📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Group Product Manager, Growth
🔹 Company: Earnest
🔹 Location: San Francisco, CA (Remote)
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Financial Services, Fintech
🔹 Date Posted: May 13, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 7+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days/month in office)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Driving experimentation on product funnels to optimize performance and maximize customer loan origination.
- Defining and executing a product strategy to engage potential customers and drive cross-sell opportunities.
- Leading and developing a small team of Product Managers as a player/coach.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure a strong foundation for testing, personalization, and funnel optimization.
- Launching new products and driving engagement and cross-selling from existing Earnest customers.
- Developing APIs and embedded experiences to drive growth from partners serving similar customer bases.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and tactical execution, with a strong focus on data-driven decision-making and customer-centric design.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Drive experimentation on product funnels to optimize performance and maximize customer loan origination.
✅ Define and execute a product strategy to engage potential customers and drive cross-sell opportunities.
✅ Lead and develop a small team of Product Managers as a player/coach.
✅ Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure a strong foundation for testing, personalization, and funnel optimization.
✅ Launch new products and drive engagement and cross-selling from existing Earnest customers.
✅ Develop APIs and embedded experiences to drive growth from partners serving similar customer bases.
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a mix of strategic planning, hands-on execution, and team leadership, with a focus on driving measurable results through experimentation and optimization.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in a technical field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: 7+ years launching and growing successful consumer digital lending or fintech products, with 2+ years leading a team of Product Managers
Required Skills:
- Proven experience optimizing online customer acquisition funnels with multiple channels and products.
- Experience growing engagement from an existing base of customers and finding ways to cross-sell and monetize that engagement.
- Data-driven philosophy, influencing what you build and when you pivot.
- Deep experience setting up, running, and measuring A/B tests.
- Ability to manage and continuously optimize a testing roadmap based on opportunity size, customer insights, data analysis, and learnings from testing.
- Executive presence with cross-functional team members of all levels, including C-level.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with sophisticated testing methodologies such as contextual, multi-arm bandits.
- Experience launching growth features or freemium offerings from 0-1.
- Experience partnering closely with a marketing team to open up new distribution channels.
- Experience building embedded product experiences with partners.
ASSUMPTION: Strong analytical skills, a customer-centric mindset, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment are crucial for success in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $248,000 - $281,000 USD per year
Benefits:
- Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
- Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
- Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
- 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
- Robust tuition reimbursement program
- $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world
- Competitive days of annual PTO
- Competitive parental leave
Working Hours: Full-time, with flexible hours and the ability to work remotely 3 days a week
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles, experience levels, and locations. The final offer will be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, candidate location, and budget.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Financial Services, Fintech
Company Size: 201-500 employees
Founded: 2013
Company Description:
- Earnest empowers past, present, and soon-to-be students to maximize their financial futures through thoughtful guidance and impactful products.
- The company offers private student loans, student loan refinancing, and scholarships to help students pay less and get on the right financial track.
- Earnest is committed to building an environment where employees feel included, valued, and heard, with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.
Company Specialties:
- Consumer Lending
- Financial Technology
- Mission Driven, Value-driven
Company Website: earnest.com
ASSUMPTION: Earnest is a mission-driven company focused on empowering students to take control of their finances. The company values diversity, inclusion, and employee growth, offering competitive benefits and a dynamic work environment.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid to Senior-level management role with team leadership responsibilities
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Chief Product Officer
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (3 days/month in office, remote otherwise)
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to grow into a more senior leadership role within the Product organization
- Opportunities to work on a wide range of products and features, driving impact across the company
- Chance to learn from and collaborate with a talented, diverse team of professionals
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to develop leadership skills, gain exposure to various aspects of the business, and contribute to the company's mission.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid (3 days/month in office)
Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA (with remote work options)
Geographic Context:
- The San Francisco Bay Area offers a diverse and vibrant culture, with numerous amenities and attractions
- The cost of living in the Bay Area is high, but the region also offers competitive salaries and a strong job market
- The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility and a better work-life balance
Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible hours and the ability to work remotely 3 days a week
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement provides the best of both worlds, offering the opportunity to collaborate and build relationships with colleagues in the office while also enjoying the flexibility and convenience of remote work.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with a member of the People team
- Technical assessment or case study
- Interview with the hiring manager and/or team members
- Final interview with the Chief Product Officer
Key Assessment Areas:
- Problem-solving skills and ability to think critically about product challenges
- Data-driven decision-making and analytical skills
- Leadership and team management capabilities
- Cultural fit and alignment with Earnest's values and mission
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to product management, experimentation, and data analysis
- Demonstrate your passion for Earnest's mission and commitment to empowering students
ATS Keywords: Product Management, Growth, Fintech, Digital Lending, Customer Acquisition, Engagement Growth, Data Analysis, A/B Testing, Martech Integration, Strategic Thinking, Team Leadership, Entrepreneurial Mentality, Customer Experience, Cross-functional Collaboration, Growth Strategy, API Development, Embedded Experiences
ASSUMPTION: The interview process at Earnest is designed to assess your problem-solving skills, data-driven approach, and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best candidate for the role and the team.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- JIRA or similar project management tools
- Data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker)
- AB testing tools (e.g., Optimizely, Adobe Target)
- Collaboration and communication tools (e.g., Slack, Google Workspace)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are standard for the industry and will be familiar to most candidates with relevant experience.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Earn Happy Customers
- Better is Better
- Ph.D. in Moving Fast
- Passion for Challenges
- Impact is a Team Sport
Work Style:
- Collaborative and cross-functional, with a focus on driving impact together
- Data-driven and customer-centric, with a strong emphasis on experimentation and optimization
- Dynamic and fast-paced, with a focus on continuous learning and improvement
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you approach balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution in your work?
- Can you provide an example of a time when you drove measurable results through experimentation and optimization?
- How do you prioritize and manage a testing roadmap, and how do you ensure that you're continuously learning and improving?
ASSUMPTION: A strong cultural fit at Earnest requires a balance of strategic thinking and tactical execution, a data-driven approach, and a passion for challenges and continuous learning.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a team of Product Managers and balancing individual contributor responsibilities
- Navigating a dynamic, fast-paced work environment with competing priorities and tight deadlines
- Balancing the need for experimentation and innovation with the need to deliver results and meet business objectives
- Adapting to a hybrid work arrangement and building relationships with colleagues remotely
ASSUMPTION: These challenges are inherent to the role and the industry, and successful candidates will have the skills and mindset to navigate them effectively.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on driving growth and engagement through experimentation and optimization, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making and customer-centric design.
- Compared to similar roles in the industry, this role offers a unique opportunity to work at a mission-driven company focused on empowering students and making a positive impact on people's lives.
- Career paths for this role may include progression into more senior leadership positions within the Product organization or transition into other areas of the business, such as marketing or business development.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique combination of strategic thinking, tactical execution, and team leadership, with a strong focus on driving measurable results through experimentation and optimization.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a comprehensive testing roadmap to optimize a key customer acquisition funnel, resulting in a 20% increase in loan originations
- Launching a new product or feature to engage potential customers and drive cross-selling opportunities, with a focus on personalization and segmentation
- Building and integrating a martech stack to enable growth through marketing and sales channels, resulting in a 15% increase in qualified leads
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the types of initiatives a successful candidate in this role might undertake, with a focus on driving measurable results through experimentation and optimization.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does the team approach balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution, and how do you ensure that you're continuously learning and improving?
- Can you describe the company's approach to experimentation and optimization, and how does this role fit into that strategy?
- How does the team collaborate and communicate, and how do you ensure that you're driving impact together?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the team and the company, and how can this role help address them?
- How does the company support the growth and development of its employees, and what opportunities are there for professional growth in this role?
ASSUMPTION: These questions are designed to help you better understand the role, the team, and the company, and to ensure that you're a strong fit for the position and the organization.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare for the interview by researching Earnest's mission, values, and products, and be ready to discuss your approach to product management, experimentation, and data analysis
- Follow up with the hiring manager after your interview to reiterate your interest in the role and address any questions or concerns
- If you're invited to a final interview, be prepared to discuss your long-term career goals and how this role fits into your plans
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
