Principal Product Manager, Search

Scribd, Inc. is on a mission to advance human understanding. Our four products — Scribd®, Slideshare®, Everand™, and Fable — help billions of people across the globe move beyond access and into insight, application, and expertise.

We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer.

We believe the best work happens when individual flexibility is balanced with meaningful community connection. Scribd Flex empowers employees to choose the workstyle and location that support their best performance, while committing to intentional in-person moments that strengthen collaboration and culture. Occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd, Inc. employees, regardless of location.

So what are we looking for in new team members? At Scribd, Inc., we hire for “GRIT.” Traditionally defined as the intersection of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals, GRIT reflects the mindset we expect from every employee. For us, it also serves as a practical framework for how we work: setting and achieving Goals, delivering Results within your role, contributing Innovative ideas and solutions, and strengthening the broader Team through collaboration and attitude.

This posting reflects an approved, open position within the organization.

Qualifications

• Here's what that means for you: we're looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve Goals, achieve 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 chops 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

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  At Scribd, Inc., your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. San Francisco is our highest geographic market in the United States.

   

  In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $194,500 [minimum salary in our lowest geographic market within California] to $280,000 [maximum salary in our highest geographic market within California].

   

  In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $160,000 [minimum salary in our lowest US geographic market outside of California] to $265,000 [maximum salary in our highest US geographic market outside of California].

   

  In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between $203,500 CAD[minimum salary in our lowest geographic market] to $250,000 CAD[maximum salary in our highest geographic market].

   

  We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; job-related skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package.

Are you currently based in a location where Scribd, Inc. can employ you?
Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance:

United States:

Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C.

Canada:

Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver

Mexico:

Mexico City

Benefits at Scribd, Inc.

• 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

Get to Know Scribd, Inc.
About Scribd, Inc.
Life at Scribd, Inc.

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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. Come join us in building something meaningful.