Manager, Data Product Strategy and Partner Support

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager, Data Product Strategy and Partner Support

Company: ASPCA

Location: Remote (United States)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Data Product Management / Operations

Date Posted: March 2, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the strategic development and operational management of data products within the Shelter Animals Count (SAC) program, focusing on enhancing data quality, standardization, and accessibility for shelter partners.

• Drive product lifecycle management for the SAC data portal and associated technical platforms, including requirement definition, backlog management, testing, and release coordination.

• Act as a crucial liaison between the SAC program, IT departments, external software vendors, and development partners to ensure seamless data integration and platform functionality.

• Deliver exceptional partner support and engagement through a dedicated helpdesk, onboarding initiatives, and representation at industry conferences, fostering strong relationships and maximizing data utilization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role bridges the gap between technical data product management and operational partner support within a non-profit context. The "Data Product Strategy" aspect suggests a need for someone who can not only manage existing data but also strategize for its future development, integration, and impact. The "Partner Support" component highlights the critical customer-facing and relationship management aspects, essential for driving adoption and data quality from diverse shelter partners. This is not a pure data analyst role, but rather a hybrid product owner/operations manager focused on a crucial data initiative.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Data Product Stewardship: Oversee the lifecycle of SAC data products, including quality assurance, standardization, cleaning, documentation, and integration efforts, ensuring data integrity and scalability.

• Platform Management: Act as the Product Manager for the SAC data portal and related technical platforms, responsible for scheduling tasks, managing the product backlog, defining technical requirements, and ensuring readiness for production releases.

• Technical Collaboration & Oversight: Manage technical deliverables, timelines, and acceptance criteria for development partners, ensuring clarity, alignment, and successful execution of API development, data collection expansion, and data improvement initiatives.

• Partner Engagement & Support: Provide responsive, high-quality support to shelters and partners via the SAC Helpdesk, acting as the first point of triage for technical or data-related issues, and coordinating resolutions with internal teams.

• Process Improvement & Documentation: Identify recurring support issues and translate them into actionable product or process improvements. Ensure all technical and data documentation is accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Onboarding & Outreach: Support the onboarding process for new organizational participants by providing essential resources. Represent SAC at industry conferences to offer in-person customer service, troubleshooting, and engagement.

• Performance Monitoring: Monitor platform performance, usage trends, and recurring issues to proactively recommend and implement improvements.

• Cross-functional Liaison: Serve as the primary bridge between SAC program needs and IT/developers, facilitating effective communication and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly delineate a Product Owner or Product Manager role within an operations framework. The emphasis on "stewardship," "product lifecycle management," "backlog management," and "technical deliverables" points to a need for structured product thinking. Simultaneously, the "Partner Support," "Helpdesk," and "onboarding" aspects firmly ground this in an operational, customer-centric function. The role requires translating complex data and technical concepts into practical, user-friendly solutions for a diverse partner base.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of three (3) years of combined professional experience in client engagement and support, and data strategy.

• Proven experience in client engagement and support.

• Demonstrated experience in data strategy.

Required Skills:

• Data Strategy & Product Management: Experience in data strategy, and the ability to translate user needs into clear requirements.

• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in writing SQL queries and working with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, BigQuery) is required. Proficiency with Microsoft Suite and Google Suite is required.

• Customer Service Excellence: Prompt and professional customer service experience, ideally with shelters, rescues, and other stakeholders.

• Problem-Solving & Project Management: Strong problem-solving, process improvement, and project management skills.

• Self-Starter & Teamwork: Ability to work as a self-starter, lead teams, and collaborate effectively within a team environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Proficiency with the Shelter Animals Count Portal or similar software.

• Proficiency with Tableau and Sendgrid.

• Proficiency in HTML.

• Familiarity with CRM systems.

• Proficiency with Agile or iterative development processes.

• Product management experience.

• Project management experience.

• Experience working with and in various shelter management software.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements highlight a blend of technical data skills (SQL, relational databases) and operational/customer-facing abilities (client engagement, support, problem-solving). The explicit mention of "translating user needs into clear requirements" and "Agile/iterative development processes" further solidifies the product management aspect of this role. The preference for specific tools like Tableau and Sendgrid, alongside the SAC portal itself, suggests a hands-on approach to data visualization and communication.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Data Integrity & Quality Assurance Case Studies: Examples demonstrating how you've implemented processes to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability within a product or system, with measurable outcomes.

• Product Backlog & Requirements Documentation: Showcase samples of well-defined product requirements, user stories, or backlog items that clearly articulate user needs and technical specifications for a data product or feature.

• System Integration Examples: Evidence of experience integrating disparate systems or data sources, detailing the challenges, solutions implemented, and the resulting improvements in data flow or accessibility.

• Customer Support & Issue Resolution: Case studies illustrating your approach to managing a helpdesk or customer support function, highlighting your ability to triage issues, coordinate resolutions, and improve user experience based on feedback.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate your ability to map out, document, and optimize workflows related to data collection, processing, and reporting, focusing on efficiency gains and error reduction.

• User Onboarding & Training Materials: Examples of resources or documentation created to onboard new users to a data platform or system, emphasizing clarity and ease of adoption.

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting Frameworks: Showcase how you've established processes for monitoring system performance, usage trends, and recurring issues, along with how these insights inform product improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a strong portfolio would showcase the candidate's ability to manage the entire lifecycle of a data product, from strategic definition and technical implementation to ongoing support and optimization. Emphasis should be placed on demonstrating how their work directly improved data quality, user experience, and partner engagement, supported by concrete examples and quantifiable results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Zone 1: $62,000 - $66,000 annually

• Zone 2: $68,000 - $73,000 annually

• Zone 3: $75,000 - $80,000 annually (Note: The specific zone is determined by the employee's primary location of residence. A link to the ASPCA zone table is provided in the job description for detailed location-based salary information.)

Benefits:

• Affordable Health Coverage: Includes medical insurance.

• Employer-Paid Dental Coverage: Comprehensive dental benefits provided at no cost to the employee.

• Optional Vision Coverage: Access to vision insurance plans.

• Flexible Time Off: A generous policy encompassing vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, and bereavement time, allowing for significant flexibility.

• Paid Parental Leave: Support for new parents.

• 10 Company Paid Holidays: Designated holidays observed with paid time off.

• Competitive Financial Incentives & Retirement Savings:

  • 401(k) plan with a strong employer match: dollar-for-dollar match up to 4% of contributions.
  • Additional 4% employer contribution annually, regardless of employee contribution.

• Robust Professional Development Opportunities: Access to classes, on-the-job training, coaching, mentorship, internal mobility, and field support opportunities.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, typically 40 hours per week. The remote nature allows for flexibility in structuring the workday, provided core responsibilities and partner support needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges are clearly defined by geographic zones, reflecting a commitment to equitable compensation based on cost of labor. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a notable emphasis on generous paid time off and a strong retirement savings plan, indicative of an organization that values employee well-being and long-term commitment. The inclusion of robust professional development opportunities is a significant draw for career-oriented operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Social Services / Animal Welfare

Company Size: Large (500-1000+ employees, based on typical non-profit structures of this scale)

Founded: 1866

Company History: The ASPCA has a long-standing history of over 150 years, dedicated to saving, transforming, and protecting the lives of animals. This deep heritage suggests a mission-driven culture focused on impact and animal welfare.

Team Structure:

• Department: Strategy Department, which includes verticals such as Strategy and Planning, Research, Impact Measurement and Data Science, Project Management Office, and Shelter Animals Count (SAC).

• Reporting: The Manager, Data Product Strategy and Partner Support reports directly to the Director, Data Strategy & Partnerships.

• Collaboration: This role requires significant cross-functional collaboration with IT, software vendors, development contractors, and internal ASPCA departments, as well as external shelter partners.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Approach: The Strategy team, including SAC, heavily relies on strategic and data-driven processes to guide organizational direction and decision-making.

• Insight Generation: A core function is to deliver actionable, evidence-based insights to shelters and communities.

• Process Optimization: The team facilitates collaboration and connects efforts to maximize impact, implying a focus on efficient and effective operational processes.

Company Website: https://www.aspca.org/

📝 Enhancement Note: The ASPCA's mission-driven nature is a significant cultural element, attracting individuals passionate about animal welfare. The "Strategy Department" structure indicates a sophisticated approach to operations, data, and planning within the organization. This suggests a professional environment where data and strategic insights are valued for driving impact, aligning well with operations roles focused on efficiency and effectiveness.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Managerial level, indicating a need for independent work, ownership of key product areas, and the ability to influence processes and partner relationships. It's a mid-level position with significant responsibility but without direct reports.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the Director, Data Strategy & Partnerships provides visibility to senior leadership within the Strategy department. This structure offers opportunities for mentorship and exposure to higher-level strategic discussions.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the effectiveness of animal sheltering operations across the US and Canada by improving the quality and accessibility of data. This data-driven approach enables better decision-making, resource allocation, and ultimately, improved outcomes for vulnerable animals. The insights generated can influence policy and transparency within the animal welfare community.

Growth Opportunities:

• Data Product Specialization: Deepen expertise in data product management, data governance, and platform development within the animal welfare sector.

• Strategic Partnership Development: Grow skills in managing and nurturing relationships with external partners, understanding their data needs, and fostering collaboration.

• Leadership Potential: While not managing direct reports, the role offers opportunities to lead product initiatives, mentor junior team members (indirectly), and gain experience in strategic planning and execution, paving the way for future leadership roles in operations, data strategy, or program management.

• Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in animal welfare data and its application, becoming a subject matter expert in a unique and impactful field.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique blend of technical product management and operational support within a mission-driven organization. Growth is likely to come from deepening expertise in data strategy for social impact, enhancing partnership management skills, and potentially moving into more senior product or program leadership roles within the ASPCA or similar non-profits.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This arrangement offers significant flexibility and autonomy, allowing professionals to work from their preferred location within the United States.

Office Location(s): United States. While remote, the role requires the ability to travel up to 15% annually for conferences, partner meetings, or potential team offsites.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomy: The remote setting fosters an environment of independence and self-management, crucial for roles requiring focused work on data and product strategy.

• Technology Enablement: As a data-focused role, expect a robust technology stack and collaboration tools to facilitate communication and workflow management.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Despite the remote nature, there will be ample opportunities for interaction with diverse teams (IT, data scientists, program managers) and external stakeholders, fostering a collaborative spirit.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time, typically 40 hours per week. While remote, maintaining consistent availability for partner support and team collaboration during core business hours is expected. The flexible nature of remote work may allow for adjusted schedules, provided all responsibilities are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a key differentiator, appealing to operations professionals seeking work-life balance and geographic flexibility. The travel requirement, while moderate (15%), indicates that in-person engagement remains important for building relationships and representing the organization.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and resume to assess alignment with the core requirements, particularly experience in data strategy, partner support, and technical skills like SQL.

• Skills-Based Interview: Expect a virtual interview focusing on your experience with data product management, quality assurance, and customer support. You may be asked to discuss specific challenges you've faced and how you resolved them.

• Technical Assessment/Case Study: A potential exercise or case study related to data analysis, product requirement definition, or partner issue resolution. This could involve writing SQL queries or outlining a strategy for improving data quality or user experience.

• Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interview: This stage will assess your alignment with ASPCA's core values, your collaboration style, and your ability to work effectively in a mission-driven, remote environment. You may be asked to provide examples of how you've translated user needs into technical requirements or managed difficult partner situations.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership, focusing on strategic thinking, vision for the data products, and overall fit for the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each project or case study, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the quantifiable results (e.g., "Improved data entry accuracy by 15%", "Reduced support ticket resolution time by 20%", "Increased partner adoption of new feature by 10%").

• Showcase Data-to-Insight Flow: Demonstrate how data was collected, processed, analyzed, and translated into actionable insights or product improvements.

• Highlight Collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with technical teams, non-technical stakeholders, and external partners.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by skill area (e.g., Data Strategy, Partner Support, Technical Proficiency) or by project. Use clear headings, concise descriptions, and visual aids where appropriate.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with data product management, quality assurance, and partner support within a non-profit or mission-driven context.

Challenge Preparation:

• SQL Proficiency: Be prepared to demonstrate your ability to write SQL queries for data extraction, analysis, and potentially for troubleshooting data issues. Practice common query types (joins, aggregations, filtering).

• Product Thinking: Think about how you would approach defining requirements for a new feature on the SAC portal or how you would prioritize bug fixes based on partner impact.

• Customer Service Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would handle a frustrated partner experiencing data entry issues or how you would onboard a new shelter to the platform.

• ASPCA Mission: Understand the ASPCA's mission and how data strategy and partner support contribute to its overall goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be multi-stage, assessing a range of skills from technical data proficiency to soft skills in partner management and cultural alignment. A well-curated portfolio that demonstrates tangible results in data product improvement and partner satisfaction will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Data Portal: Shelter Animals Count (SAC) Portal (or similar data management platforms). Understanding its architecture, functionalities, and user interface is crucial.

• Database Management: Proficiency with relational databases such as PostgreSQL and BigQuery is explicitly required. This includes the ability to write complex SQL queries for data extraction, manipulation, and analysis.

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with CRM platforms is preferred, indicating potential integration points or the need to understand customer data management.

• Product Management Tools: Experience with tools for backlog management, requirement definition, and task scheduling (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello) would be beneficial.

• Agile/Iterative Development: Familiarity with Agile or iterative development processes is preferred, suggesting a need for collaboration with development teams using these methodologies.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tableau: Proficiency is strongly preferred for data visualization, dashboard creation, and reporting to stakeholders and partners.

• Sendgrid: Proficiency is strongly preferred, likely used for email communications, notifications, or automated outreach to partners.

Integration & Automation:

• APIs: Experience coordinating Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) development efforts with IT/developers is a key responsibility.

• Microsoft Suite & Google Suite: Required for general productivity, documentation, communication, and data handling.

• HTML: Proficiency is preferred, potentially for creating custom reports, email templates, or basic web content.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes data handling and presentation (SQL, relational databases, Tableau), communication (Sendgrid, HTML), and project/product management methodologies (Agile). A candidate strong in these areas, especially with direct experience in data portals and CRM, will be well-positioned.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven Impact: A strong commitment to the ASPCA's mission of saving and protecting animals, with a focus on how data and operational efficiency contribute to this goal.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing evidence-based insights and analytical rigor to guide strategy and operations.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Emphasis on working effectively with internal teams and external shelter partners to achieve shared objectives.

• Excellence & Quality: A dedication to maintaining high standards in data integrity, product performance, and customer support.

• Continuous Improvement: A proactive approach to identifying inefficiencies and implementing process and product enhancements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a collaborative environment where close work with IT, data science, program management, and external partners is the norm.

• Transparent Communication: Open and clear communication is essential, particularly when liaising between technical teams and non-technical partners.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages feedback exchange to drive product and process improvements, especially from partner interactions.

• Proactive Engagement: A style that encourages taking initiative, anticipating needs, and proactively seeking solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is likely to be a blend of professional operational rigor and passionate advocacy for animal welfare. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to the mission and an ability to navigate a collaborative, data-informed, and partner-focused environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Data Quality Management: Ensuring consistent, high-quality data entry from a diverse range of shelter partners with varying technical capabilities and resources.

• Technical Integration Complexity: Managing the technical aspects of data integration, API development, and platform enhancements with external development partners and internal IT.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively mediating the needs and expectations of various stakeholders, including internal leadership, technical teams, and a broad base of shelter partners.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion, communication, and productivity within a fully remote work environment.

• Driving Adoption: Encouraging and supporting shelter partners to adopt new data entry practices, platform features, and best practices.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Data Product Management: Deepen expertise in product lifecycle management, user experience design for data platforms, and strategic product roadmapping.

• Data Governance & Quality Best Practices: Gain specialized knowledge in establishing and maintaining robust data governance frameworks.

• Non-profit Operations & Strategy: Develop a deeper understanding of operational challenges and strategic initiatives within the animal welfare sector.

• Technical Skill Enhancement: Opportunities to further develop skills in SQL, data visualization tools (Tableau), and potentially emerging data technologies.

• Partnership Management: Cultivate advanced skills in stakeholder engagement, communication, and relationship building with external organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around data quality, technical execution, and stakeholder management in a remote setting. Growth opportunities are abundant for those looking to specialize in data product strategy for social impact, enhance their technical toolkit, and develop strong partnership management skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to improve the quality or accuracy of data collected from multiple external sources. What was your process, and what were the results?" (Focus on data integrity, standardization, process improvement)

• "How would you approach defining requirements for a new feature on the Shelter Animals Count portal, considering feedback from both technical developers and shelter partners?" (Focus on bridging technical and non-technical needs, product roadmap)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What attracts you to the ASPCA's mission, and how do you see this role contributing to animal welfare?" (Demonstrate mission alignment)

• "How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication in a fully remote team environment?" (Highlight remote work best practices)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• The STAR Method: Structure your portfolio examples using the Situation, Task, Action, Result method to clearly articulate your contributions and their impact.

• Focus on Process & Outcome: For each example, emphasize the process you followed (e.g., data cleaning methodology, support ticket triage system) and the measurable outcome (e.g., reduction in errors, improved partner satisfaction).

• Technical Depth with Clarity: Be prepared to discuss the technical aspects (SQL queries, platform features) but translate them into business value and impact for the partners.

• Showcase Problem-Solving: Highlight instances where you identified a problem, devised a solution (technical or process-oriented), and implemented it successfully.

• Partner-Centric Examples: Prioritize examples that demonstrate your ability to understand and support the needs of external partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect interviews that are a blend of technical assessment (SQL, data strategy), operational process evaluation (quality assurance, support), and cultural fit. Demonstrating a data-driven mindset, strong problem-solving skills, and a genuine passion for the ASPCA's mission will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the ASPCA's careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your experience with data strategy, product management, quality assurance, and partner support. Quantify achievements wherever possible, especially those related to data improvement, process efficiency, or customer satisfaction.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your skills in data product management, SQL proficiency, partner engagement, and problem-solving. Be ready to discuss the specific processes, challenges, and outcomes for each.

• Research ASPCA & SAC: Familiarize yourself with the ASPCA's mission, values, and the Shelter Animals Count program's objectives. Understand the importance of data in animal welfare.

• Practice Interview Questions: Review common interview questions for data product management and operations roles, focusing on behavioral and situational scenarios related to this specific position.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.