Director, Product Operations

Job Description

The Opportunity 

Coursedog is looking for a dynamic, AI-forward product operations leader to be the operational backbone of our Product & Engineering organization. As Coursedog’s Director, Product Operations, you’ll serve as the operational backbone of our Product & Engineering organization, shaping how we build, deliver, and improve at scale. Reporting to the SVP of Operations, you’ll own the systems, processes, data, and governance frameworks that enable teams to move with speed, clarity, and confidence. You’ll partner closely with Product, Engineering, Customer Experience, and GTM to translate strategy into execution and ensure a seamless, scalable Product Development Lifecycle from discovery through launch and beyond.

This is a high-impact, cross-functional role that blends strategy with hands-on execution. You’ll design and operationalize an AI-augmented PDLC, own and evolve core systems like Jira and our product tech stack, and build the reporting and feedback loops that drive better decisions across the business. If you’re a builder who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys creating structure from the ground up, and is excited about using AI to improve how teams work, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful, lasting impact.

This role offers a competitive base salary ranging from $150,000-$165,000, depending on experience. The position also includes a performance-based variable compensation plan, bringing the total on-target earnings (OTE) to $180,000-$210,000 when goals are met.

Requirements

What You'll Own

AI-Driven Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC)

• Own the end-to-end PDLC framework from discovery and prioritization through delivery, launch, and post-launch evaluation by embedding AI tooling to improve speed, quality, and consistency.
• Identify and deploy AI-assisted workflows for spec generation, roadmap synthesis, release note drafting, retrospective summarization, and dependency mapping using tools such as Notion AI, Claude Cowork, GitHub Copilot, and LLM-based assistants.
• Champion an AI-first mindset across Product & Engineering, not just in what we build, but in how we operate day-to-day.
• Integrate launch readiness, enablement, and adoption milestones into core planning and delivery workflows powered by AI so nothing falls through the cracks between build and go-to-market. Define and enforce release gates, quality standards, and rollout protocols to reduce post-launch risk.
• Run the operating rhythm of the Product & Engineering org: sprint reviews, planning ceremonies, leadership syncs, and quarterly business reviews driven by AI summaries.

Jira Administration & Systems Ownership

• Serve as the primary architect and administrator of Coursedog's Jira instance owning hierarchy design, workflow configuration, permission schemes, custom fields, automation rules, dashboards, and Advanced Roadmaps.
• Drive adoption of Jira best practices across Product and Engineering, including standards for epics, stories, bugs, and cross-team dependencies.
• Strategically manage the broader product tech stack (Jira, Pendo, Tableau, Roadmunk) to establish a single source of truth for product and delivery data reducing noise, increasing signal, and enabling leadership to self-serve on portfolio health.

Data Management, Reporting & KPIs

• Own the build and maintenance of dashboards that surface KPIs across product performance, team execution, sprint delivery, and customer satisfaction using BI tools such as Tableau.
• Define, track, and analyze internal metrics including product profitability, spend allocation, velocity, cycle time, and defect rates.
• Establish channels and systems for gathering quantitative and qualitative customer feedback (e.g., in-app surveys, NPS, support ticket themes) and synthesizing insights into actionable product signals.

Support Operations

• Own the operational health of the Support function including SLA frameworks, escalation workflows, and support-to-product feedback loops.
• Build a closed-loop system, aka a Voice of the Customer Program, between Support and Product so that customer pain surfaces quickly and informs roadmap prioritization.
• Partner with Customer Success and Product leadership to triage high-severity issues, manage incident response, and drive resolution.
• Identify patterns in support data to proactively surface product quality and documentation gaps.

What You’ll Bring

Must-Haves

• 7+ years of experience in Product Operations, R&D Operations, or Technical Program Management within a B2B SaaS environment, ideally at a high-growth company with a multi-product portfolio.
• Deep, hands-on Jira expertise: you have directly architected and administered a Jira instance, including workflow design, automation, and Advanced Roadmaps. Bonus for experience migrating teams into Jira from scratch.
• Demonstrated track record designing, implementing, and optimizing PDLC processes with measurable adoption across cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on, current experience using AI tools in day-to-day product operations work — prompt-based research, spec drafting, retrospective synthesis, workflow automation, and analytics summarization.
• Hands-on experience building and maintaining dashboards using BI tools (Tableau, Looker, Metabase, or similar).
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills — you are comfortable with data modeling, defining KPIs, and translating complex data into clear executive narratives.
• Exceptional communication skills with proven ability to operate at the C-suite level.

Nice-to-Haves

• PMP, PgMP, or SAFe certification.
• Familiarity with Jira Product Discovery (JPD) and Jira Advanced Roadmaps.
• Experience with customer feedback platforms (Pendo, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Productboard).
• Experience owning or closely partnering on Support Operations, including tooling, SLA design, and product feedback loops.
• Background that spans both technical program management and product operations.
• Experience scaling a Product Ops function from early-stage to growth.

Not sure if you should apply? Research shows that women and people from underrepresented backgrounds are less likely to apply unless they meet every qualification listed. At Coursedog, we’re focused on finding the best person for the role, and that person may come from a non-traditional background. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement — our evaluation focuses on your ability to thrive in this role and make an impact.

Why This Role

• Direct line to the C-Level as your work shapes how the entire product organization operates.
• High-impact scope spanning Product, Engineering, PMO, and Support.
• A company that genuinely believes great operations is a competitive advantage.

Benefits

About Coursedog

At Coursedog, our mission is simple but ambitious: to break down barriers to student success.

Founded by former college students who were frustrated by outdated academic systems, Coursedog was built to empower higher ed administrators to deliver exceptional educational experiences and make it easier for students to achieve their goals. Since then, we’ve grown into a platform trusted by institutions across the country.

Coursedog is the Intelligent Academic Operations Platform, empowering 400+ colleges and universities to better serve over 3.3 million students. Our platform brings together academic scheduling, curriculum and catalog management, assessment, and workflow automation — all designed to adapt to each institution’s unique needs and remove administrative roadblocks so educators can focus on helping students succeed.

We’re a remote-first, fast-growing company and a Forbes Top 500 U.S. Startup Employer, with a culture that prioritizes engagement, ownership, and impact. If you’re excited about solving meaningful problems, working with thoughtful teammates, and improving education at scale, you’ll feel right at home at Coursedog.

Working at Coursedog

Healthcare, Dental & Vision

We follow a fixed contribution model to promote equity and transparency. Every employee receives the same annual dollar amount to apply toward medical, dental, and vision coverage. This approach gives you the flexibility to choose the plan that best fits your needs, whether that is a base-level option or more comprehensive coverage.

Depending on the selected coverage level, the company covers:

• Employee-only coverage: 65% to 99% of monthly premiums
• Employee plus dependents: 45% to 75% of monthly premiums

We partner with Aetna and Guardian, and offer access to best-in-class wellness and support programs, including:

• Spring Health (mental health support)
• XP Health (vision benefits)
• Carrot Fertility (family planning support)
• One Medical (primary care)

We also support pre-tax savings through Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).

Retirement Planning

To support long-term financial health, we offer a Safe Harbor 401(k) plan from day one of employment. Coursedog provides a 4% employer match on your total compensation (subject to federal limits) each pay period for employees contributing to a tax-advantaged retirement account.

Paid Time Off

We trust our employees to manage their time responsibly. That’s why we offer an unlimited Paid Time Off policy — because flexibility and balance are critical for sustained excellence and personal well-being.

Remote-First Since Inception

We were built for distributed work. Our culture emphasizes flexibility over rigidity, outcomes over hours, and transparency over gatekeeping. We are committed to being a remote-first organization indefinitely, empowering you to work where and how you thrive best.

Equity

As a valued contributor to our collective success, you’ll participate in the upside. All employees are granted equity in the company aligned to your role and tenure. Equity grants are reviewed and adjusted with promotions to reflect your evolving impact.

Paid Parental Leave

We proudly support working parents with industry-leading benefits. Employees are eligible for up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave. This benefit is available to all eligible employees, regardless of gender or family structure.