Jeff Downing

Helping solve problems in medical and health science education

Greater St. Louis

About

Technology product leader with progressive experience in product management, product strategy, content development, and market analysis, with an emphasis in healthcare, higher education, e-learning, and ed-tech. Has led and managed the development of a wide array of leading-edge digital products from concept through launch, in areas such as adaptive learning, virtual simulation, medical education, artificial intelligence, and health information management. Mission-oriented team-builder with a proven track record of building and managing technology products which have helped prepare over one million professionals for the challenges of modern healthcare. Some of these products include: - Rx Bricks - Rx Bricks Create (digital learning experience authoring platform) - Rx Brick Exchange (world's first health professions curriculum exchange) - Qmax Create (new AI-powered item authoring platform) - Virtual Clinical Excursions - Simulation Learning System - SimChart - Elsevier Adaptive Learning - Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing - Nursing Concepts Online - Sherpath

Experience

  • ScholarRx (8 yrs 5 mos)
    • Senior Director of Product
      Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

    • Director of Product
      Jan 2020 - Jan 2023 · 3 yrs 1 mo

    • Product Manager
      Feb 2018 - Jan 2020 · 2 yrs

      * Oversees strategy and execution of product portfolio, including new product development, engagement, and retention * Manages product marketing operation, including eCommerce, advertising, and social media * Defines product roadmap including new features, prioritizing requirements, and working with tech team to ensure implementation of requirements creates delightful UX * Conducts market research to understand customer needs, get feedback on new product concepts, and improve user experience * Analyzes user behavior and customer data to define segments for product usage and engagement * Cultivates strategy to meet and exceed engagement and retention goals * Conducts customer interviews (med students, med faculty, deans and directors) and focus groups to understand pain points and explore new product concepts

  • Freelance Fiction Editor at Freelance
    Apr 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 3 mos

    I offer editing and copyediting services for select literary fiction projects. Recent work includes: - Evan Dara, "Provisional Biography of Mose Eakins" (2018) - Evan Dara, "The Lost Scrapbook" (eBook edition) (2020) - Evan Dara, "Permanent Earthquake" (2021)

  • Principal - Product Management, Product Strategy, Education Technology, Simulation/Gamification at Adaptive Impact, LLC
    Sep 2016 - Present · 9 yrs 10 mos

    Consulting services for publishers, healthcare companies, telecoms, and higher education institutions seeking strategic guidance and support in the areas of: - Product Management (CSPO and Pragmatic Marketing Level III Certified) - Product Strategy - Content Marketing - Education Technology - Market and Competitive Analysis - Adaptive Learning & Adaptive Assessment - USMLE - Online Courseware - Simulation and Gamification - Curriculum Solutions - Content Development

  • Elsevier (14 yrs 7 mos)
    • Product Director, Learning Content & Curriculum Solutions
      Apr 2015 - Aug 2016 · 1 yr 5 mos

      • Directed a customer-focused team through the product lifecycle development process. • Responsible for overall strategic vision and P&L for leading digital product lines, including: - Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing - Elsevier Adaptive Learning - Elsevier eBooks - Concept-Based Curriculum - Online Courses • Set and met goals for the portfolio, with an emphasis on exceeding goals tied to market share, top-line and earned revenue, and customer satisfaction. • Played key role in pricing, business model strategies, and goal-setting. • Conveyed the strategic vision for the business, with an emphasis on adaptive learning, mobile experience, and interoperability standards. • Drove effort to ensure products complied with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requirements.

    • Director of Product Technology
      Jan 2014 - Apr 2015 · 1 yr 4 mos

      • Managed people and products in Elsevier's eSolutions division, creating roadmaps and project plans, building business cases, strategically assessing Buy/Build/Partner opportunities, and translating user stories into sound requirements for product portfolio. • Successfully developed and launched first wave of adaptive learning courses for healthcare education market. • Led a cross-functional team (12-16 members, across 3 continents) within an Agile environment (Scrum) during the elaboration and initial execution phases of Sherpath. • Helped define a learning design strategy around flexible content, with learning objectives as the organizing mechanism for aligning content, driving adaptivity, and mapping taxonomies. • Created content organization model and validated that it supported the needs of the product. • Defined MVP requirements for a smart content authoring tool. • Led RFP effort involving 20 gaming and simulation vendors to understand state of the market in terms of technologies and platforms. • Drafted and finalized requirements for pilot, including data collection and event capture needs for virtual simulations. • Delivered Unity-based prototype simulations • Wrote a weekly column called "This Week in Ed-Tech" to help colleagues and partners stay abreast of news and developments within the world of educational technology - https://tinyletter.com/thisweekinedtech.

    • Product Director - Simulation Solutions
      Jan 2011 - Jan 2014 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      • Managed P&L for Simulation Learning System and expanded the range of SLS scenarios to cover the entire academic nursing curriculum; built an innovative library of over 500 Skills Drills (mini-simulations focused on clinical technique). • Forged strategic partnerships with leaders in different areas of the simulation industry, including CAE/METI and Lockheed Martin. • Led product development of SimChart, which became the leading academic electronic health record in the nursing education space (http://elsevieradvantage.com/article.jsp?pageid=10707). • Partnered with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to support their groundbreaking National Simulation Study. • Identified and forged a strategic relationship with adaptive learning partner (Cerego) which served as the engine for Elsevier Adaptive Learning, leading the product integration and go-to-market effort (http://elsevieradvantage.com/article.jsp?pageid=12126).

  • Freelance Writer at Riverfront Times
    Jan 2000 - Feb 2002 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    I wrote album reviews and concert previews for St. Louis's leading alternative newsweekly.