Associate Director, Product R&D - Digital Lab

Consumer Reports (CR) is a trusted nonprofit that works to shape a fairer, safer, and healthier marketplace. Through its Digital Lab, CR is advocating for stronger consumer privacy laws and pioneering new ways for consumers to take control of their data. We are seeking a dynamic leader to drive innovations in this space, and who will work with our New Ventures team to commercialize and bring them to market.

You will design, build and launch new products and services that grow CR’s revenue and profile while advancing our marketplace change goals around digital rights.

 

You will model the practices of highly effective software organizations, engaging the Digital Lab’s broader technologist community and New Ventures to identify promising product concepts, bring them to market, and grow happy and paying user bases.

 

To accomplish this, you will draw as appropriate on the Digital Lab’s broader capabilities (in research, prototyping, policy). You will seek out partnerships with like-minded organizations, support CR’s efforts to attract top technologist talent, develop organizational competencies in key areas like open source, and generally take the initiative as required to deliver on the product strategy.

 

You will bring a startup founder’s energy to getting things done. And because you are an entrepreneurial technologist yourself, you’ll roll up your sleeves and get involved in technical and design details. You know that building great products requires not just constant attention to user needs, but also pride and craftsmanship on the part of the builder.

 

Finally, you’ll play a key role in securing resources needed to scale the most promising product concepts. In close collaboration with the Digital Lab, New Ventures, Digital and IT teams, senior leadership and development colleagues, you will shape fundraising and investment strategies; develop pitch decks and investor materials; identify and cultivate prospects, and close on the catalytic funding opportunities that will fuel continued innovation and growth.

 

 

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and execute a CR Digital Lab product strategy in collaboration with CR’s New Ventures team and as appropriate CR’s Digital and IT teams.

• Own the Digital Lab’s product R&D roadmap and guide strategic investment decisions

• Prioritize product concepts, build and operationalize rapid prototypes, test and validate toward product-market fit.

• Oversee design / engineering sprints with external vendors and internal teams.

• Lead by example with cross-functional teams focused on speed-to-market.

• Engage with external stakeholders and coalitions, including digital rights experts, policymakers, NGOs, academia, and others to build partnerships that advance the product strategy.

• Develop internal partnerships to bring together the unique strengths of CR's multiple divisions. Find and realize synergies with CR’s Mobilization, Strategic Communications, and Marketing teams to advance consumer engagement, champion the digital rights of consumers, and contribute to policy, regulatory, and marketplace victories.

• Channel data and user insights into continuous product and marketing improvements

• Partner with the Development team and CR leadership to attract philanthropic / impact investments needed to scale CR's innovation and data rights work.

 

• Bachelor's degree required. MBA or professional certification preferred.
• 7+ years experience in mobile app development and/or public interest technology, ideally in a startup environment.
• Experienced in the lifecycle of designing, building, and shipping products, including effectively managing others and working cross-functionally to achieve objectives.
• Ability to drive product vision, go-to-market strategy, and design discussions. Possesses knowledge of multiple functional areas such as Product Management, Engineering, Strategy, Marketing, Design, and/or Finance.
• Track record of navigating complex product requirements, business needs and process designs. Combines action orientation and thoughtful collaboration.
• Understands unique advantages and considerations of working within a social enterprise.
• Exceptionally clear and persuasive communicator, ideally with experience in pitching funders and/or VCs; success securing grants and/or impact investments.

 

 

 

At CR, we believe our continued ability to understand and advance the interests of all American consumers is possible only if our staff fully reflects the full cultural, racial and ethnic diversity of those consumers.

Consumer Reports is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.