scalable technical solutions.
• In-depth knowledge of Agile processes and principles.
• Familiarity with software development, APIs, and technology platforms is an asset.
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 Platform, including Azure, One Drive and Office.
• Knowledge of Data Security and Cyber Security fundamentals.

Key Competencies:

• Strong leadership and project management skills; strong understanding of project management principles and practices.
• Proven ability to create and manage product roadmaps, with a history of successfully launching and iterating on products.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data-driven decision-making; analyze performance metrics and identify growth opportunities
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to articulate product vision and updates to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency with product management tools (e.g., Jira).
• Dedication to continuous learning and improvement within the team.
• Strong discipline in change management practices, ensuring smooth transitions and operational stability.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, showing initiative, strategic thinking, and a results-driven approach.
• Ability to quickly analyze issues and determine the best course of action using available resources.
• A high degree of resourcefulness, flexibility, and adaptability.
• Robust problem-solving and debugging skills to quickly identify and resolve issues
• A well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skills.
• Thorough knowledge of Canadian provincial and federal information security and privacy laws.
• Ability to define a clear product vision that aligns with the Organizations visions and goals
• Strong ability to use Digital Analytical tools

Working Conditions:

• Travel required within Ontario or Canada for presentations, partnership meetings, conferences, etc.
• Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) and/or Criminal Background check will be required

Salary Grade 9: $90,854.68 - $121,139.57

Target Hiring Range: $90,854.68 100,000

We thank everyone who submits an application for their interest! This job opening represents an existing vacancy. Although our team is mighty, it's still small; only successful applicants will be contacted. To ensure that each candidate's journey is consistent and that it is a fair and equitable hiring process, we will not respond to any personal messages regarding this role.

HIEC is committed to equity and creating a respectful and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the broad diversity of communities we work with. This includes people who identify as immigrants, refugees, women, Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ2S+ people of colour, and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for qualified candidates during each stage of the recruitment process. Please note that candidates applying for Canadian job openings should be authorized to work in Canada. Please contact Human Resources by phone at (905) 634-2575 ext. 107