About the Job

Director, Program Portfolio Strategy

Experience: 10–15 Years

Employment Type: Fractional (~20 hours per week)

Location: Remote (US)

Reporting To: Chief Product & Marketing Officer

About SkillUp

SkillUp Online is an EdTech company focused on helping learners and organizations develop future-ready skills through deep-skilling programs and capstone projects.

The organization focuses on addressing the global skills gap and is actively investing in AI-driven transformation across education delivery and enterprise learning solutions.

More information is available at:
https://skillup.online/

Role Overview

The Director, Program Portfolio Strategy will lead the strategic direction of SkillUp’s program portfolio for the U.S. market.

This role is responsible for bringing structure to opportunity identification, market validation, and program investment decisions.

The position works closely across product, marketing, and leadership teams while serving as both a strategic advisor and operational decision-maker.

Key Responsibilities

Program Portfolio Strategy

Define the structure and direction of SkillUp’s U.S. program portfolio

Identify high-potential program opportunities based on market demand

Recommend programs to build, expand, redesign, or retire

Define ideal customer profiles (ICPs) for each program

Catalog Governance

Establish frameworks for managing the program catalog

Define lifecycle stages and performance benchmarks

Maintain visibility into program performance and portfolio health

Ensure scalability, clarity, and operational focus across the portfolio

Market Intelligence (U.S. Focus)

Monitor the U.S. EdTech, bootcamp, and workforce learning landscape

Analyze competitors, pricing strategies, and market positioning

Track employer demand signals and hiring trends

Identify emerging skills, career pathways, and credential opportunities

Demand Validation

Develop structured validation processes before new program development

Lead validation initiatives including landing pages, waitlists, and employer interviews

Collaborate with marketing teams to execute demand testing

Ensure programs are built using real market demand insights

Pricing Strategy

Benchmark pricing across comparable programs and competitors

Evaluate and test pricing models

Align pricing with positioning, accessibility, and learning outcomes

Program Positioning & Messaging

Partner with marketing teams to define program positioning

Clarify target audiences and career outcomes

Strengthen differentiation in competitive markets

Align messaging with employer demand and learner expectations

Strategic Collaboration

Collaborate closely with leadership, product, and marketing teams

Provide strategic input into portfolio investments and program decisions

Mentor product owners and guide strategic program development

Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership

Qualifications & Skills

10+ years of experience in EdTech, workforce learning, or related industries

Experience managing or developing learning products or program portfolios

Strong understanding of the U.S. education and workforce training landscape

Experience working with credential ecosystems such as Google, IBM, or AWS

Strong market research and demand validation expertise

Experience with pricing strategy and program positioning

Ability to translate market insights into strategic actions

Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills

Ability to operate independently in a high-ownership fractional role

What We Offer

High-impact strategic role influencing SkillUp’s U.S. program portfolio

Opportunity to work across product strategy, market intelligence, and education innovation

Flexible fractional structure (~20 hours per week)

Fully remote and globally collaborative work environment

Direct exposure to leadership and strategic decision-making

Opportunity to help shape and scale a growing EdTech portfolio

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