📌 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
- Applying controlled experiments to make product decisions
- Collaborating with volunteer communities and coordinating multiple teams
- Working with Communications, Marketing, and Legal functions on high-profile projects
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of independence and strategic thinking, with a strong focus on user-centered design and data-driven decision making.
📋 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
✅ Design lightweight experiments that can scale to fully deployed features
✅ Apply the use of standardized measurement practices and develop creative approaches to learn in a privacy-sensitive environment
✅ Track and communicate progress, and maintain planning artifacts such as roadmaps, specs, and release plans
✅ Collaborate with Communications, Marketing, and Legal functions to execute high-profile projects
✅ Proactively conduct conversations with volunteer communities to gather feedback and adapt plans
✅ Maintain an understanding of current developments and innovations in knowledge seeking, AI, and industry best practices
✅ Persevere through setbacks and communicate when a pivot may be necessary
✅ Develop an understanding of the diversity of the global user base and how it drives the work
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of autonomy and requires strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.
🎯 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
- 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: Candidates should have a proven track record in product management, with a strong focus on user-centered design and data-driven decision making.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The anticipated annual pay range for this position for applicants based within the United States is US$124,463 to US$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 savings plan with company match
- Paid time off, including sick leave, vacation, and holidays
- Parental leave for all family forms
- Professional development opportunities
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week) with flexible scheduling
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for a product manager role with the given experience level and location. Actual compensation may vary based on individual factors and the country of hire.
📌 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: Medium-sized (501-1,000 employees), with a global presence and a remote-first work culture.
Founded: 2003, in San Francisco, California, USA
Company Description:
- Dedicated to providing free access to the sum of all human knowledge
- Supports volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible
- Advocates for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive
- Reliant on donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15
- Operates as a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
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: Mid-level to senior, with opportunities for growth and leadership within the Product and Technology department and the broader Wikimedia Foundation.
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Group Product Manager, Readers, with opportunities to collaborate with various teams and functions across the organization.
Work Arrangement: Remote solely, with critical meetings and synchronous work required between 15:00 UTC and 18:00 UTC. Open to traveling internationally up to four times per year.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to lead and grow the Reader Growth team
- Chance to work on high-impact projects with global reach and significance
- Opportunities to collaborate with and learn from diverse teams and communities
- Potential to advance within the Product and Technology department or the broader Wikimedia Foundation
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential, both in terms of leadership development and impact on the organization's mission.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Remote, with no physical office location required
Office Location(s): N/A (remote work only)
Geographic Context:
- Wikimedia Foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA
- Remote work allows for a global talent pool and diverse perspectives
- Time zones may vary, with critical meetings and synchronous work required between 15:00 UTC and 18:00 UTC
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week) with flexible scheduling, allowing for a healthy work-life balance
ASSUMPTION: The remote work environment offers flexibility and the opportunity to work from anywhere, with a strong focus on results and productivity.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screening with the hiring manager
- Technical assessment or case study
- Final round interviews with cross-functional stakeholders
- Background check and onboarding
Key Assessment Areas:
- Product management skills and experience
- Understanding of the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values
- Ability to work effectively in a remote, global team
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Communication and collaboration skills
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills and experiences 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 user-centered design, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional team leadership
- Follow up with the recruiter after the interview to reiterate your interest in the role and ask any remaining questions
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 interview process will focus on assessing the candidate's product management skills, cultural fit, and alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- MediaWiki
- Wikimedia Foundation's tech stack (see techblog.wikimedia.org for details)
- Collaboration and project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence)
- Data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Tableau)
- Communication and collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams)
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation uses a variety of tools and technologies to support its mission and operations, with a focus on open-source and free software.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all human knowledge.
- Everyone has something to contribute to our shared knowledge.
- Knowledge is a social good.
- Imagine a world in which every single person can access that knowledge freely.
- In the spirit of our mission, all of our work reflects our core values.
Work Style:
- Remote and global teamwork
- Collaborative and inclusive decision-making
- User-centered design and data-driven decision making
- Continuous learning and improvement
- Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic environment
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do your personal values align with the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and core values?
- How comfortable are you working in a fully remote, globally-distributed team?
- How do you approach user-centered design and data-driven decision making in your work?
- How do you adapt to setbacks and persevere to ensure team goals are met or communicate when a pivot may be necessary?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should be highly motivated by the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values, with a strong commitment to free knowledge and open-source culture.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Working with a large and complex ecosystem of stakeholders, including volunteer communities and global teams
- Navigating a dynamic and evolving work environment with shifting priorities and requirements
- Managing a diverse range of responsibilities and balancing multiple projects and deadlines
- Adapting to a remote work environment with a global team, requiring effective communication and collaboration skills
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic and complex environment, with strong adaptability and resilience.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on reader growth and engagement for Wikipedia, with a broad scope and significant impact on the platform's future
- Unlike other product management roles, this position requires a strong understanding of the current knowledge landscape, modern learning preferences, and content discovery trends
- Career path comparison: This role offers opportunities for growth and leadership within the Product and Technology department and the broader Wikimedia Foundation, with potential to advance to senior or director-level positions
ASSUMPTION: This role is distinct from other product management positions due to its focus on reader growth and engagement for Wikipedia, with a broad scope and significant impact on the platform's future.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a new feature to improve the browsing and discovery experience for mobile users
- Creating a multimedia content hub to engage users with visual, audio, and other multimedia formats
- Designing and implementing an AI-driven content recommendation system to personalize user experiences
ASSUMPTION: Sample projects should demonstrate the candidate's ability to lead and execute innovative and impactful initiatives that align with the role's responsibilities and the Wikimedia Foundation's mission.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does this role fit into the broader strategy for reader growth and engagement on Wikipedia?
- What are the key priorities for the first 90 days in this role?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation support the professional development and growth of its product managers?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the Reader Growth team, and how can this role address them?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation measure the success of its products and features, and how can this role contribute to that process?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should ask thoughtful and insightful questions that demonstrate their understanding of the role and the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values.
📌 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 skills and experiences for this role
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your product management experience and leadership skills
- Follow up with the recruiter after the interview to reiterate your interest in the role and ask any remaining questions
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
