Staff Product Manager, Engagement Pillar

About Us 

Academia.edu is a venture-backed, for-profit, and profitable company based in San Francisco. We are recognized as the world’s leading platform for researchers and scholars to share work, discover research, and connect with academics globally. Our bold vision is to democratize and accelerate the world's research, enhancing the speed of scientific discovery and technological progress for the benefit of everyone. We imagine a world where accessing academic papers is effortless, keeping track of cutting-edge research is seamless and collaborating with researchers is easier than ever before. Our platform empowers millions of scholars worldwide to push the boundaries of human understanding. We believe that academic research is a lever that improves the progress of humanity, and our commitment to this mission drives everything we do.

Join us as we continue to redefine what's possible in the world of research. Discover careers that challenge, inspire and propel you toward a future where your ideas can truly change the world. At Academia.edu, we're not just shaping the future of research—we're shaping the future of possibilities.

Please note that this role is in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Our office comes alive on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays! Three times a week, our Bay Area team gathers in our office located in San Francisco's Financial District (580 California St) for All Hands meetings, collaborative sessions, innovation-driven brainstorming, and events that bring us closer together. Our space has everything we need—from cozy rooms for 1:1 mentoring and focused work to larger rooms designed for team activities.

The Role

We are hiring a Staff Product Manager to join the Engagement Pillar, which is responsible for maximizing time spent per user by delivering world-class experiences across content, community, and activation. The Engagement Pillar owns the core loop of discovery on Academia.edu, ensuring researchers come back repeatedly because they find value in the content they see, the people they engage with, and the habits we help them build.

As a Staff PM in this group, you will work in one of two product teams in the group: (1) Content Experience or (2) Community Experience. You’ll shape the strategy and roadmap for how we help researchers stay connected to their fields and communities through passive and active discovery of research and people.

This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role for a senior product leader who excels at cross-functional coordination, thrives in ambiguous environments, and can drive initiatives from concept to scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the vision for increasing engagement across our homepage, email, and ranking systems.

• Collaborate with leadership across the organization to ensure cohesive user journeys and prioritization alignment

• Drive product development for initiatives that improve time-on-site, session frequency, and homepage stickiness

• Identify key levers across feed ranking, social signals, and lifecycle marketing (email/notifications) to boost repeat visits

• Synthesize insights from data, user research, and competitive analysis into product bets

• Work closely with engineering, data science, design, and marketing to deliver measurable outcomes

• Help define the operating model for the Engagement Pillar, including metrics, rituals, and inter-team collaboration

Requirements

• 8+ years of product management experience, with a strong track record in B2C or consumerized SaaS

• Demonstrated experience improving user engagement metrics (e.g., time spent, retention, DAU/WAU)

• Familiarity with feed-based products, recommendation engines, or social/community systems

• Ability to think in systems and balance technical depth with user empathy

• Excellent product judgment, prioritization skills, and communication

• Thrives in ambiguity and drives structure and clarity across complex spaces

Nice to Haves

• Experience in academic, edtech, or professional community platforms

• Background in ranking/relevance, lifecycle engagement, or identity systems

• Prior experience managing a portfolio across multiple product teams

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

Benefits

Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents

Generous Time Off: 21 paid vacation days, 12 paid company holidays, and unlimited sick days; paid parental leave and other leaves for life’s needs; 6-week paid sabbatical every 4 years

Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible daily schedules within a hybrid work environment, annual remote-office budget, and monthly WFH internet stipend

Competitive Compensation: Competitive salary, 401k plan, and stock options

Mission-Driven Company: Join a mission-driven company to accelerate and democratize the world’s research

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