Director, Product Management

PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all. 

*This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK.

The Director of Product Management plays a critical leadership role in shaping PLOS’s strategic direction and ensuring that our digital services deliver meaningful, measurable impact for the global research community. As a senior member of PLOS, the Director provides vision and oversight for the Product Management function, ensuring that PLOS’s product strategy aligns with organisational priorities, market opportunities, and the evolving needs of researchers, librarians, funders, and institutional partners. This role is responsible for scaling PLOS’s product capability, building organisational maturity in product management, and representing PLOS’s product vision both internally and externally. The Director will foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and user-centred design across teams, driving the long-term success and strengthening our position as a leader in Open Science.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a team of Product Managers, fostering supportive culture of continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration and accountability.
• Continuous Learning and Improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the Product Management team.

Responsibilities

• Product Leadership: Own and align the long-term product strategy with PLOS’s organisational goals, ensuring that product decisions drive measurable strategic, financial, and mission-aligned outcomes. Champion an evidence-based approach to defining priorities and articulating the value of product investment.
• Transformation of Product Management Practice: Lead the transformation of Product Management at PLOS by evolving our ways of working, tools, and culture to strengthen strategic alignment, speed, and impact. Evolve and embed PLOS’s Product Management framework to support cross-functional collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and transparent prioritisation. Champion the integration of user research, data, and design thinking into all stages of the product lifecycle, ensuring that teams operate with clarity of purpose and measurable outcomes. Drive continuous improvement in processes, rituals, and governance, enabling PLOS to respond with agility to emerging opportunities and challenges while maintaining coherence across the product portfolio.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts across Engineering, UX & Design, Publishing, Editorial, Finance, Marketing, and Operations to ensure strategic alignment, cohesive planning, and effective delivery across the organisation. Build strong, trust-based relationships with peers and stakeholders to drive enterprise outcomes.
• Stakeholder Alignment & Communication:
Partnering with leaders across the organisation to align on and communicate the strategic direction, performance, and impact of PLOS’s digital services. Translate complex product and technical concepts into clear narratives for diverse audiences – designing and engaging in ways that bring others along.
• Governance: Establish and oversee a coherent and prioritised roadmap for the development of our digital services. Ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and user needs, and that cross-functional teams are empowered and accountable for delivery.
• Innovation and Market Insight: Champion innovation across PLOS’s digital ecosystem, identifying emerging trends, market opportunities, and partnerships that can advance Open Science and improve research communication. Foster a culture of experimentation and data-informed decision-making.
• Compliance, Risk, and Quality:
Ensure that compliance frameworks, information governance, accessibility standards, and ethical principles are embedded across the product lifecycle. Balancing innovation with operational excellence and risk management.
• Leadership and Organisational Development:
Build and scale a high-performing Product Management organisation. Recruit, develop, and mentor senior product managers, fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement. Establish best practices, frameworks, and performance measures that strengthen PLOS’s product capability.
• External Representation and Thought Leadership: Represent PLOS externally as a thought leader in the use of digital technology in scholarly communication and Open Science. Build partnerships and participate in strategic collaborations that enhance PLOS’s visibility, influence, and impact in the global research community.
• Financial and Resource Management: Ensure that resources are allocated to initiatives with the highest strategic and user impact. Manage team budgets effectively to ensure cost-efficient operations and sustainable growth.
• Continuous Learning and Improvement
Encourage a culture of reflection, learning, and professional development across the Product Management team. Stay abreast of evolving best practices in digital product management and ensure these are adapted to PLOS’s context.

Knowledge and Skills

• Extensive experience leading cross-functional, agile, digital teams within a complex or mission-driven organisation.

• Proven success in developing and executing enterprise-level product strategies that deliver measurable outcomes and advance organisational goals.

• Deep expertise in product development methodologies, innovation frameworks, and product portfolio governance.

• Strategic understanding of digital platforms, data, and emerging technologies relevant to scholarly publishing and communication.

• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders — from technical teams to executive leadership and external partners.

• A track record of building and developing high-performing teams and establishing a strong, supportive, and accountable culture.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, able to synthesise qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights.
• Empathy for the needs and challenges of researchers, funders, and institutional partners, with a commitment to user-centred design and research-led decision-making.
• A track record of building and developing high-performing teams and establishing a supportive, accountable, and high-trust culture.
• Strong organisational skills and a passion for innovation in service of PLOS’s mission.
• Ability to contribute both strategically and creatively, combining big-picture vision with operational precision.
• Experience in financial and portfolio management, with the ability to assess trade-offs, manage risk, and prioritise for long-term impact.
• Digitally fluent, confident in articulating and educating others about the evolving digital landscape, including platforms, technology, and innovation.

Qualifications

• Established leader with significant experience in business leadership, product management, and organisational change management.
• Proven experience in similar roles, designing and launching digital services within information-rich organisations.
• Experience in leading successful digital transformation initiatives, ideally within the publishing, media, or knowledge sectors.
• Demonstrated experience managing distributed and culturally diverse teams across multiple regions and time zones.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Some national and international travel may be required.
• Some flexibility to work across time zones.
• Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer.

The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is £100,000 - £145,000.  PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below. 

BENEFITS: 

UK: 

• Private medical insurance 

• Life assurance 

• Income protection  

• Personal accident insurance 

• Pension with up to 10% employer match 

• 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave 

• Birthday and three winter holidays days off 

• 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year 

• Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office  

About PLOS  

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in  open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge. Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local  scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers. 

 We’re committed to equal opportunity 

We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out.  Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our colleagues because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all.  

Visit plos.org/careers to learn more.