Principal Product Manager
About SANS Founded in 1989, SANS Institute (SANS) began as a cooperative research and education organization. Over the next 25 years, it grew to become the most trusted and widely recognized provider of information security training and certification in the world. Today, SANS has served more than 300,000 cybersecurity professionals around the world, with more than 60,000 earning Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) security certifications—the leading certification that provides assurance to employers that their people and prospective hires can do the job. At the heart of SANS is a community of practitioners, from auditors and network administrators to CISOs, who share their lessons learned and collaborate on solutions to the challenges they face. These experts, working across corporations, government agencies, and universities, come together to support and strengthen the global information security community. Why SANS? At SANS, our culture is defined by three pillars: Mission, Brand, and People. Our Mission is to hire people who understand the importance fighting against cybersecurity threats. Our Brand reflects a commitment to delivering the highest quality training. Our People are grounded in a culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and a pragmatic approach. What You’ll Achieve at SANS We are seeking an experienced and strategic Principal Product Manager to join our Product team. This role plays a key part in managing our Certification and Assessment product portfolio. Reporting directly to the Head of Product Management, this role will drive the vision, strategy, and execution for SANS's certification and assessment offerings including GIAC, one of the most trusted and widely recognized credentials in the cybersecurity industry. As a principal product manager, you will lead through influence, working cross-functionally with product management, engineering, business leadership, curriculum, and marketing to deliver world-class products that help cybersecurity professionals validate and advance their skills. As a Principal Product Manager, you will: Product Execution Define and own the multi-year product strategy for GIAC certifications and assessments, aligned to broader organizational goals. Identify market opportunities, competitive dynamics, and learner needs to inform product direction. Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle from discovery and definition through launch and iteration for all certification and assessment products. Translate learner, employer, and industry insights into clear product requirements and success metrics. Create and maintain the GIAC product roadmap, ensuring it reflects business priorities, learner needs, and industry trends while communicating progress and tradeoffs to senior stakeholders. Own and manage the product backlog, partnering directly with engineering teams to groom, prioritize, and sequence work that delivers the highest impact. Partner with psychometricians, exam developers, and range and lab platform technology teams to ensure certification and assessment products meet rigorous standards for validity, reliability, and fairness. Define and monitor KPIs to measure product health and drive continuous improvement. Cross-Functional Leadership Lead without formal authority, aligning and influencing cross-functional teams across curriculum, engineering, marketing, and business stakeholders to drive outcomes. Serve as a senior product thought leader, modeling strong product thinking and helping elevate PM practice across the organization. Act as a strategic partner and mentor to other product managers on the team, sharing expertise and contributing to a strong product culture. Stakeholder & Market Engagement Serve as the lead product management authority on the certification and assessment landscape, including industry trends, credentialing standards, and competitor offerings. Build strong relationships with key internal stakeholders across GIAC business leadership, curriculum, sales, marketing, and product development. Engage directly with customers, employers, and the broader cybersecurity community to deepen understanding of market needs Perform other related duties as assigned. What We’re Looking For Every SANS employee brings something unique. For this role, we’re looking for candidates with: Bachelor's degree or equivalent industry experience. 10+ years of professional product management experience with an emphasis on building and managing assessment-based products. Proven ability to define product roadmaps, prioritize competing demands, and deliver measurable outcomes. Demonstrated success owning complex product portfolios, ideally in education, credentialing, assessment, or a related field. Strong strategic thinking skills, capable of setting direction in ambiguous environments and rallying teams around a clear vision. Proven ability to lead through influence, driving alignment and results without direct management authority. Excellent cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership. Deep empathy for learners and a passion for helping people grow professionally. Familiarity with the cybersecurity industry or technical training landscape is a strong plus. Comfortable working in a virtual organization with some travel. Fluent in English, particularly in written communications. Unrestricted authorization to work in the USA; visa sponsorship is not available. Preferred qualifications include: Experience working with psychometric or assessment design principles Familiarity with NICE, NIST, DoD 8140, and related cybersecurity workforce frameworks Experience working in the cybersecurity industry, ideally within a product role at a security training, certification, or technology organization. Background in ed tech, with an understanding of how digital learning platforms, credentialing systems, and assessment tools come together to support learner outcomes. Benefits and Perks of Working at SANS We’re committed to fair and equitable compensation. The expected salary range for this position is $175,000 - $190,000, plus bonus eligible, depending on geographic location, skills, and experience. At SANS, pay equity and transparency are priorities. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your total well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally: Financial Benefits: Competitive base salary, bonus opportunities, and a 401(k) plan with company match. Health & Wellness: Robust medical, dental, and vision plans; company-provided short term disability; optional long-term disability, supplemental life and AD&D insurance for employees and dependents; voluntary benefits including accident insurance and identity theft protection; fitness and wellness programs; and a company paid employee assistance program (EAP). Time Off & Flexibility: Generous paid time off, including volunteer time. Learning & Development: Access to professional development and SANS training opportunities. Flexibility and Balance at SANS We support our colleagues with the tools and flexibility they need to thrive, both professionally and personally. As a primarily remote work environment, we are committed to maintaining strong connections, collaboration, and a vibrant culture across virtual teams. While most roles operate remotely, some positions may require occasional in-person presence depending on role-specific or business needs. SANS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer SANS is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact SANS Human Resources. US Job Seekers: Click here to view the “Know Your Rights” poster. SANS complies with all applicable state and local laws regarding the consideration of applicants with arrest or conviction records. For positions governed by federal and/or state banking regulations, SANS will adhere to relevant requirements when evaluating candidates with criminal histories. Employment eligibility in the United States is required. SANS does not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Apply To This Job