Portfolio Director Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Summary 

The Director, Product Strategy & Portfolio is an enterprise product leader responsible for the strategy, lifecycle management, and commercial performance of Linkage’s leadership experience and product portfolio, including the  Leadership Institute and related summits, conferences, and workshops. 

This role treats experiences as products—owning the end-to-end lifecycle from ideation through optimization—ensuring offerings are market-relevant, differentiated, and financially successful. The Director leads a ~$6M portfolio with full accountability for revenue and margin, while driving continuous innovation through a deep understanding of audience needs, market trends, and business priorities. 

Partnering closely across Product, Marketing, Sales, and Client Engagement, this role translates insights into scalable, high-impact experiences that strengthen market position and deliver measurable business outcomes. 

Key Responsibilities 

Product Strategy & Lifecycle Ownership 

• Define product vision, value proposition, and audience segmentation for each program 

• Own the full product lifecycle across the portfolio: ideation, design, launch, optimization, and evolution in partnership with the SHRM Product COE 

• Develop and maintain product roadmaps aligned to enterprise strategy and growth priorities  

• Continuously assess product-market fit using customer insights, competitive intelligence, and performance data  

• Identify and incubate new and existing products, including assessment products, features, and extensions to expand reach and revenue  

• Lead a Customer Advisory Board to validate product direction and inform roadmap decisions  

Product Design & Experience Architecture 

• Design differentiated, high-impact program experiences aligned to audience needs and learning outcomes  

• Establish thematic direction, content architecture, and experience design for each offering  

• Curate and manage speakers, facilitators, and faculty as core components of the product experience  

• Integrate research and thought leadership to strengthen product positioning and value  

Commercial Ownership & Portfolio Performance 

• Own revenue and gross margin performance for a ~$6M portfolio  

• Develop pricing, packaging, and value propositions to optimize conversion and yield  

• Partner with Sales to enable pipeline development, positioning, and client engagement  

• Develop and scale sponsorship strategy and offerings (~$250K+)  

• Partner with Marketing to align product positioning, messaging, and go-to-market execution  

• Manage budgets, forecasting, and overall financial performance  

Data, Insights & Optimization 

• Analyze product performance, customer behavior, and market trends to inform strategy  

• Leverage CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) to track pipeline, forecast performance, and identify growth opportunities  

• Translate insights into actionable product enhancements and business strategies  

• Establish and monitor KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to drive decision-making  

Product Delivery & Operational Excellence 

• Oversee end-to-end product delivery, ensuring a high-quality and seamless customer experience  

• Lead cross-functional execution across internal teams and external partners  

• Serve as product owner during live events, ensuring alignment to product vision  

• Conduct post-event reviews to capture insights and drive continuous improvement  

Education & Experienc

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred  

• 10+ years of experience in product management, portfolio strategy, or experience-based product leadership  

• Demonstrated success owning and scaling revenue-generating portfolios with P&L accountability  

• Experience applying product management principles to events, leadership development, or learning solutions

• Strong commercial experience, including pricing, packaging, and go-to-market alignment  

• Experience working in cross-functional, matrixed environments with senior stakeholders  

• Proficiency with CRM and analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce)  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Deep expertise in product strategy and lifecycle management, including product-market fit, roadmap development, and experience-based product design  

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to drive revenue growth, pricing strategy, sponsorship development, and margin performance  

• Proven ability to own and scale a product portfolio, delivering measurable business outcomes  

• Advanced data fluency, leveraging analytics, forecasting, and CRM insights to inform strategy and decision-making  

• Ability to translate customer insights into differentiated, scalable offerings that drive engagement and growth  

• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder influence, operating effectively within a matrixed environment  

• Excellent executive communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and enable sales  

• Ability to balance strategic vision with execution, navigating ambiguity, prioritizing effectively, and delivering high-quality outcomes 

• Ability to effectively leverage artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and improve overall work quality. 

Leadership Attributes 

Outcome Ownership & Accountability

• Owns results end-to-end, consistently delivering against revenue, product, and experience goals with a high bar for performance.  

Strategic & Enterprise Thinking 

• Connects product and portfolio decisions to broader business strategy, thinking beyond the function to drive enterprise impact.  

Customer-Centric & Market-Oriented 

• Brings a deep understanding of audience needs and market dynamics, translating insights into differentiated, high-impact offerings.  

Influence & Cross-Functional Leadership 

• Effectively aligns and mobilizes stakeholders across a matrixed environment through strong relationships, communication, and high EQ.  

Agility with a Bias for Action 

• Operates with urgency, navigates ambiguity, and makes informed decisions quickly—balancing speed with sound judgment. 

Physical Requirements 

This position operates in a typical office environment (which includes a home office setting) and requires the ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Physical requirements may include: 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 

• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, handling documents, and using office equipment. 

• Occasional standing, walking, bending, and reaching. 

• Ability to lift and carry up to 30 pounds as needed. 

• Clear verbal and written communication skills for effective interaction with colleagues and stakeholders. 

Work Environment 

Fully Remote Position: This position is fully remote and requires a reliable high-speed internet connection and a suitable workspace free from distractions. Employees must be available during standard business hours and adhere to company policies for virtual communication, collaboration, and data security. Occasional travel for team meetings or company events may be required. 

Expected travel is 10 – 20% of the time.  

#LI

The hiring range for this position is $150,000 to $180,000 per year. This range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications. SHRM offers a competitive and comprehensive total rewards package. The benefits for this position include professional growth and development, health, dental, vision, well-being, health savings, flexible spending, retirement, open leave, and annual discretionary bonus and incentives.