📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth
🔹 Company: Wikimedia Foundation
🔹 Location: Remote
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Product Management
🔹 Date Posted: May 1, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote solely
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading the development of modern and engaging Wikipedia learning experiences
- Driving a cross-functional team to build and deploy features and experiments
- Working with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers and communities
- Applying controlled experiments to make product decisions
- Scaling features to millions of people across hundreds of languages
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong leadership, communication, and project management skills to coordinate multiple teams and functions across the organization.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead the development of modern and engaging Wikipedia learning experiences on both desktop and mobile websites
✅ Drive a cross-functional team of engineers, a designer, community specialist, and data analyst to build and deploy features and experiments
✅ Work with the team to design lightweight experiments that can scale to fully deployed features
✅ Apply the use of standardized measurement practices (such as A/B testing and user research) and develop creative approaches to learn in our privacy-sensitive environment
✅ Track and communicate progress, and maintain planning artifacts such as roadmaps, specs, and release plans
✅ Work with Communications, Marketing, and Legal functions to execute high-profile projects
✅ Proactively conduct conversations with volunteer communities to brainstorm and gather feedback on projects and ideas, and collaboratively adapt plans when needed
✅ Maintain an understanding of current developments and innovations in knowledge seeking, AI, and industry best practices
✅ Persevere through setbacks to ensure team goals are met, or communicate when a pivot may be necessary
✅ Develop an understanding of the diversity of our global user base and how it drives our work
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of collaboration and communication with various teams and stakeholders, both internal and external to the organization.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a professional setting
Experience: 8 years of professional experience, including at least 5 years as a product manager working with consumer-facing software development teams, preferably in an agile environment
Required Skills:
- Strong understanding of the current knowledge landscape, modern learning preferences, and content discovery trends
- Past success building and iterating high-scale consumer-facing products on both desktop and mobile websites
- Mastery of applying controlled experiments to make product decisions
- Past success leading product initiatives that coordinate multiple teams/functions across an organization
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with all levels of management, staff, and communities
- Capable of managing a diverse range of responsibilities in a dynamic and results-oriented environment
Preferred Skills:
- Experience applying AI and machine learning in web products
- Experience building products for multiple languages and geographies
- Experience working with large online communities
- Experience working with a fully remote globally-distributed team
- Technical data and analytics skills
- Fluency in multiple spoken languages or dialects
- Experience editing Wikipedia or with the Wikipedia, Wikidata, or Wikimedia Commons communities or other collaborative enterprises
- Familiarity with MediaWiki
ASSUMPTION: Given the global nature of the Wikimedia Foundation and the diverse user base, candidates with international experience and language skills may have an advantage.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The anticipated annual pay range for this position is USD 124,463 to USD 193,900 with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire.
Benefits:
- Health, dental, and vision coverage
- Retirement benefits (403b) with company matching
- Generous paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays)
- Paid family leave
- Parental leave
- Professional development opportunities
- Flexible work hours and remote work options
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week) with critical meetings and synchronous work required between 15:00 UTC and 18:00 UTC
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on the information given in the job description. Actual compensation may vary based on individual factors and the specific location of the applicant.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: The Wikimedia Foundation operates in the non-profit sector, focusing on free knowledge and open-source culture. It is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects.
Company Size: The Wikimedia Foundation has 501-1,000 employees, making it a mid-sized organization. This size allows for a diverse range of opportunities and a significant impact on the global community.
Founded: The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA.
Company Description:
- The Wikimedia Foundation is dedicated to the vision of a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
- It hosts Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, builds software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, supports volunteer communities and partners, and advocates for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.
- The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. It also receives donations through institutional grants and gifts.
Company Specialties:
- Non-Profit
- Free knowledge
- Open Source Culture
- Internet
- Technology
- Mobile
- Open Source
- Education
- Free Knowledge and Wikipedia
Company Website: wikimediafoundation.org
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values are deeply rooted in its commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture, which drives its work and culture.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior level, requiring a significant amount of experience and leadership.
Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, reports directly to the Group Product Manager, Readers.
Work Arrangement: This role is remote solely, with critical meetings and synchronous work required between 15:00 UTC and 18:00 UTC. The role also requires openness to traveling internationally up to four times per year.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to grow into a more senior role within the Product and Technology department or other departments within the Wikimedia Foundation
- Opportunities to work on high-impact projects with a global reach and significant user base
- Chance to develop leadership and management skills by driving a cross-functional team
ASSUMPTION: Given the dynamic nature of the Wikimedia Foundation and the evolving needs of its users, there are ample opportunities for growth and development in this role.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: The Wikimedia Foundation has a remote-first work environment, with staff members including contractors based in over 40 countries.
Office Location(s): The Wikimedia Foundation's headquarters is in San Francisco, California, USA. However, the organization operates with a remote-first approach, allowing employees to work from various locations worldwide.
Geographic Context:
- The Wikimedia Foundation's global user base and community of volunteers span over 300 different languages and countries, providing a diverse and multicultural work environment.
- The organization's remote-first approach allows for a diverse and inclusive work culture, fostering collaboration and connection among team members worldwide.
- The Wikimedia Foundation's commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture extends to its work environment, promoting transparency, collaboration, and open communication.
Work Schedule: The Wikimedia Foundation operates on a flexible work schedule, with full-time employees working 40 hours per week. The organization encourages a healthy work-life balance and provides generous paid time off and parental leave policies.
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's remote-first work environment and global user base create a unique and dynamic work environment that requires strong communication, collaboration, and adaptability skills.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- Technical assessment or case study
- Final round interview with the team
- Background check and reference check
- Job offer
Key Assessment Areas:
- Product management skills and experience
- Leadership and team management skills
- Communication and collaboration skills
- Problem-solving and analytical skills
- Cultural fit and alignment with Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Demonstrate your understanding of the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values in your application materials
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your product management experience and leadership skills
- Be ready to discuss your approach to controlled experiments and data-driven decision-making
- Showcase your ability to work effectively in a remote, globally-distributed team environment
ATS Keywords: Product Management, Consumer-Facing Software, Agile Environment, Content Discovery, High-Scale Products, Controlled Experiments, Cross-Functional Leadership, Communication Skills, Dynamic Environment, AI and Machine Learning, Multilingual Products, Online Communities, Remote Teams, Data Analytics, Fluency in Languages, MediaWiki Familiarity
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's application process is designed to assess candidates' skills, experience, and cultural fit for the role and the organization.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- MediaWiki
- Wikimedia Foundation's tech stack (including PHP, Python, JavaScript, and various open-source tools)
- Collaboration and communication tools (such as Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office)
- Project management and tracking tools (such as JIRA, Confluence, and GitHub)
- Data analysis and visualization tools (such as Google Analytics, Tableau, and Power BI)
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation uses a variety of tools and technologies to support its global operations and user base. Familiarity with these tools and technologies is essential for success in this role.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
- Equality is at the heart of our approach to knowledge and information.
- In our role as the steward of Wikipedia's infrastructure, we strive to make it the best it can be. Our actions are guided by evidence and user needs. We make decisions transparency, explicitly, and with community input.
- Our services are scalable, and we make the most of limited resources.
- We are honest and do what we say we will do.
- We are respectful.
Work Style:
- The Wikimedia Foundation operates in a remote-first work environment, requiring strong communication, collaboration, and adaptability skills.
- The organization values transparency, open communication, and active participation in decision-making processes.
- The Wikimedia Foundation's global user base and community of volunteers span over 300 different languages and countries, fostering a diverse and multicultural work environment.
- The organization's commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture extends to its work environment, promoting collaboration, connection, and open communication among team members worldwide.
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you align with the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values, particularly the commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture?
- How do you approach working in a remote, globally-distributed team environment, and what strategies do you use to build and maintain effective communication and collaboration?
- How do you balance your work responsibilities and maintain a healthy work-life balance in a flexible work environment?
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's culture is deeply rooted in its commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture, which drives its work and environment.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- The Wikimedia Foundation operates in a complex and dynamic environment, with a global user base and community of volunteers spanning over 300 different languages and countries. This requires strong adaptability and cultural sensitivity.
- The organization's remote-first work environment can present unique challenges in terms of communication, collaboration, and time management.
- The Wikimedia Foundation's commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture can sometimes lead to intense debates and discussions within the community, requiring strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
- The role of Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, involves working with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers and communities, which can present unique challenges in terms of communication, collaboration, and decision-making.
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's unique environment and global user base present both opportunities and challenges for candidates in this role.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Compared to other product management roles, the Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, requires a strong understanding of the current knowledge landscape, modern learning preferences, and content discovery trends.
- This role is unique in its focus on engaging with Wikipedia content in novel ways, building features that enable readers to browse and discover content more intuitively, contextualize and frame knowledge in novel ways, and engage with visual, audio, and other multimedia formats that align with modern preferences.
- Career paths for product managers in the Wikimedia Foundation can vary depending on the specific department and project. However, there are ample opportunities for growth and development within the organization.
ASSUMPTION: The Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, is a unique and specialized role within the Wikimedia Foundation, requiring specific skills and experience.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a new feature that allows readers to browse and discover content more intuitively on the Wikipedia mobile website
- Creating a multimedia content platform that enables readers to engage with visual, audio, and other multimedia formats on the Wikipedia desktop website
- Building a novel way of contextualizing and framing knowledge on Wikipedia that aligns with modern learning preferences
ASSUMPTION: The Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, will have the opportunity to work on high-impact projects that engage with Wikipedia content in novel ways, driving innovation and growth within the organization.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the current state of the Reader Growth team and the priorities for the first 90 days in this role?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation approach working with volunteers and communities, and what strategies have been successful in the past?
- Can you provide examples of how the Wikimedia Foundation has adapted to changes in user behavior and preferences, and how this role might contribute to those efforts in the future?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation support the professional development and growth of its product managers?
- What is the Wikimedia Foundation's approach to scaling features and experiments to millions of people across hundreds of languages, and how does this role fit into that strategy?
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for the Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth, will focus on assessing the candidate's product management skills, leadership potential, and cultural fit within the Wikimedia Foundation.
📌 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 behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your product management experience and leadership skills
- Be ready to discuss your approach to controlled experiments and data-driven decision-making
- Showcase your ability to work effectively in a remote, globally-distributed team environment
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to inquire about the status of your application
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
