Product Manager, Curriculum

About hand2mind:

For more than 60 years, hand2mind has inspired learning through play by creating hands‑on, classroom‑tested materials that help children learn by doing. We’re a growing, family-owned company recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and trusted by teachers and families alike. We create a wide range of educational products - classroom tools like Hands-on Standards®, consumer products for NumberBlocks®, and innovative items like our new BubblePlush™ Yoga Balls. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

Team & Position Description:

We are currently seeking a Product Manager, Curriculum to join our team of custom solutions experts. In this role, you will interface with curriculum publishers and school districts in the development of custom kits designed for use by PreK – 12 students and teachers in schools and educational institutions nationwide. Consulting with our clients’ product managers, editorial teams, and educational sales consultants, you will leverage hand2mind’s industry-leading kit development process to design and cost custom kit bundles to meet the unique needs of each client. Working cross-functionally with our supply chain and planning teams as a subject matter expert, you will assist in the timely sourcing, planning, and assembly of kits and the on-going maintenance of clients’ kit portfolios.

What you’ll do day to day:

• Correlate clients’ product specifications to hand2mind’s vast product master to create kit component bill of material structures using Excel templates.
• Review clients’ curriculum activities to accurately select components and provide options designed to meet clients’ price, quality, and learning objectives.
• Perform activity experiments as needed to ensure efficacy of components and to provide clients with activity results and editorial comments.
• As the subject matter expert on kit design and hands-on materials, you will participate in sales discovery calls with our education sales consultants and school district customers and prospects as needed.
• Prepare client and custom school quotes based on customer budget targets and hand2minds profit goals determined by Director of Product Development and Senior Manager of Custom Solutions
• Work with hand2mind’s quality and compliance team to ensure kit components and label meet applicable governmental safety standards and clients’ performance standards.
• Assist in the sourcing of unique components as needed.
• Use Microsoft Excel and Monday project management applications on a regular basis to organize product details and kit pricing.
• Perform other duties for this role as assigned and necessary.

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives):

• Within 60 days:
• learn and demonstrate proficiency navigating the product master and accurately correlating customer requests to create price quotes.
• demonstrate functional knowledge of bills of materials (BOM) structure.
• Within 90 days:
• facilitate the kit prototype process and create BOM uploads using Excel following required formatting and data standards.
• learn and demonstrate the ability to work within Monday.com project management software to retrieve tasks, update projects and close out completed items.
• Within 6 months:
• develop foundational product knowledge including functional use, grade level appropriateness and key differentiators across products.
• communicate effectively with internal sales representatives and customers to develop kits that meet the end-users’ learning objectives and budget requirements.
• Within one year, with minimal oversight, manage assigned projects from initiation through completion including setting up, organizing and maintaining all project tasks in Monday.com.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum 4 years of Classroom teaching or educational product management/editorial experience
• High school science curriculum experience preferred
• Proficient working in a computer environment
• Microsoft Office Suite: Intermediate level Word/Excel/Outlook

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer. Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time. Compensation Range: $75,000 – $85,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here). #hand2mind