📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Lead Product Manager, Reader Growth
🔹 Company: Wikimedia Foundation
🔹 Location: Remote (Global)
🔹 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 diverse communities and teams to brainstorm and gather feedback
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to work effectively in a complex, global environment.
📋 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 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 the global user base and how it drives the work
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, tactical execution, and effective communication with various stakeholders.
🎯 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: Candidates with a strong background in product management, consumer-facing software development, and experience working with global communities will be most successful in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The anticipated annual pay range for this position 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 by 100% for full-time employees
- 401(k) plan with company matching contributions
- Generous paid time off
- Paid parental leave
- Reimbursement for professional development and external resources
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 industry standards for similar roles and may vary depending on the candidate's location and experience.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: The Wikimedia Foundation operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia free knowledge projects, making it a non-profit organization focused on providing free access to knowledge for everyone.
Company Size: The Wikimedia Foundation has 501-1,000 employees, making it a mid-sized organization with a significant global presence and impact.
Founded: The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003, with its headquarters in San Francisco, California, USA.
Company Description:
- Operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia free knowledge projects
- Builds software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content
- Supports volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible
- Advocates for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive
Company Specialties:
- Non-Profit
- Free knowledge
- Open Source Culture
- Internet
- Technology
- Mobile
- Open Source
- Education
- Free Knowledge and Wikipedia
Company Website: Wikimedia Foundation
ASSUMPTION: The Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values are deeply rooted in its commitment to providing free access to knowledge for everyone, making it an attractive employer for individuals passionate about education, technology, and social impact.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior level, requiring a high degree of expertise and leadership in product management.
Reporting Structure: The role 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 open availability for international travel up to four times per year.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to grow into a more senior role within the Product and Technology department
- Opportunities to work on high-impact projects with global reach
- Chance to develop leadership and strategic thinking skills
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, with the potential to make a substantial impact on one of the most popular media properties in the world.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Remote
Office Location(s): Global (candidates must be available for critical meetings and synchronous work between 15:00 UTC and 18:00 UTC)
Geographic Context:
- The Wikimedia Foundation is a global organization with employees and volunteers from around the world
- The role requires open availability for international travel up to four times per year
- The global nature of the organization allows for a diverse and inclusive work environment
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week) with flexible hours and the ability to work asynchronously within the given time constraints.
ASSUMPTION: The remote work environment and global nature of the organization require strong communication, collaboration, and time management skills.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screening with a recruiter
- Technical assessment or case study
- Behavioral and cultural fit interviews with hiring managers and team members
- Final interview with the Group Product Manager, Readers
Key Assessment Areas:
- Product management skills and experience
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Communication and collaboration skills
- Cultural fit and alignment with Wikimedia Foundation values
- Global mindset and experience working with diverse communities
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions by reflecting on your past experiences and accomplishments
- Research the Wikimedia Foundation's mission, values, and projects to demonstrate your enthusiasm and understanding
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to product management, controlled experiments, and working with global communities
ATS Keywords: Product Management, Consumer-Facing Software, Agile Environment, Content Discovery, High-Scale Products, Controlled Experiments, Cross-Functional Leadership, Communication Skills, Dynamic Environment, Diversity Understanding, AI Application, Multilingual Products, Online Communities, Remote Teamwork, Data Analytics, MediaWiki Familiarity
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for this role will focus on assessing the candidate's product management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit with the Wikimedia Foundation.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- MediaWiki
- Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons)
- Consumer-facing software development tools
- Experiment design and analysis tools
- Project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Asana)
- Communication and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are standard for product management and consumer-facing software development, with a focus on experiment design and analysis.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge
- Everyone has something to contribute
- Knowledge wants to be free
- In the age of participation, we affirm the power and importance of volunteer efforts
- We are patient and respectful
Work Style:
- Collaborative and inclusive
- Focused on impact and results
- Adaptable and resilient
- Open and transparent
- Committed to free knowledge and open source principles
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you align with the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values?
- How do you approach working with diverse global communities and teams?
- How do you balance strategic thinking with tactical execution in a dynamic environment?
- How do you ensure that your work is inclusive and accessible to a global audience?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates who demonstrate a strong alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation's mission and values, as well as a global mindset and collaborative work style, will be most successful in this role.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Working with a large and complex ecosystem of stakeholders, including volunteers, staff, and communities
- Balancing the needs and preferences of a global user base with diverse learning styles and preferences
- Keeping up with the latest developments and innovations in knowledge seeking, AI, and industry best practices
- Managing a diverse range of responsibilities in a dynamic and results-oriented environment
- Navigating a remote work environment with a globally-distributed team
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong leadership, adaptability, and effective communication skills to overcome.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on the reader experience and growth for one of the most popular media properties in the world
- 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 significant growth opportunities, with the potential to progress into more senior roles within the Product and Technology department
ASSUMPTION: This role is distinct from other product management positions due to its focus on reader growth and engagement for Wikipedia, requiring a unique set of skills and experiences.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a new feature to improve the browsing and discovery of content on the Wikipedia mobile website
- Creating an experiment to test the effectiveness of different visual and multimedia formats for engaging readers
- Building a tool to contextualize and frame knowledge in novel ways, tailored to modern learning preferences
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the types of initiatives the successful candidate will lead, focusing on reader engagement, content discovery, and innovative learning experiences.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the current state of the reader experience on Wikipedia and the plans for improvement?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation approach working with volunteers and communities to gather feedback and inform product decisions?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the Wikimedia Foundation in the coming years, and how does this role address them?
- How does the Wikimedia Foundation support the professional development and growth of its employees?
- What is the Wikimedia Foundation's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the organization and in its products?
ASSUMPTION: These questions will help you better understand the role, the organization, and the cultural fit for you as a candidate.
📌 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 interview questions by reflecting on your past experiences and accomplishments
- Research the Wikimedia Foundation's mission, values, and projects to demonstrate your enthusiasm and understanding
- Follow up with the recruiter within one week of submitting your application to confirm receipt and inquire about next steps
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
