logo inner

Senior Product Manager, Paper Recommendations

Academia.eduSan Francisco, California, United StatesHybrid, Onsite

Company Overview


Academia.edu is a venture-backed, for-profit business based in San Francisco whose mission is to accelerate the world’s research. Our platform enables researchers worldwide to effortlessly find and access academic papers, stay current with peers and relevant research areas, and enhance their ability to publish and distribute their work. With over 100 million academic papers, a vast user base of over 250 million and adoption by over half of the academic community, we're at the forefront of transforming the $25 billion academic publishing industry.

The Role


We 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

$190,000 - $230,000 a yearEnjoy a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package - including 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents, Generous Paid Time Off and Flexible Work Arrangements.

Diversity and Inclusion


Academia is a proud equal-opportunity employer and we are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.Apply for this job

Life at Academia.edu

Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. The company's mission is to accelerate the world's research. Academics use Academia.edu to share their research, monitor deep analytics around the impact of their research, and track the research of academics they follow. 4,534,161 academics have signed up to Academia.edu, adding 1,628,752 papers and 870,756 research interests. Academia.edu attracts over 5 million unique visitors a month.
Thrive Here & What We Value1. Mission: Accelerating world's research through a venture-backed, for-profit business in San Francisco2. Company culture: Inclusive environment, diverse workforce, flexible work arrangements, generous time off and benefits package3. Product innovation and impact4. Career growth opportunities5. Competitive compensation with stock options6. Unique position to disrupt academic publishing industry7. World's largest network for sharing academic research8. Work/life balance organization9. Leadership roles across product lines10. Commitment to employee well-being and satisfaction

Related Sub

This job belongs to these sub. Explore related roles here:
Product manager jobs
Your tracker settings

We use cookies and similar methods to recognize visitors and remember their preferences. We also use them to measure ad campaign effectiveness, target ads and analyze site traffic. To learn more about these methods, including how to disable them, view our Cookie Policy or Privacy Policy.

By tapping `Accept`, you consent to the use of these methods by us and third parties. You can always change your tracker preferences by visiting our Cookie Policy.

logo innerThatStartupJob
Discover the best startup and their job positions, all in one place.
Copyright © 2025