About the role
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK. This is a 12 month FTC.</strong></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Role Summary</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">PLOS is a nonprofit Open Access publisher with an ambitious mission: to help transform research communication so that science can be shared, understood and used more effectively. </span><span data-contrast="auto">We're looking for a Senior Product Manager to join our Product team for a 12-month maternity cover contract.</span> <span data-contrast="auto">It's an interesting time to join us.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Research publishing is changing rapidly. Researchers' expectations are changing. Technology is creating possibilities that didn't exist a few years ago. And at PLOS we're rethinking some of the services, systems and assumptions that have shaped scholarly publishing for decades.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">That means there are interesting product </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">problems</span></em><span data-contrast="auto"> to solve - not just features to deliver.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll take responsibility for a product area and work with designers, engineers and colleagues across PLOS to understand the problems that matter, work out where we can make the greatest difference and help the team learn its way towards good solutions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although this is a fixed-term role, it isn't a caretaker role. You'll be joining active product teams working on significant problems and will have plenty of opportunity to shape what we do and how we do it.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">How we work</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We want our product teams to be curious, evidence-led and comfortable with uncertainty.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We don't expect a Product Manager to arrive with all the answers. We do expect them to ask good questions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll use continuous discovery alongside delivery: spending time with users, looking at data, understanding the wider service, identifying assumptions and finding practical ways to test them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll help the team break large problems into smaller things we can learn from, rather than waiting until everything is known before we release something.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">And you'll make the team's thinking visible - explaining what we're trying to achieve, what we've learned, what we're uncertain about and why we're making the choices we are.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As a Senior Product Manager, you'll:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Understand the problem.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Build a deep understanding of our users, their needs and behaviours, as well as the organisational, operational and technical context surrounding them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Shape product direction.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Work out where the greatest opportunities lie within your area and help translate PLOS's objectives into clear product outcomes and priorities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Practise continuous discovery.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Work closely with design, engineering and others to explore problems, identify assumptions and regularly test ideas with users and through data.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Turn uncertainty into learning.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Frame hypotheses, design useful experiments and look for the smallest sensible way to learn whether we're heading in the right direction.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Make good product decisions.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Weigh evidence, impact, effort, risk and opportunity when deciding what to pursue - and what not to pursue.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Measure whether things are getting better.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Define useful measures of success and use qualitative and quantitative evidence to understand whether our work is having the intended effect.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Work iteratively.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Help the team deliver in small steps, learn from what happens and adapt rather than treating plans as fixed commitments.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Communicate your thinking.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Clearly explain problems, evidence, choices, trade-offs and learning to people with very different levels of technical and product knowledge.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","
<p><em><strong>This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK. This is a 12 month FTC.</strong></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Role Summary</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">PLOS is a nonprofit Open Access publisher with an ambitious mission: to help transform research communication so that science can be shared, understood and used more effectively. </span><span data-contrast="auto">We're looking for a Senior Product Manager to join our Product team for a 12-month maternity cover contract.</span> <span data-contrast="auto">It's an interesting time to join us.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Research publishing is changing rapidly. Researchers' expectations are changing. Technology is creating possibilities that didn't exist a few years ago. And at PLOS we're rethinking some of the services, systems and assumptions that have shaped scholarly publishing for decades.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">That means there are interesting product </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">problems</span></em><span data-contrast="auto"> to solve - not just features to deliver.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll take responsibility for a product area and work with designers, engineers and colleagues across PLOS to understand the problems that matter, work out where we can make the greatest difference and help the team learn its way towards good solutions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although this is a fixed-term role, it isn't a caretaker role. You'll be joining active product teams working on significant problems and will have plenty of opportunity to shape what we do and how we do it.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">How we work</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We want our product teams to be curious, evidence-led and comfortable with uncertainty.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We don't expect a Product Manager to arrive with all the answers. We do expect them to ask good questions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll use continuous discovery alongside delivery: spending time with users, looking at data, understanding the wider service, identifying assumptions and finding practical ways to test them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">You'll help the team break large problems into smaller things we can learn from, rather than waiting until everything is known before we release something.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">And you'll make the team's thinking visible - explaining what we're trying to achieve, what we've learned, what we're uncertain about and why we're making the choices we are.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As a Senior Product Manager, you'll:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Understand the problem.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Build a deep understanding of our users, their needs and behaviours, as well as the organisational, operational and technical context surrounding them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Shape product direction.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Work out where the greatest opportunities lie within your area and help translate PLOS's objectives into clear product outcomes and priorities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Practise continuous discovery.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Work closely with design, engineering and others to explore problems, identify assumptions and regularly test ideas with users and through data.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Turn uncertainty into learning.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Frame hypotheses, design useful experiments and look for the smallest sensible way to learn whether we're heading in the right direction.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Make good product decisions.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Weigh evidence, impact, effort, risk and opportunity when deciding what to pursue - and what not to pursue.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Measure whether things are getting better.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Define useful measures of success and use qualitative and quantitative evidence to understand whether our work is having the intended effect.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Work iteratively.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Help the team deliver in small steps, learn from what happens and adapt rather than treating plans as fixed commitments.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Communicate your thinking.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Clearly explain problems, evidence, choices, trade-offs and learning to people with very different levels of technical and product knowledge.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","
Requirements
- Product Management