Digital Product Manager (Hybrid)

Digital Product Manager - Hybrid (2-3 days on site in Rockville, MD and remaining days remote work)

We are looking for a strategic and collaborative Website Product Manager to lead the redesign and long-term management of a large public-facing website. This role will bridge the gap between internal stakeholders, community needs, and the external vendor to deliver a modern, accessible, and user-centered digital experience. You'll define the product vision, manage timelines and trade-offs, guide usability and accessibility efforts, and support content governance and continuous improvement post-launch.

Scope of Work:

Position Summary:
The Website Product Manager will lead the strategic direction, development, and ongoing improvement of the client's public-facing website. As the organization undergoes a comprehensive website redesign with a third-party vendor, this role will serve as the internal product owner responsible for ensuring the new digital experience meets the needs of residents, departments, and leadership.
This role blends user-centered design principles, cross-functional stakeholder coordination, and vendor partnership management to deliver a modern, accessible, and service-oriented digital platform.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Ownership & Strategy

• Define and maintain the website product vision, roadmap, and success metrics in alignment with client's goals and community needs.
• Act as the primary liaison between departments and the vendor to ensure priorities and requirements are clearly defined and executed.
• Own the product backlog and ensure timely feedback cycles and milestone validation throughout the redesign process.

User-Centered Design & Accessibility

• Champion a resident-first approach to digital services; ensure the site reflects the values of accessibility, transparency, and inclusion.
• Coordinate usability testing, community engagement efforts, and internal feedback loops to inform design and functionality.
• Ensure the site meets WCAG and Section 508 accessibility standards.

Vendor & Project Coordination

• Partner with the internal and external project managers to manage deliverables, sprints, QA cycles, and launches.
• Collaborate with project managers to track timeline, scope, and risk.
• Represent internal priorities and manage trade-offs between features, timelines, and budget.

Content Governance & Ongoing Operations

• Help develop content governance models, including workflows, ownership, and standards for client's departments.
• Support training and change management for content contributors and editors.
• Plan for continuous improvement post-launch, including analytics tracking, content updates, and iterative enhancements.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in digital media, Public Administration, UX Design, Communications, Information Systems, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience as a Product Manager or Owner in a digital/web environment, ideally in public sector or service-focused organizations.
• Excellent facilitation skills with the ability to navigate diverse stakeholder interests and build consensus.
• Strong understanding of web usability, UX/UI design, responsive design, and accessibility best practices.
• Familiarity with modern CMS platforms (e.g., Drupal, WordPress, Sitecore) and content strategy principles.
• Experience leading website redesigns or major digital product launches, ideally in collaboration with external vendors or agencies.
• Comfortable working in agile, iterative environments and translating user/stakeholder needs into technical and creative deliverables.
• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Hotjar) and data-driven content optimization.
• Experience with change management and training for decentralized content teams.