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About the Role

The Manager, Product Portfolio and Operations is accountable for the performance, quality, and operational excellence of Ivey Publishing's product portfolio. This role combines direct operational ownership with strategic leadership, serving as the pivotal point of accountability for product intake, lifecycle management, metadata and content readiness, distribution partner delivery, and the evaluation of new products and formats. The role leads one Product Assistant and collaborates closely with various departments to drive portfolio outcomes.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain strong, structured working relationships with key operational distributor and supplier contracts.
Partner with Business Development on co-brand and strategic partner relationships, including onboarding readiness, ongoing operational performance reviews, and enablement support.
Perform gap analysis to inform recommendations by systematically assessing current partner and channel operations against contractual requirements, internal standards, and best practices.
Maintain an operational view of partner compliance with contract terms, proactively surface risks, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
Serve as the internal voice of partner and channel needs, translating operational realities into process, standards, and roadmap recommendations.
Support Business Development with commercial insights drawn from partner usage data, delivery performance, and product availability trends.
Manage full product lifecycle actions - launches, corrections, revisions, withdrawals, and sunsetting - with clear partner and customer communication.
Ensure timely, accurate, and contract-compliant delivery of materials and updates to all distribution partners.
Own all operational partner delivery processes including monthly updates, ad hoc requests, access coordination, issue resolution, and process documentation.
Actively review partner storefront environments to validate and optimize execution, ensuring product availability, metadata quality, accessibility standards, and overall presentation align with contractual and brand expectations.
Develop and lead a structured product review and approval process that gathers and synthesizes pedagogical, technical, and commercial inputs.
Function as project lead for new product evaluations: define scope, coordinate cross-functional inputs, manage timelines, and produce a formal recommendation.
Evaluate new formats and technologies including simulations, digital tools, multimedia, and interactive content for learning quality, technical compatibility, distribution feasibility, and market fit.
Own end-to-end intake for all approved new and revised products from internal and external sources, ensuring required documentation, metadata completeness, file readiness, quality assurance, and release coordination are completed accurately and on time.
Define and enforce metadata and versioning standards including taxonomy, required fields, duplicate management, revisions, and storefront display requirements.
Identify and surface cost implications of new product intake to support Director level decision making.
Maintain a comprehensive portfolio view across Ivey-owned and partner collections, tracking performance, gaps, risks, and opportunities.
Develop and maintain product and collection roadmaps - including priorities, timelines, dependencies, and expected impact.
Establish and lead a consistent operating cadence with documented decisions and clear follow-up accountability.
Prepare decision briefs for the Director on trade-offs, partner issues, investment considerations, and strategic recommendations.
Represent portfolio and partner needs internally to inform process improvements, system enhancements, and roadmap priorities across functions.
Lead, coach, and develop the Product Assistant: set clear priorities, provide regular feedback, build capability in quality standards and partner responsiveness, and develop SOPs and checklists.
Hold direct accountability for the translation program, including budget management, vendor relationships, delivery planning, and quality oversight.
Develop and maintain a market-informed prioritization strategy in close consultation with Business Development.
Manage the translation pipeline to achieve a minimum of two hundred translations per year.
Manage freelance and vendor workflows including timelines, quality standards, rework processes, and vendor performance expectations.
Track and report on program performance - including throughput, budget adherence, and adoption or usage indicators.

Requirements

University degree or equivalent experience.
4 - 5+ years in product/portfolio operations, publishing operations, partner/distribution management, or digital content roles.
Demonstrated experience improving workflows and translating business needs into system/data requirements.
Experience with CRM and analytics/reporting tools (Salesforce, Power BI/Tableau, Excel, Crystal) is an asset.
Strong operational ownership: able to run intake/distribution processes with high accuracy under deadlines.
Strong partner management sets cadence, documents decisions, resolves issues, and drives accountability.
Product judgment and curiosity evaluate new formats/technologies for learning value, feasibility, and market fit.
Analytical: turns usage/sales signals into priorities and recommendations.
Ability to manage a high volume of demands, with autonomy and superior decision-making skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable coordinating across functions without formal authority.
Ability to motivate and mentor team members to improve performance and achieve team KPIs.
Possess excellent planning, time management, and organizational skills.
Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel; strong comfort with databases and reporting tools.

Skills

Product Portfolio Management
Operations Management
Publishing Operations
Partner Management
Distribution Management
Digital Content Management
Workflow Improvement
System Requirements Translation
CRM
Analytics and Reporting Tools (Salesforce, Power BI/Tableau, Excel, Crystal)
Operational Ownership
Product Judgment
Analytical Skills
Decision Making
Communication Skills
Team Motivation and Mentoring
Planning
Time Management
Organizational Skills
Microsoft Office Suite (Excel)
Database Management
Reporting Tools
Translation Program Management
Budget Management
Vendor Relationship Management
Metadata Management
Content Readiness
Distribution Partner Delivery
New Product Evaluation
Lifecycle Management
Governance Practices

Location

London, Ontario

Work Type

On-site
Full-time
Contract

Experience Level

Manager

Education Level

University degree or equivalent experience

Salary/Compensations

$74,800 - $93,551

Benefits

Market competitive compensation with annual increases available
Generous benefits package with employer-paid premiums
Comprehensive Health and Dental Plan
Health Care Spending Account
Short- and long-term disability programs
No waiting period required for benefits
Enhanced mental health benefits coverage and resources
Life and AD&D insurance for you and your family
Out-of-country travel insurance
Employee and Family Assistance Program
Pregnancy and Parental top-up leave program
Generous group retirement savings plan with 7.5% employer contributions
Vacation starting at 15 days per year
2 paid Ivey Personal Days
Paid time off during the School’s December holiday closure
Numerous campus-wide arts, culture, and sport events
Supports for professional development and career progression opportunities

About the Company

Ivey Business School at Western University is Canada’s leading provider of real-world, case-based business education.
Ivey Publishing is a pivotal department of the Ivey Business School, dedicated to developing, delivering and curating exceptional content for transformative learning experiences.
Ivey aims to innovate business education globally, leveraging its deep commitment to knowledge-sharing and the advancement of learning methodologies.
Ivey Publishing aims to empower students and professionals alike, equipping them with the insights and tools necessary for success in the ever-evolving business landscape.

Equal Opportunity

Ivey Business School is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Ivey is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace, and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.