Head of Product – Green Seal

This is a remote position.

Date: April 2022 

Position Type: Full-time 

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Department: Science and Standards 

Reports to: CEO (Chief Executive Officer) 

Location: Washington DC, or remote location. 

 

About Us: 

Green Seal® is the leading U.S. ecolabel, symbolizing transparency, integrity, and proven environmental leadership. We develop life-cycle-based standards and certify products and services that meet strict criteria for human health, reduced environmental impacts, and effective performance. Operating as a nonprofit since its founding in 1989, Green Seal has certified thousands of products and services in over 450 categories, and is specified by countless schools, government agencies, businesses, and institutions. 

 

Job Summary: 

The Head of Product is responsible for driving the design, development, launch, and maintenance of standards and other product offerings for the organization. The Head of Product also serves as the leader of the department of Science and Standards.  The Head of Product is responsible for ensuring all standards and other product offerings are developed in accordance with Green Seal’s Standard Development Process, which balances responsiveness to the market with technical rigor, while providing scalability and standardization for the organization. In addition to leading the development of new standards and ongoing standards maintenance, this position is responsible for implementing continuous improvement across Green Seal’s body of standards and internal processes. The Head of Product also serves as a spokesperson for Green Seal’s market transformation goals and approach and builds strategic partnerships with key stakeholders. 

   

Essential Job Functions: 

 

Oversight of New Product Design, Development, Maintenance and Periodic Revisions 

·       Ensure Standards and other product offerings are developed in accordance with the Green Seal Standards Development Process including the following steps:  

§  Oversee ongoing scientific and technical research to identify new opportunities for health and environmental impact reduction in the green products and services marketplace   

§  Conduct market analysis using quantitative and qualitative information and collect input from key stakeholders, advisory groups, advocacy organizations, industry associations, and others 

§  Fully document all product requirements including those of both a technical and marketing nature  

§  Create buy-in for the product vision both internally and with key external stakeholders 

§  Research and develop fluency in technical issues relevant to the product market  

§  Develop draft criteria and supporting technical summaries in accordance with product technical and marketing requirements documents 

§  Ensure transparency and openness of the development process including public notification/public comment 

§  Oversee cross-departmental product teams to ensure the full suite of launch materials for each new product being developed, including marketing and communications pieces, implementation tools, certification submittals templates, program FAQs and other items.  

§  Ensure a smooth product launch  

 

Manage a distributed team of Product Managers 

·       Oversees product development process, working with individual project/product managers to ensure the process is implemented properly throughout the product development steps. 

·       Acts as the central hub within Green Seal for critical information about all standard development and maintenance projects, technical issues, related markets, competitors, clients, prospects, key industry analysts, and many other constituencies. 

 

Ownership of Specific Products 

·       Also plays the role of product manager and takes the lead in developing specific new standards and other offerings.  Ensures these are developed in accordance with the Green Seal Standards Development Process as referenced above.   

·       Defines the product strategy and roadmap 

·       Manages the product throughout the Product Lifecycle, which includes gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, defining the product vision, and working closely with all departments (sales, marketing, operations, certification) to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met. 

·       Understands the competitive landscape for the product 

·       Creates buy-in for the product vision both internally and with key external partners  

·       Conducts stakeholder interviews and user testing 

·       Acts as a product evangelist to build awareness and understanding 

·       Represents the company by meeting with participants and stakeholders to solicit feedback on Green Seal’s standards criteria as well as its policy positions on a range of technical and scientific topics  

 

Ensures Impact and Effectiveness of Green Seal Standards and Other Products 

·       Creates and maintains an annual Work Plan, which includes project milestones, timelines and resource plans for all standards and other products (includes new standard development, standard revisions as well as ongoing standards maintenance) 

·       Develops strong internal guidelines and standard operating procedures to enhance the product development process  

·       Gains a deep understanding of customer experience, identifying and filling product gaps across Green Seal’s portfolio of standards and other offerings, and generates innovative ideas that grow market share, improve customer experience and drive growth. 

·       Drives product launches, working with marketing/communications, technology and sales teams, executives, and other product management team members.  

·       Represents the organization by meeting with participants and stakeholders to solicit feedback on Green Seal’s standards criteria as well as its policy positions on a range of technical and scientific topics  

·       Performs staff reviews and approvals (e.g., timesheet and expense report approval, performance reviews, etc.) 

·       Performs other duties as required.  

Requirements

Education, Experience, & Credentials 

Required 

·       Bachelor’s Degree (environmental science and policy or sustainability a plus) 

·       8-10 years of relevant work experience 

·       Experience in product management, product design, agile delivery, business analysis or data science 

·       Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs and project management applications  

Preferred 

·       Master’s degree a plus 

·       Experience developing consensus-based standards involving stakeholder engagement is strongly preferred 

·       Training and/or experience in Lean | Six-Sigma a plus 

·       Strong understanding of green product market and surrounding business communities 

 

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities): 

You are:  

·       A critical thinker who proactively identifies problems and proposes solutions 

·       Someone who is outstanding at managing multiple projects while delivering exceptional results 

·       A life-long learner who uses best practices and innovation to connect and align with others 

Skills & Abilities: 

·       Integrity: Commitment to Green Seal’s mission and values 

·       Inspirational Leadership: Demonstrated values-based, results-driven leadership.  

·       Collegiality: Strong work ethic and experience working collaboratively with a team.  

·       Efficiency/Initiative: Ability to learn quickly, juggle multiple tasks, prioritize effectively and meet deadlines.