Associate Product Manager, New Grad

About the role

The Associate Product Manager program is designed to immerse new graduates in the end-to-end product lifecycle at IXL Learning, providing structured mentorship and executive visibility. You will own the deep understanding of student, teacher, and parent needs, translating those insights into clear requirements and feature designs. This role involves gathering requirements, defining goals, and making feature design decisions that balance user needs with product strategy. You will produce detailed written specifications and collaborate closely with visual designers and engineers to turn concepts into shipped features. The position requires delivering value by developing features that reach millions of learners and educators across multiple product areas. You will work cross-functionally with teams including Engineering, Visual Design, and Marketing to ensure successful launches. This is an opportunity to leave a lasting impact on education by tackling real-world challenges in K-12 learning.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Conduct user research to deeply understand the needs of students, teachers, and parents across diverse contexts.
• Translate ambiguous problems into clear goals and success metrics that guide product decisions.
• Define detailed feature requirements and user flows that communicate intent to design and engineering teams.
• Partner with visual designers to craft clean, intuitive, and innovative user interfaces aligned with IXL Learning design principles.
• Collaborate with engineers to validate technical feasibility and align technical designs with product objectives.
• Prioritize work items and manage tradeoffs to deliver maximum value under constraints of time and resources.
• Write comprehensive product specifications that document functionality, behavior, and edge cases for development.
• Support implementation by attending sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives to ensure alignment.
• Test features thoroughly and use data and qualitative feedback to iterate on product improvements.
• Take ownership of specific product areas and drive them from initial brainstorming through launch and post-launch optimization.
• Communicate progress and rationale to stakeholders, including executives, using clear and concise narratives.
• Continuously explore emerging technologies and educational practices to identify opportunities for innovation.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to team processes that improve product quality and delivery.
• Act as the user advocate within cross-functional discussions to preserve the learner experience.
• Help build long-term product roadmaps that balance strategic initiatives with urgent user needs.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in a STEM field or a related discipline.
• Demonstrate technical abilities, with some coursework or experience in computer programming and web technologies being preferred.
• Exhibit highly developed analytical-reasoning and problem-solving skills, applying them independently to complex challenges.
• Show strong written and spoken communication skills, with an emphasis on clarity and conciseness.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams.
• Display enthusiasm for tackling difficult problems from initial goal assessment through detailed execution.
• Be an exceptionally organized self-starter who thrives under pressure and manages competing priorities.
• Maintain a curious, open-minded attitude with an unfailingly positive approach to learning and feedback.
• Express interest in design thinking, with some coursework or experience in UI/UX design being helpful.
• Show interest in K-12 education, where classroom or teaching experience is considered a plus.
• Be prepared to work in the San Mateo, CA, headquarters office on-site.
• Be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship for this position.

Nice to have

• Previous experience in education technology, tutoring, or academic settings.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and tools.
• Basic understanding of data analysis and interpretation.
• Experience with prototyping or wireframing tools.
• Knowledge of accessibility principles in product design.

Practical notes

This role requires in-office work at the San Mateo, CA headquarters. The compensation range provided reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay, and individual offers may vary based on location, skills, experience, and education. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.