Principal Product Manager, Guided Search (AI/ML Suggestions and Ranking)

Yahoo serves as a trusted guide for hundreds of millions of people globally, helping them achieve their goals online through our portfolio of iconic products. For advertisers, Yahoo Advertising offers omnichannel solutions and powerful data to engage with our brands and deliver results.

Role and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Product for Search Intelligence and Optimization, as a Principal Product Manager for Guided Search, you will define and execute the strategy for machine learning-driven search suggestions, query formulation, and featured snippet experiences across Yahoo Search. You will play a key role in improving how users discover, refine, and complete their search tasks by guiding them to the most relevant information with minimal effort.

The ideal candidate has strong user empathy, a deep understanding of search behavior, and experience leveraging ML for recommendations and ranking. You will work closely with engineering, design, data science, monetization, and cross-organizational leadership teams in the development of this product area. 

The role requires exceptional stakeholder management, strategic communication, and the ability to align multiple teams toward a shared vision. You will be responsible for balancing user needs with engagement and revenue goals, ensuring that ML-driven Search suggestions contribute to growth, retention, and monetization performance.

Yahoo is looking for a Principal Product Manager who thrives in a dynamic space, can navigate organizational complexity, and is passionate about building experiences that make search easier, faster, and more intuitive for users.

Specifically, you will:

• Define and drive the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for Guided Search aligning with Yahoo Search’s broader Search strategy.

• Lead cross-functional teams to design and implement features that reduce user effort, enhance search intent articulation, and improve engagement.

• Work with machine learning teams to optimize query recommendations and ranking while balancing user engagement and monetization

• Build engaging and intuitive front-end user experiences around search suggestions, intent formulation, and search result guidance.

• Balance user needs with business objectives, ensuring that search assist features contribute to growth, retention, and monetization performance.

• Lead cross-functional teams to define and prioritize features that reduce user effort and help them articulate their search intent.

• Experience defining vision and strategy for a product 

• Experience in gathering requirements across diverse areas and users and converting and developing them into a product solution

• Effectively communicate product strategy, roadmap, and trade-offs to senior leadership, aligning multiple teams toward a shared vision.

Minimum Qualifications

• 6-8 years of experience in product management, consulting, co-founder or related technical role working collaboratively with engineering, design, and user research teams to drive product vision.

• Critical thinking/analytical leadership experience.

• Experience working directly with AI/ML technologies and understanding of recommendation and ranking systems

• Proven track record of building and launching delightful user-facing products

• Ability to assess the quality and effectiveness of recommendation systems, leveraging metrics and user feedback to guide product iterations.

• Strong background in working with cross-functional teams 

• Experience in analyzing complex, large-scale data sets and making decisions based on data

• Experience defining vision and strategy for a product 

• Experience in gathering requirements across diverse areas and users and converting and developing them into a product solution

• Experience presenting to senior executive audiences and excellent communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Enthusiastic and resilient in a constantly evolving environment where the process is fluid and creative solutions are the norm

• Experience in a consumer-focused technology company with search experience

• Experience building 0-1 products, platform/ecosystem products

The material job duties and responsibilities of this role include those listed above as well as adhering to Yahoo policies; exercising sound judgment; working effectively, safely and inclusively with others; exhibiting trustworthiness and meeting expectations; and safeguarding business operations and brand integrity.

At Yahoo, we offer flexible hybrid work options that our employees love! While most roles don’t require regular office attendance, you may occasionally be asked to attend in-person events or team sessions. You’ll always get notice to make arrangements. Your recruiter will let you know if a specific job requires regular attendance at a Yahoo office or facility. If you have any questions about how this applies to the role, just ask the recruiter!

Yahoo is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected category. Yahoo will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. Yahoo is dedicated to providing an accessible environment for all candidates during the application process and for employees during their employment. If you need accessibility assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please submit a request via the Accommodation Request Form (www.yahooinc.com/careers/contact-us.html) or call +1.866.772.3182. Requests and calls received for non-disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace strengthens Yahoo and deepens our relationships. When you support everyone to be their best selves, they spark discovery, innovation and creativity. Among other efforts, our 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) enhance a culture of belonging with programs, events and fellowship that help educate, support and create a workplace where all feel welcome.

The compensation for this position ranges from $136,125.00 - $283,750.00/yr and will vary depending on factors such as your location, skills and experience.The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of discretionary annual bonus or commissions. Our comprehensive benefits include healthcare, a great 401k, backup childcare, education stipends and much (much) more.

Currently work for Yahoo? Please apply on our internal career site.