EBSCO Information Services (EIS) provides a complete and optimized research solution comprised of e-journals, e-books, and research databases - all combined with the most powerful discovery service to support the information needs and maximize the research experience of our end-users. Headquartered in Ipswich, MA, EIS employs more than 2,700 people worldwide, most now working hybrid or remotely. We are the leader in our field due to our cutting-edge technology, forward-thinking philosophy, and outstanding team. EIS is a company that will motivate you, inspire you, and allow you to grow. Our mission is to transform lives by providing relevant and reliable information when, where, and how people need it. We are looking for bright and creative individuals whose unique differences will allow us to achieve this inclusive mission around the world.

EBSCO is seeking a driven and empathetic Product Manager to own and lead accessibility efforts enterprise wide. Accessibility is a key part of EBSCO’s mission to provide access to information for all users, when, how, and where they need it.

This is a high visibility, highly collaborative role working with many teams to foster accessibility investments and practices in product development. Passion for accessible and inclusive experiences is a must, as is deep knowledge of accessibility use cases and practices. The Accessibility Product Manager acts as a leader across the company, and collaborates closely with UX design, product, technology, and executive stakeholders.

Duties:

Program Management

• Track Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) conformance across EBSCO’s range of products
• Maintain reports on conformance for product and executive stakeholders
• Maintain customer-facing documentation (Accessibility Conformance Reports and Accessibility Statements) on the state of accessibility in EBSCO’s products, with clear timelines for customers
• Assess accessibility skills and gaps across EBSCO’s teams, facilitate training where needed
• Manage accessibility vendors and coordinate accessibility audits

Product Management

• Act as Voice of the Customer for accessibility; motivate teams to keep accessibility in mind
• Own the vision around accessibility and influence company strategy and executive stakeholders
• Own and maintain roadmap for accessibility conformance and user experience improvements
• Work with other Product Managers, Designers and Developers to define accessibility requirements and priorities
• Work with sales and customer satisfaction teams to inform and support accessibility strategy and market needs
• Conduct user experience research and testing for users with accessibilities, within larger user research umbrella
• Evangelize accessibility and conduct presentations internally and externally

Subject Matter Expertise

• Act as subject matter expert on accessibility needs, assistive technologies, standards, and technical questions
• Provide guidance and direction for Design System
• Provide guidance and direction for Web Component Libraries
• Work with document production teams on document accessibility, including PDF, HTML, EPUB and Word formats

Skills and competencies

• Natural empathy and ability to understand and advocate for diverse perspectives
• Ability to influence without authority and amplify the voice of the customer
• Skilled at taking initiative and self-motivating; resilient
• Ability to switch contexts with ease and to synthesize information across different areas
• Ability to negotiate and influence others, including executives
• Ability to make judgement calls balancing business requirements and technical constraints
• Fluency with web development concepts and ability to convey accessibility concepts to engineers
• Understanding of interaction design and universal design; ability to work closely with designers
• In depth experience with assistive technologies
• Extensive knowledge of WCAG, ARIA, HTML5

COVID VACCINATION REQUIREMENT: As directed by Executive Order 14042: Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, all current and newly-hired EIS employees in the United States are required to be fully vaccinated by January 18, 2022 or by their date of hire.
We are an equal opportunity employer and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. We strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, sex, pregnancy status, age, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment. We comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, and all applicable state or local law.