We’re looking for an experienced product manager to help shape the future of one of the world’s leading family history companies. Findmypast has more than 9 billion historical records and 18 million registered users globally, and has helped transform the way people learn about their ancestors. Family history is a high-growth market that is changing quickly, with the introduction of new products and technologies. In this role you will help create products that delight our customers and help them make meaningful discoveries about their families and themselves.
This role will manage direction and delivery of our global suite of family history products – both existing and new. Working with colleagues, you will build product plans and prioritise initiatives that are informed by customer insights, market trends, commercial imperatives and our current platforms, as well as inspired by the fast-moving technology landscape.
Building a high-calibre team who are experts in family history products and customers will be important for success. Coaching a team of product owners, you will build a collaborative culture that values data, good design, and efficient, repeatable processes. With your team, you’ll be able to explain the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the product in order to bring to life product roadmaps. You will also manage the budget and ROI for our family history products and will be able to reflect on the costs, customer impact and commercial value of product initiatives.
You’ll know how to influence without simply telling people what to do and will love getting into the detail, while also pointing to a long-term vision. The group product manager will work in close partnership with product engineering, data/content and CRM to create simple solutions to complex customer problems. Your main focus will be ensuring that we ship easy-to-use and effective family history experiences time after time.
About You
- A track record of shipping and managing successful consumer products at scale, perhaps in a search or social business. Experience with search technologies in large data environments, social products, recommendation engines, and the US market are a plus.
- You’ve led product teams, coached agile and lean thinking, and created robust and repeatable product practices. You’ll know how to help a product team harness experimentation, analytics, UX and user testing to inform product direction.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills. An excellent communicator at all levels. Able to build strong, collaborative relationships with cross-functional leaders in technology and marketing
- A demonstrable interest in family history (historical records, family trees, research methodologies) as well as new technologies and innovations in the market (DNA, ML, Blockchain, VR for example), and passionate about customer experience. You’ll have the ability and interest to learn any of these topics quickly, and coach product owners on your team to do the same.
- A hands-on problem-solver: you spend your time working out possible solutions rather than explaining why it can’t be done. You’ll show a bias for action, releasing customer facing product frequently and getting things done. You’ll understand consumer products both from a customer and technology point of view and will help teams around you to do the same.
- Think globally with an ability to build products that are global in nature but localised in key areas, so as to resonate in local markets (specifically in the US and UK).
- You must be able to work between our Dundee and London offices, with presence in Dundee on a weekly basis.
About Findmypast
One of the leading websites for family research in the world, Findmypast has helped to transform the way people learn about their ancestors. With over 9 billion historical records, we work tirelessly to digitise the world’s archives and help people discover and share their family stories. 18 million users have registered with our products and services around the world, which include Findmypast, Genes Reunited, and the British Newspaper Archive.
We’re a British-owned company of 150 based in Shoreditch, London and Dundee, Scotland, with offices in Ireland and the United States. We work in small, cross-functional teams to solve customer and business problems. Our work combines technology and innovation with personal human stories, and we enjoy celebrating success together. There are tech demos weekly, a monthly lunch for everyone, and parties and charity activities during the year. In a continuous learning environment and a fast-moving market, there are real opportunities to gain new experiences and make a lasting mark on our product, business, and customers.