Head of Product The Washington Post

Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer, the Senior Director of Product Development and Design will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, development, and design of our digital products. This senior leadership role demands a visionary professional with a strong background in product management, design, and a deep understanding of the media industry. As the Senior Director of Product Development and Design, you will be a key leader in shaping the future of our digital products, ensuring they meet the highest standards of creativity, functionality, and user experience.The addition of this role is part of a series of changes to our leadership structure that will help bridge news, product, and engineering to prepare us for the future as we continue to increase our global audience and build the news products of the future. As with all leadership positions, we seek individuals with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and an empathetic leadership style.Motivation:You are a visionary thinker and creative problem solver.You are a skilled collaborator across a variety of disciplines.You are an exemplary leader who mentors their teams to success.You thrive on driving innovation through emerging technologies.Responsibilities:Develop and execute a strategic vision for product development and design that aligns with the company’s overall business goals and objectives.Drive innovation in product offerings to maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic media industry.Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure successful and timely product launches.Foster a culture of agile development, continuous improvement, and responsiveness to market trends.Champion exceptional user experiences through effective user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.Ensure consistency in design principles across all digital products while staying attuned to emerging design trends.Build, mentor, and lead a high-performance product development, research, and design team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.Develop and execute talent development and succession planning strategies.Setting goals and measuring outcomes for key initiatives, helping to determine priorities, develop timelines and partner with engineering and news leadership to ensure seamless delivery.Collaborate closely with content creators, marketing, sales, and other key stakeholders to gather insights and align product strategies with business objectives.Facilitate communication between product development/design teams and other departments to ensure seamless project execution.Manage budgetary allocations for product development and design initiatives, optimizing resource utilization for maximum efficiency.Oversee external partnerships and vendor relationships as necessary for project success.Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activities to inform strategic decision-making.Proactively identify opportunities for product enhancements and market differentiation.Provide regular updates and reports to executive leadership on product development milestones, challenges, and opportunities.Cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders, fostering a collaborative and supportive organizational culture.Qualifications:10+ years of progressive experience leading content-based businesses in product management, design, or related roles working in a creative, content driven environment.The ideal candidate is proactive, collaborative and has a track record of building innovative products that have successfully engaged and grown audiences.Strong leadership and team management skills.Strong competitive awareness and a willingness to take risks are essential.Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.Familiarity with agile development methodologies.Visionary thinking and strategic planning capabilities.Experience working with subscription business is preferred.News media experience is preferred.Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, or equivalent experience

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