Strategy & Portfolio Product Manager

Summary

The Strategy & Portfolio Product Manager manages key product strategy and portfolio management activities that support the development and optimization of SHRM’s product portfolio. This role analyzes product performance, customer needs, market trends, and business opportunities to develop recommendations that inform portfolio priorities and investment decisions.

Reporting to the Head of Product Strategy & Portfolio, the Manager manages portfolio planning and analysis processes and advances new product concepts from initial research through validation and path-to-scale recommendations. The role works cross-functionally with Product, Audience, Marketing, Technology, Digital, Finance, Strategy, and Knowledge to translate insights into actionable product and portfolio recommendations.

Responsibilities

 Portfolio Management

• Manage and maintain a comprehensive view of SHRM’s product portfolio, including performance, strategic alignment, customer value, and investment needs.
• Analyze product, financial, and performance data to identify trends, risks, gaps, and opportunities across the portfolio.
• Analyze portfolio priorities and develop recommendations regarding product investment, enhancement, consolidation, repositioning, or sunset.
• Coordinate portfolio reviews, including development of supporting materials and analyses, documentation of decisions, and follow-up actions.
• Track portfolio decisions, dependencies, milestones, and outcomes to support accountability and execution.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen portfolio performance and alignment with organizational and audience priorities.

Product Strategy & Insights

• Conduct customer, market, and competitive research to inform product strategies and portfolio priorities.
• Translate customer insights, research, market intelligence, and performance data into clear findings and actionable recommendations.
• Partner with Audience Leads and Product Line Leaders to understand customer needs, growth priorities, and implications for existing and potential products.
• Identify opportunities to integrate offerings, reduce duplication, address portfolio gaps, and create more cohesive customer solutions.
• Collaborate with Knowledge to explore product opportunities informed by SHRM research, thought leadership, expertise, and emerging workplace trends.

New Product Development & Validation

• Develop and evaluate new product concepts, value propositions, target customer segments, and use cases.
• Manage customer discovery, concept testing, MVPs, pilots, and other product validation activities.
• Develop business cases that assess customer need, market potential, financial considerations, feasibility, risk, and scalability.
• Analyze validation results and recommend whether concepts should advance, be revised, placed on hold, or discontinued.
• Develop path-to-scale recommendations for validated concepts in partnership with Product Line, Technology, Digital, Marketing, Finance, and other stakeholders.
• Document and apply learnings from validation activities to strengthen future product development and portfolio decisions.

Cross-Functional Execution

• Lead and manage assigned cross-functional portfolio and product strategy initiatives from planning through completion, ensuring alignment on deliverables, responsibilities, dependencies, timelines, and outcomes.
• Facilitate cross-functional working sessions and document decisions, responsibilities, dependencies, and next steps.
• Develop and present analyses, business cases, and recommendations to senior and cross-functional leaders to support informed decision-making.
• Build alignment among stakeholders and help resolve competing priorities, dependencies, and execution challenges.
• Improve portfolio tools, templates, processes, reporting, and documentation practices.
• Apply AI and emerging technologies to research, analysis, product discovery, validation, and workflow improvement.

Education & Experience Requirements

Education

·         Bachelor’s degree in product management, business, strategy, marketing, technology, or a related field, or relevant equivalent experience in lieu of degree.

Experience

• Seven (7) or more of progressive experience in product management, product strategy, portfolio management, business strategy, or a related discipline.
• Experience conducting market research, customer discovery, product analysis, and business-case development.
• Demonstrated experience developing, validating, launching, or improving products or services.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional projects or initiatives from planning through execution.
• Experience translating customer, market, financial, and performance data into actionable product recommendations.
• Experience working across functions and influencing stakeholders in a complex or matrixed organization.
• Experience developing analyses, business cases, or recommendations for senior-level stakeholders.
• Experience in subscription, platform, membership, learning, certification, professional services, or workplace technology environments preferred.

Certifications

·         Relevant product management, product development, portfolio management, or related certifications are a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of product strategy, portfolio management, customer discovery, product validation, and product lifecycle management.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and develop practical, data-informed recommendations.
• Ability to assess customer needs, market potential, financial considerations, feasibility, risk, scalability, and product performance.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear written analyses, business cases, presentations, and recommendations.
• Strong communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to influence decisions, build alignment, and advance work across teams without direct authority.
• Sound business judgment and the ability to create clarity and move work forward in ambiguous or evolving environments.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-management skills.
• Practical understanding of AI and emerging technologies and their application to product research, development, validation, and workflow improvement.  Ability to effectively leverage artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and improve overall work quality.

Physical Requirements

This position operates in a typical office environment (which includes a home office setting) and requires the ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Physical requirements may include:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, handling documents, and using office equipment.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, and reaching.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 30 pounds as needed.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills for effective interaction with colleagues and stakeholders.

Work Environment

Hybrid Schedule (3 Days In-Office/2 Days Remote)

This position follows a hybrid work schedule, with Tuesday through Thursday in office and Monday and Friday remote.  Employees must be available during standard business hours, with core hours beginning between 8:00–9:00 a.m. and concluding between 5:00–6:00 p.m. local time.

Travel:  Occasional 0 – 10%

#LI

The hiring range for this position is $105,000 to $130,000 per year. This range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications. SHRM offers a competitive and comprehensive total rewards package. The benefits for this position include professional growth and development, health, dental, vision, well-being, health savings, flexible spending, retirement, open leave, and annual discretionary bonus and incentives.