Senior Product Manager – Mobile App Audio

The Economist

The Economist Group is the leading source of analysis on international business and world affairs, for the world s most curious people. What ties us together is the objectivity of our opinion, the originality of our insight and our advocacy of economic and political freedom around the world.

The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. We deliver world-class thought provoking content through a range of formats, from app and web, to newspapers and magazines, conferences, film and audio. We have a growing and global subscriber base and a reputation for insightful analysis and opinion on every aspect of world events. Our purpose is to press forward and progress with intelligence, against the forces of ignorance.

The role

We re looking for a Senior Product Manager to define and deliver the best possible audio experience in our flagship app, which brings the authority, rigour and wit of our journalism to our subscribers all over the world.

Our mobile app is the major destination for our subscribers and is central to our ambitions in audio. We average 30 audio plays per subscriber and millions of listens per week, but have a lot more to do. We want to make our app the go-to place for our subscribers, where we showcase the breadth and depth of our audio journalism, every day.

Your work will help us imagine and create new audio experiences in our mobile app, enabling our customers to find the most relevant and engaging content, experience our journalism hands-free and pioneering interactive listening experiences – encouraging them to form new habits and build long-standing relationships with The Economist.

Organisation

• Reports to the Group Product Manager (Apps)
• Works closely with other product managers in the mobile apps and audio domains
• Leads the cross-functional development team responsible for mobile app audio
• Working closely with senior functional stakeholders, especially in editorial, data, marketing and customer operations
  

How you will contribute:

• You ll have a deep understanding of developing mobile apps and their challenges and opportunities across design and delivery
• You ll own the in-app audio experience and related journeys, recognising the different needs of subscribers at different points of their daily and weekly routines
• You ll know how build a compelling product strategy to inspire your team and stakeholders
• You ll be able to understand how small and low level features can roll up into top-level outcomes, with a laser focus on value and impact for the customer and the business
• You ll collaborate with partners in data and research, to quickly analyse trends, insights and data to identify hypotheses, executing across many functions simultaneously
• You ll bring extensive experience of and passion for the news and media industry, including evidence of building strong relationships with editorial and commercial colleagues
• You ll understand the importance of asking the right questions and continuous discovery to constantly evolve your product backlog whilst achieving predictable and timely delivery
• You will be outcome oriented, able to practise and nurture a test-and-learn development culture
• You ll be able to confidently lead and collaborate with a cross-functional team of designers, developers, QA and delivery leads, using a range of agile methodologies to their full potential
• You ll be able to navigate technical complexity, device fragmentation, operating system restrictions and network constraints without losing sight of customer needs
• You ll develop and nurture a network across The Economist to understand the new initiatives being planned and identify how your team and product can drive positive results
• You ll keep the business informed and engaged with clear and concise communication of your priorities and impact, tailored to an appropriate level of detail for colleagues
  

The ideal skills for this role are:

• Builder: Someone who has built great products and user journeys that are friction-less, functional and future-proofed
• Listener: A great listener who can understand user and business needs
• Documenter: Someone strong on documenting user stories, use cases, workflows and requirements
• Curious: Someone who is interested in asking the right questions with the goal of producing quality results
• Communicator: A great communicator who is able to explain their vision of what the product needs to do both to internal team members and cross-functional stakeholders
• Technical knowledge: Someone who can get into the tech details of a back-end platform or product to understand how to get the most out of it
• Quick learner and quick starter: Joining a mission team mid-flight, someone who is a quick learner and a quick starter is vital
• Humble: Someone who will seek opportunities to learn and grow your hard and soft skills through feedback and self reflection

The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, gender identity, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation , age or marital status. –

• Remote / Hybrid working
• Annual Bonus Scheme
• Charitable trust/ donation matching to your Charity of choice
• Employee assistance program
• Income protection insurance
• Life assurance
• Private medical insurance
• Parental leave
• Eye tests
• Gym loan and discounts
• Ride2work scheme
• Above average pension plan
• And last but not least; free access to The Economist Content

4 stage process: – Recruitment team screen – no more than 30 mins – Hiring Manager interview – 45 minutes – Case study and presentation – 1 .5 hours (20 min presentation and 40 mins Q&A on take home task, then 30 mins ways of working chat) – Chief Product Officer – 30 mins Agile, Mobile Development, Product Management, Product Roadmap, Product StrategyReact Native, iOS, Android