Senior Product Manager, SEO

Company Overview

Academia.edu is a venture-backed, for-profit business based in San Francisco whose mission is to accelerate the world’s research. Our platform enables researchers worldwide to effortlessly find and access academic papers, stay current with peers and relevant research areas, and enhance their ability to publish and distribute their work. With over 100 million academic papers, a vast user base of over 250 million and adoption by over half of the academic community, we're at the forefront of transforming the $25 billion academic publishing industry as well as develop highly impactful products in the education space. We are profitable, growing and hiring! Come join us and make a difference while building a successful business!

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.

The Role

Each month, between 50MM and 100MM people find our content via search engines and visit our site. We are seeking a seasoned and dynamic Senior SEO Product Manager to substantially grow this organic traffic. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of successfully leading SEO at consumer companies where content drives visits from search engines at meaningful scale. We are investing substantially in our SEO efforts, and this is an opportunity to have a big impact on an already successful business, while building and growing this part of the organization from one cross functional team to several.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate our current situation and develop a product roadmap for growing organic SEO traffic
• Manage product lifecycle from ideation to launch and post-launch optimization
• Drive business impact through quality visits to user acquisition to revenue impact.
• You will be a key SEO business thought leader on the ways in which we can maximize our content to drive growth
• You will bring a playbook from your past experiences and you will continuously add to it and improve it.
• Be the SEO Rockstar & Collaborate with a world-class team that employs deep expertise, best practices, and innovative ideas to maximize high value search traffic from our content
• Lead by example - we have a startup culture and while you will start with a great team (and grow it), leaders at Academia have a roll-up-your-sleeves approach
• Traffic from our content is the flywheel of our business. In this role you will have the opportunity to drive significant impact. Accelerating the world’s research is a big mission, and we are very results focused.

Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of B2C online product management experience
• Proven expertise in scaling products to millions of users
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral
• Technical understanding and ability to engage in high-level technical discussions
• Demonstrated ability to make a significant business impact
• Customer-centric approach with a knack for data-driven validation
• Extensive experience with A/B testing
• Startup experience is essential

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience as a hands-on SEO leader, with a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in leading and driving SEO growth
• Significant experience in growing search traffic (at high scale, i.e., tens of millions of visits per month minimum) for consumer companies dependent on content
• You’ve forgotten more about how to grow organic search traffic than most people will ever know
• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Proficiency in utilizing SEO tools, analytics platforms, and data visualization tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.
• An entrepreneurial spirit with a hands-on approach to problem-solving and strategy development.

What's in it for you?

• Mission-Driven Company: Join a company that is mission-driven but that is also financially secure and stable. 
• Leadership: Lead the definition and implementation of entire product lines.
• Impact: Make a significant contribution to the user experience, driving growth and enhancing user satisfaction.
• Career Growth: Explore opportunities for career advancement
• Kind Company Culture: Work for an organization that values kindness, fostering a supportive and inclusive work culture.
• Competitive Compensation: Enjoy a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Diversity and Inclusion

Academia is a proud equal-opportunity employer and we are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.