Senior Digital Product Manager (Digital Innovation and Public Health Technology)

About Vital Strategies

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, alcohol policy, food policy, overdose prevention, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific; the Overdose Prevention Program is our first initiative in the U.S. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org  to find out more about our work.

The Vital Strategies office in Brazil supports municipal, state, and federal governments in addressing the main causes of preventable illness and death. We have worked with the cities of Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Goiânia, Natal, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, Recife, and Campinas; the states of Ceará, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Norte, and Rio Grande do Sul; the Ministry of Health; state and municipal health secretariat consortia (respectively Conass and Conasems); the National Front of Mayors; and civil society partners.

Vital Strategies is an organization committed to promoting equal opportunities and fostering the inclusion of groups historically underrepresented in the labor market. We strongly encourage applications from Black and Indigenous candidates, as well as individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Applications must be submitted in English to be considered.

Job Purpose

The Senior Digital Product Manager will lead the development and institutionalization of digital product capabilities within Vital Strategies Brazil, working at the intersection of public health, technology, and innovation.

The position will shape and embed product governance, processes, and ways of working across the organization, while also advancing delivery of digital initiatives from discovery and design, through implementation and continuous improvement. This includes the development of scalable digital solutions, such as data platforms, digital tools, and AI-enabled applications.

The position requires a combination of product management expertise, user-centered design sensibility, strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and a strong interest in applying digital product approaches to public health challenges in Brazil and across global contexts.

Working in close partnership with the SVP of Global Innovation and the Country Director (Brazil), and collaborating with the Innovation Hub, technology teams and program leads, the role will help ensure that digital initiatives are aligned, effectively prioritized and connected to Vital Strategies’ global innovation ecosystem.

The position will also contribute to strengthening Vital Strategies Brazil’s digital innovation capacity, advancing the use of technology and data to improve public health outcomes, and supporting the organization’s responsible AI agenda.

Duties and Responsibilities

Digital Product Strategy and Governance

• Lead the design and implementation of a structured approach to digital product development within Vital Strategies.

• Define and institutionalize product management frameworks, and governance routines and ways of working to support the development, prioritization, and scaling of digital products.

• Ensure alignment of digital product initiatives with Vital Strategies’ strategic priorities and global innovation agenda, in close coordination with the SVP of Global Innovation.

Product Development and Lifecycle Management

• Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of digital products, from problem definition and user discovery through to prototyping, implementation, and continuous improvement.

• Translate programmatic needs and public health priorities into scalable digital product concepts and solutions.

• Develop and manage product roadmaps, priorities, and delivery cycles in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Oversee backlog management and support teams in delivering high-quality digital solutions that meet programmatic and user needs.

• Coordinate product delivery across technical and program teams, ensuring alignment with product priorities, timelines, and quality standards.

• Support experimentation, prototyping, and testing of new digital solutions within the Innovation Lab.

User Experience and Human-Centered Design

• Champion human-centered design principles across all digital products, ensuring solutions are evidence-based, inclusive, and accessible.

• Lead or oversee user research activities, including contextual inquiry, usability testing, and journey mapping, with end-users in public health and government settings.

• Ensure digital products are designed for diverse populations, including users with low digital literacy and in low-resource environments.

• Establish and maintain UX standards, design documentation, and feedback loops that inform iterative product improvement.

Technology and Cross-Functional Delivery & Programmatic Integration

• Work closely with technology, data, and design teams to guide the development and implementation of digital products.

• Collaborate with technical leadership, including data and technology advisors, to ensure that digital products follow appropriate technical approaches and standards.

• Partner with program teams to identify opportunities for digital innovation and the application of technology to public health challenges.

• Support the development of digital tools and platforms across programs, including initiatives related to violence prevention, artificial intelligence, and data-driven public health.

• Ensure that digital solutions are user-centered and responsive to programmatic, policy, and operational needs.Facilitate knowledge exchange across Vital’s country offices and Vital Strategies’ global innovation ecosystem.

   

Innovation, Knowledge Management, and Responsible AI

• Establish documentation, repositories, and internal guidance to strengthen knowledge management and enable program teams to effectively engage in digital product development.

• Contribute to the development and strengthening of the Innovation Hub’s methodologies, workflows, and collaborative processes.

• Document and disseminate lessons learned, digital prototypes, and tools to support institutional learning and replication across programs.

• Ensure that AI-enabled products and data-driven solutions adhere to responsible AI principles, ethical frameworks, and Vital Strategies’ AI governance policies.

• Collaborate with the SVP of Global Innovation and the AI Advisory Council on ethical review and oversight of digital products involving AI or sensitive data.

• Stay current with emerging standards and best practices in responsible AI, algorithmic accountability, and data governance in public health.

Qualifications

Education and degree

• Bachelor’s degree in technology, computer science, engineering, data science, design, business administration, public health, public policy, or a related field required.

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as public health, innovation, technology management, or public policy is preferred but not required.

• Professional certifications or training in Product Management (e.g., CSPO, CPM), Agile methodologies, Human-Centered Design, Digital Innovation, Data Analytics, or Artificial Intelligence are considered an asset.

Skills & abilities

• Strong strategic thinking combined with a hands-on approach to digital product development and delivery.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex programmatic or policy challenges into practical digital solutions and scalable technology products.

• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional environments, collaborating effectively with technology, data, design, and program teams.

• Strong product management capabilities, including experience with product discovery, roadmap development, backlog prioritization, and iterative delivery.

• Demonstrated UX/human-centered design sensibility, including the ability to lead user research and apply inclusive and accessible design principles.

• Familiarity with responsible AI principles, data governance frameworks, and ethical considerations for technology in public health settings.

• Ability to navigate complex institutional environments and align diverse stakeholders around shared product priorities.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform product decisions and strategy.

• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Fluency in English and Portuguese, both written and spoken.

• High level of organization, autonomy, and attention to detail.

• Time Management & Organization: Manage multiple tasks and prioritize work to meet project deadlines.

• Adaptability & Flexibility: Ability to adjust to shifting project goals.

• Attention to detail: actively listens, strong follow-up, focus on accuracy and thoroughness.

   

Experience

Required:

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience, including significant experience in digital product management, technology-driven innovation, or digital solution development.

• Demonstrated experience working as a Product Manager, Product Owner, or similar role leading digital product development.

• Proven experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including software developers, data specialists, designers, and program or policy stakeholders.

• Experience managing complex projects or digital initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and iterative development processes.

• Professional experience in technology, digital innovation, public sector innovation, or social impact environments.

   

Preferred:

• Experience developing data platforms, digital tools, analytics systems, or AI-enabled products.

• Experience working in public health, government innovation, civic tech, or technology-for-good environments.

• Experience with open-source ecosystems, digital public goods, or digital health standards (e.g., HL7/FHIR, DHIS2, OpenMRS).

• Experience with donor compliance and grant-funded product development cycles.

• Experience engaging government stakeholders in LMICs on digital health or AI-related initiatives.

• Experience collaborating with international teams or global organizations.

• Experience building or scaling digital products from early-stage concept to implementation.

• Experience working in innovation labs, digital transformation initiatives, or emerging technology programs.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• This position is based in São Paulo, Brazil, under a hybrid work arrangement, with an expectation of working in the office two to three days per week.

• Full-time position under the Brazilian Labor Law (Consolidation of Labor Laws) framework.

• The role may require occasional domestic or international travel (approximately 10–20%).

   

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