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Apply to be IslamicFamily.ca's Product Manager

Apply to be IslamicFamily.ca's Product Manager

How tech can Transform non-profits (2m video)…

Details

Duration

Permanent – We want to grow this role into the head of innovation & technology

Hours

We’re flexible. We have a timeline for the product, not you.

Compensation

$70k-150k – Depending on experience. We’re open to freelancers & firms

Location

Hybrid - We want to do the product kick-off in Edmonton & have some in-person touch points along the way. 

Reporting to

Executive Director

Close Date

When the right candidate is found. Apply Soon!

Inclusivity

We welcome all candidates. 


About the products…

As Product Manager, you will be responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and allocating features to buildout and maintain "Transform" & "Amplify." Using startup-then scale-up methodologies. We need an effective approach to product management because we want to build the right product(s), monitor the output of development teams, ongoing feature development, experiments and eventually existing solutions running in production to determine their effectiveness.

You will work closely with the executive director, an outsourced development team (that you will build), outsourced UX group, and more.

Initial products…

Transform [share.islamicfamily.ca/transform].

Transform is an intake, assessment and case management system for the social services sector that is focussed on transformational goals. We want to leverage technology, machine learning, predictive analysis, modern databases & client focussed UI to help people succeed at life-changing goals.

Status: MetaLab.ca (the designers of Slack) has invested $150k+ in development and helped us arrive at a clear MVP with near fully articulated UI/UX. [MVP List | Prototype]. We have validated and tested product assumptions via internal  prototypes and customer consultation. We are now ready to move from prototype to product and our goal is to be doing internal testing of the tool in the next 3-5 months. 


Amplify [share.islamicfamily.ca/amplify]

Amplify is an existing white labeled product that we want to bring to Edmonton. Our goal is to strengthen local businesses while increasing dignity, choice, & connection for those we serve through a sustainable & proven system that integrates multi-vendor loyalty rewards, local currency, and more efficient payments. 

Status: We have a partnership with the developer. Your role will be to lead a slight UI/UX refresh of the app, localizing it to Edmonton (the app has already been localized to Brandon & Winnipeg), supporting/overseeing rollout. 


Who we’re looking for… 

This is a role for someone who…

  • Is passionate about system change
  • Builds collaboratively with feedback from different stakeholders (many of whom will not be technical) 
  • Focusses on building capacity to grow and support technology products long-term
  • Commits to building with a future focus that supports clients owning their own data & inter-agency collaboration 
  • Will monitor where our strategy is failing as it is exposed to testing and determine the right pivots to improve it
  • Highly focused on moving from prototype to go-to-market (we want our team to be testing/using this product in spring)
  • Researches product trends to see how they may apply to the social sector
  • Will take a future focussed approach to building/selecting Transform’s foundation and ensure the build is optimized for  supporting collaboration between agencies &  giving clients ownership of their data down the road
  • Is comfortable working with the existing assumptions and validation

Development philosophy

  • High level of care for user experience, design, aesthetic, and creating moments of delight 
  • Eager to build in the open & using open source methods
  • Lean, agile & design thinking 

Product experience

  • Has experience managing a competitive RFP process and/or who comes with existing developer relationships & preferably a ready to build full-stack dev team 
  • Writing requirements/ user stories, and developing test, release, and feedback plans
  • Working collaboratively with experts from social services as well as machine learning, software development, and UI teams/contractors/collaborators to ensure clear communication of objectives, prioritization, iteration, and successful delivery
  • Support user journey mapping (alongside social workers) 

Behaviours

  • Motivate and collaborate with social purpose partners 
  • Excited to work with a team of social workers and non-profits to get from messiness to elegance; highlight gaps between values and practices and identify practical solutions. 
  • Empathizing and able to think through the challenges encountered by people who lack first language literacy when using technology
  • Translating vision into a detailed and coherent product roadmap

Basic Qualifications

  • Experience as a Product Manager for technology products
  • MBA, Bachelors in a technical field, or equivalent experience
  • Confident, clear, and concise communication
  • Professional interaction with customers, including executives
  • Ability to travel internationally & visit marginalized populations (proof of vaccine will be required)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in a startup (whether successful or not)
  • Experience with the full life cycle of a product, from conception to revenue
  • Experience with machine learning
  • Knowledge of additional functional areas such as Engineering, Sales, UX/UI, Customer Support, Marketing, and Finance
  • Certification or training in Product Management through organizations such as Pragmatic Marketing or Scaled Agile
  • Experience in social enterprise development / impact economy

What we’re looking for (Deliverables)…

In the next 3-5m we need you to…

  • Take Transform to an internally usable prototype [MVP List | Prototype]
  • Develop/Drive product road maps for growth
  • Help bring Amplify to our local market; this will involve leading a UI/UX refresh with the existing developer  
  • Zealously help internal team meet developer requirement gathering needs
  • Help team reach critical milestones



About Islamic Family…

People come to Islamic Family for support with security, safety and growth. We serve over 5000 clients every month, runs Edmonton's second largest food bank, provides aid in financial crisis, supports victims of gender-based violence, settles refugees, and delivers a range of preventative programming for youth. Islamic Family's services are open to all.

Islamic Family is an Imagine Canada accredited charity, the winner of the Government of Alberta's Inspiration Award for its work combatting domestic violence (2020) and the Canadian Mental Health Associations Professional Service Award (2020).


Our Values

As with all positions at Islamic Family, it’s important that our culture lines up with your values.  Please take a moment to review share.islamicfamily.ca/values 

Our Mission Question: How do we support the whole person to flourish in our community? 

  • Guiding Mercy | Rahma: thinking compassionately about the team+community we serve and how we can support them better. 
  • True Partnership: working alongside community members, partners, and experts to help team+community flourish in the ways that they need; initiating/nurturing collaborations and being open to working with people and organizations with shared goals.
  • Light | Nur: sharing our best practices freely to help others serve better; empowering team+community with the platform, resources, and knowledge for their ideas and projects.
  • Heartfelt Ingenuity: striving to stay connected and relevant with our offerings; being creative and client-driven in how and what we develop. 
  • Beneficence | Ihsan: serving team+community with excellence, realizing that beauty can’t be a veneer or an add-on, but that it is integral to what we do.



FAQ

What’s the expected hourly commitment?

We’re  focussed on deliverables not hours. We’re willing to accommodate your existing commitments, but expect availability for team meetings during regular working hours. Our hope is to transition this to a full-time role.

Do I need to live in Edmonton?

Why wouldn’t you want to live in Edmonton? But seriously, we realize great talent may be anywhere and we’ve embraced the shift to virtual work. We'd like you to be available for project commencement & periodic check-ins in-person.

Do I need to be Muslim? 

No. We’re open to all candidates. We’re eager to celebrate and support your identity & values. 

How to apply? 

Confidence (or the lack thereof) can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job.  We’ll let you in on a secret — there is no such thing as a perfect candidate. Islamic Family is open for innovation. As long as you are continuing to push your growth and development, then consider applying even if you don’t check all the boxes on our posting. Questions & engagement are encouraged. 

Answer the following questions in either a 1 page note or a ≲ 5m video (preferred)…

  1. 1.Tell us about your approach to product development?
  2. 2.What kinds of environment you thrive in?
  3. 3.What parts of product development do you like to own/delegate?
  4. 4.What excites you about this role?

Send answers to the above, along with your résumé (no cover letter) to [email protected].  

Our hiring process

  1. 1.Applicants who meet the basic qualifications will be invited to submit a presentation.
  2. 2.Presentations will be reviewed by a panel of technical experts and leadership at Islamic Family.
  3. 3.Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with a panel of social workers and product managers.
  4. 4.Shortlisted candidate will be invited to interview with executive leadership.
  5. 5.Job offer.

Questions: [email protected]