Head of Product Management

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Zambia.

📋 Description

• Oversee the product strategy, development, implementation, and operational oversight for Healthy Learners’ technical products and third-party tools utilized in the School Health Program.

• Facilitate nationwide rollouts throughout Zambia and prepare for regional expansion across multiple countries.

• Connect engineering, program delivery, and NGO stakeholder engagement to ensure that solutions are secure, scalable, user-friendly, and aligned with the mission.

• This position involves limited direct interaction with children.

• The ideal candidate is expected to adhere to Healthy Learners' Child Safeguarding Policy and standards at all times, ensuring that all learning materials and activities foster safe, respectful, inclusive, and child-centered practices.

• Define and manage the product roadmap for Healthy Learners’ technical solutions (including internal platforms, mobile/tablet clinical applications, analytics/dashboards, and integrations with third-party tools) in alignment with program objectives and funder requirements.

• Prioritize features and deployments based on impact, compliance, cost, and risk criteria; maintain a transparent product backlog and release schedule.

• Collaborate with engineering/technical teams and external vendors to convert program requirements into technical specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria.

• Supervise the software development lifecycle: design, sprints, quality assurance, user acceptance testing, release management, and post-release monitoring.

• Ensure secure and resilient integrations (APIs, ETL, Snowflake, cloud providers) and manage technical dependencies with third-party platforms.

• Lead comprehensive deployments of digital tools for the School Health Program at a national scale: planning pilots, rollouts, training, device provisioning, offline/online synchronization strategies, and regional adaptations.

• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams (program, monitoring and evaluation, field operations, IT/security, procurement, partners) to facilitate smooth deployment and adoption.

• Define and manage product KPIs and operational service level agreements (uptime, synchronization success, data completeness), and create dashboards and alerts for live monitoring.

• Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation teams to analyze usage, outcomes, and data quality; translate insights into product enhancements and program modifications.

• Assess, select, contract, and manage third-party software vendors and partners; ensure compliance with contractual service level agreements, security, and data protection standards (including Zambia DPA 2021), and performance monitoring.

• Act as the internal product advocate across Healthy Learners, communicating the roadmap, trade-offs, and timelines to leadership, donors, government partners (Ministry of Education/Health), and field teams.

• Build and lead a small product team (including product managers, product owners, and business analysts) and provide mentorship to team members.

• Ensure that products comply with data protection, security, and ethical standards; coordinate Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and establish appropriate controls for children’s data.

• Develop and maintain processes for incident response, change management, and quality assurance.

⛳️ Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Public Health, International Development, or a related field.

• Over 6 years of experience in product management or program/product leadership within technology deployments; experience in NGOs, public health, or international development is highly preferred.

• Proven experience managing software development lifecycles, product teams, and third-party integrations.

• Practical technical literacy (ability to interpret technical designs, APIs, data flows, cloud infrastructure) and experience with mobile data collection platforms, analytics stacks (e.g., Snowflake, BI tools), or relevant health technology systems.

• Experience in deploying digital solutions at scale, preferably in resource-limited or offline settings.

• Demonstrated ability to manage government or institutional stakeholders and fulfill donor reporting requirements.

• Strong product intuition and a user-centered design approach.

• Exceptional project management capabilities: planning, prioritization, and delivery under constraints.

• Proficiency in cross-functional collaboration and diplomacy, working effectively with engineers, program teams, government stakeholders, and funders.

• Data-driven decision-making skills and comfort with monitoring and evaluation metrics.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to produce concise briefs and donor reports.

• Cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and a commitment to the mission of Healthy Learners.

• Certifications: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent.

• Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation frameworks and health program indicators.

• Knowledge of the Zambia Data Protection Act 2021, GDPR, and relevant regional and national privacy/security best practices.

• Prior experience in scaling government-run programs and integrating with national health and education systems.

• Must be situated regionally within Africa-friendly time zones, with occasional travel to Zambia required to facilitate visits to schools, provincial offices, and regional partner sites (less than 25% travel time).

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunity for Impact: Contribute significantly to a program that enhances health outcomes for millions of schoolchildren, shaping the future of communities throughout Africa.

• Competitive Compensation: Enjoy a competitive salary and benefits package that reflects your expertise and dedication.

• Professional Growth: Benefit from ongoing training, leadership opportunities, and involvement in innovative projects that challenge and inspire you.

• Supportive Culture: Become part of a passionate, dedicated team that values collaboration and mutual support, fostering an environment where all contributions are acknowledged.

• Networking Opportunities: Collaborate with international organizations to expand your network and influence within the public health sector.