Head of Product, Teaching Simulator

• Title: Head of Product, Teaching Simulator
• Location: Flexible within the US
• Type: Full-time
• Priority application deadline: May 5, 2025

The Organization

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of K-12 educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Our mission is to ensure that all students are taught by excellent educators, in order to build a more just world where every student has a clear path to a fulfilling life. Founded in 2011, Relay Graduate School of Education is an innovative institution dedicated to transforming the field of educator preparation. Relay has built a nationwide network that reaches 4,000 teachers and 1,200 school leaders annually, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to impact classrooms and communities significantly.

The Opportunity

The Head of Product, Teaching Simulator, will lead product development for a new Relay operating unit tasked with developing an innovative AI-powered Teaching Simulator based upon Relay’s widely respected expertise in K-12 teacher training. The Teaching Simulator will offer educators everywhere high-quality, accessible and affordable on-demand practice and feedback opportunities so they can continuously build and refine the skills and behaviors required to lead students to empowering experiences and excellent academic outcomes. 

Reporting to Relay’s President, the Head of Product is responsible for developing the Teaching Simulator product. The Head of Product will also work closely with Relay’s Board of Trustees and other stakeholders  to raise the additional resources to launch and grow the product line. 

Relay’s leadership has already put some preliminary building blocks in place, including raising start-up philanthropic capital, catalyzing a Simulator Advisory Group consisting of leaders in the field including UnboundEd, Teach for America and Teaching Works at University of Michigan; building several early prototypes; and drafting a business plan with support from a team at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Relay was also selected through a competitive process to join the New Schools Venture Fund “Teaching Reimagined,” a cohort of innovators across different education organizations.

The successful candidate will have experience in start-up initiatives, including developing and scaling tech-enabled products/services, preferably in the education and/or training sectors. They will be a customer and data-driven product leader who relentlessly pursues the optimal product-market fit. They will have a track record of managing cross-functional internal and external teams to support the development, launch and growth of innovative product lines.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The essential responsibilities of this position, while not limited to the following, will include: 

Overall Product Leadership

• Set the vision, targets, and KPIs for product development.
• Regularly communicate product development progress, data-driven insights and metrics to foster buy-in and visibility across internal and external stakeholders.
• Continuously monitor trends in technology – especially EdTech, skills training, gaming and other relevant sectors –  to anticipate and adapt to current and emerging market needs; share important information and insights with Relay’s executive team.
• As needed, support Relay’s board and current stakeholders with fundraising efforts (e.g., mission-driven investors, angel investors, seed funders, and possibly venture capital investors, etc.) to fuel continued growth.
• Collaborate with Relay’s sales team to support the launch and marketing of the Teaching Simulator product.

Product Planning and Execution

• Develop the product roadmap for a high-growth AI-powered teaching simulator product through inception, discovery, and design, while balancing impact, feasibility, and cost, and establishing clear product goals and success metrics.
• Develop and manage a product development budget that balances short-term tactical goals with long-term strategic priorities that support future product development.
• Create processes that relentlessly focus on optimizing product-market fit by collecting and analyzing customer feedback from buyers and end-users, market trends and performance metrics to continuously enhance the product and drive business goals.
• Engage a cross-functional team to support all phases of product development, including leveraging Relay experts and intellectual capital to ensure curricular integrity.
• Identify and manage external technology and other partners that can assist with product development, customer testing and scaling the product line.
• Cultivate a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning within the team, promoting alignment with organizational mission and objectives.
• Work with Relay instructional experts and simulator advisors from across the education sector to identify and cultivate relationships with potential pilot partners. 

 Qualifications

First and foremost, the Head of Product, Teaching Simulator must share the Relay community’s commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. Additionally, for this position we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• Proven entrepreneurial leadership experience developing a technology enabled product within a pure start-up and/or an existing organization. 
• 5+ years of experience in product strategy and management, design, strategy development, and operational planning, including familiarity with Agile methodology and the Agile development life cycle; robust AI development experience is a notable plus.
• Proven track record of guiding products from ideation through build to launch and managing post-launch product iterations.
• Expertise in product experimentation, A/B testing, and making data-informed roadmap decisions.
• Strong cross-functional management experience, particularly with content experts and go-to-market and customer success teams.
• Experience leading teams in a remote or hybrid work environment.
• Preferred: knowledge of the education space, including Edtech/training sectors.
• Preferred: experience with developing B2B2C and/or SaaS products.

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

Compensation

Relay is committed to creating and maintaining a compensation and benefits system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team.  As we make decisions about compensation, we will be guided by the following values: clarity, consistency, and internal equity. The salary for this role is $227,000. New hires will be offered this salary to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee’s time at Relay GSE.

To ensure internal pay equity:

• Relay does not currently differentiate starting salary offers based on years of experience,
• All staff salaries will be capped at the salary range maximum, and
• Relay does not negotiate salary offers.

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay’s benefits, please visit here. 

Work Location Policy

This is a remote position within the U.S. Employees must have a primary work location within the U.S., where they are legally authorized to work. Relay is a registered employer in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Washington DC. Please note that Relay Graduate School of Education's headquarters are in New York City. Employees who choose to perform work from states not listed here will be subject to NYC and state withholdings.

Procedure for Candidacy

Consideration of candidates will continue until the position is filled. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter through the www.relay.edu/careers. 

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Relay highly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine. Relay abides by each state’s requirements, and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you will have the chance to ask your recruiter more about this policy.

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.