Lead Product Manager, Search

Scribd, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 194,500 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work model

Comprehensive health coverage

Generous paid time off

Learning and development programs

Wellness stipends

Job summary

Scribd, Inc. is seeking a Principal Product Manager to enhance its Search team strategy. This pivotal role will transform the search experience, impacting 200 million visitors monthly via advanced algorithms and user feedback.

The ideal candidate will possess over 8 years in product management and showcase strong technical expertise in ML/AI, aiming to redefine search relevance and discoverability for users.

Join a collaborative environment that values innovative insights, and enjoy competitive equity ownership alongside a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of product-management experience, especially in consumer environments.
• Experience with retrieval and ranking algorithms.
• Ability to thrive amid ambiguity and shape multi-year visions.

Responsibilities

• Set strategy and drive execution for Scribd's Search team.
• Transform search experience into a top discovery engine.
• Define compelling vision and experiment for breakthrough features.

Skills

Goal setting and achievement

Technical fluency in ML/AI

Product management

Written and verbal communication

Collaboration

Data-driven insights

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

SQL

Python

R

Job description

Qualifications

• We’re looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve goals, deliver results within their job responsibilities, contribute innovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader team through collaboration and attitude.
• The ideal candidate combines deep technical fluency in ML/AI with seasoned product‑management experience and a track record of translating data‑driven insights into meaningful product wins.
• 8+ years of product‑management experience, including 5+ years leading search or recommendations products in a high‑traffic consumer environment.
• Demonstrated success shipping ML‑driven features that moved core business metrics (engagement, conversion, or revenue) for large‑scale products.
• Deep familiarity with retrieval and ranking algorithms, embeddings, and feature stores—paired with the ability to reason about end‑to‑end customer journeys for distinct user segments.
• Track record of thriving amid ambiguity: shaping a multi‑year vision, aligning cross‑functional teams, and delivering incremental wins along the way.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills—adept at crafting product briefs, bringing in inputs from multiple teams, and presenting data‑backed decisions to senior leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

Bonus Points

• Hands‑on proficiency with SQL and a scripting language (Python or R) for rapid data exploration, prototyping, and model evaluation.
• Experience designing LLM‑ and GenAI‑enhanced user experiences that go beyond raw chat to deliver task‑specific value.
• Familiarity with modern ML operations tooling—from vector databases to end‑to‑end model‑ops workflows (MLOps / LLMOps)—and the ability to collaborate with engineering teams that rely on these systems.
• Passion for the written word and open knowledge— a genuine drive to build products that democratize expertise and help people learn, teach, and create.

Responsibilities

We’re looking for a Principal Product Manager to set the strategy and drive execution for Scribd's Search team.

In this pivotal role, you’ll transform our search experience into a best‑in‑class discovery engine serving 200 million monthly visitors across a corpus of 300 million documents. Leveraging advanced retrieval and ranking algorithms, LLM‑powered semantic understanding, and fine‑grained behavioral signals, you’ll deliver highly relevant search results that help students, educators, and professionals find exactly what they need—fast.

Success here means defining a compelling vision, crafting metrics that truly matter, and experimenting your way to breakthrough features that redefine search relevance and discovery—all in close partnership with Engineering, Analytics, Data Science, Design, and Machine Learning teams who turn strategy into production reality.

• Chart the long‑term search strategy—own a multi‑year roadmap spanning query understanding, retrieval, ranking, and results presentation across Scribd's surfaces, guiding every user from intent to the right document.
• Partner with ML Engineering & Applied Research—translate cutting‑edge retrieval and ranking research into production systems that blend semantic embeddings, BM25, and real‑time behavioral signals for best‑in‑class relevance.
• Define the metrics that matter—establish and monitor leading indicators of search success: query success rate, zero‑result rate, click‑through, and downstream subscription conversion and retention.
• Balance short‑term wins with long‑term vision—ship incremental relevance improvements that hit revenue goals while building an extensible search platform aligned with Scribd's 3‑year AI strategy.
• Fuse data with the voice of the customer—synthesize experiment results, query analytics, user interviews, and feedback sessions to inform prioritization and feature design.
• Communicate with clarity and influence—align product, engineering, design, content, and executive stakeholders by clearly articulating requirements, timelines, deliverables, and expected impact, securing buy‑in at every stage.

Compensation

In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $194,500 and $280,000. In the United States outside of California, the range is between $160,000 and $265,000. In Canada, the range is between $203,500 CAD and $250,000 CAD. This role is also eligible for competitive equity ownership and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

• Scribd Flex (flexible work model)
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Mental health support and disability coverage
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick time, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals
• Paid parental leave and family‑support benefits
• Retirement matching and employee equity
• Learning and development programs and professional growth opportunities
• Wellness and home‑office stipends
• Complimentary access to the Scribd, Inc. suite of products
• Enterprise access to leading AI tools

Location

Employees must have their primary residence in or near the following cities. 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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Scribd, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas.