Senior Product Manager, Paper Recommendations

About Us Academia.edu is a venture-backed, for-profit, and profitable company based in San Francisco. We are recognized as the world’s leading platform for researchers and scholars to share work, discover research, and connect with academics globally. Our bold vision is to democratize and accelerate the world's research, enhancing the speed of scientific discovery and technological progress for the benefit of everyone. We imagine a world where accessing academic papers is effortless, keeping track of cutting-edge research is seamless and collaborating with researchers is easier than ever before. Our platform empowers millions of scholars worldwide to push the boundaries of human understanding. We believe in the power of knowledge to change lives and the world, and our commitment to this mission drives everything we do.

Join us as we continue to redefine what's possible in the world of research. Discover careers that challenge, inspire and propel you toward a future where your ideas can truly change the world. At Academia.edu, we're not just shaping the future of research—we're shaping the future of possibilities.

Please note that this role is in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our office comes alive on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays! Three times a week, our Bay Area team gathers in our office located in San Francisco's Financial District (580 California St) for All Hands meetings, collaborative sessions, innovation-driven brainstorming, and events that bring us closer together. Our space has everything we need—from cozy rooms for 1:1 mentoring and focused work to larger rooms designed for team activities.

The RoleWe are seeking a Senior Product Manager for our Paper Recommendations team. In this pivotal role, you will lead a newly formed team focused on optimizing our recommendation algorithms to ensure users receive the most relevant and high-quality research. As a subject matter expert in ranking systems, you will bring best practices and techniques to the team, guiding and mentoring both colleagues and the organization. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data science, engineering, and UX, to enhance our recommendation system and improve the user experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Build out the first product roadmap for this newly formed team
• Define and navigate the explore-exploit trade-off in recommendation systems and how to balance user exploration with personalized content exploitation
• Educate the product organization on ranking/recommendations best practices
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering and data
• Manage product lifecycle from ideation to launch and post-launch optimization
• Drive business impact (i.e. more engagement with research through better recommendations)

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field; advanced degree preferred
• 5+ years of experience in product management, preferably in edtech or media-tech
• Strong understanding of recommendation systems, machine learning, and data science principles
• Proven track record of successfully launching and managing recommendation products
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral
• Customer-centric approach with a knack for data-driven validation
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems
• Demonstrated ability to make a significant business impact
• Previous startup experience is essential

Nice to Haves

• A stint in growth-stage tech companies during a ‘high-growth’ period, particularly with a subscription model
• Background in working with Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Passion for education and academic research