Director of Product Management, Query Understanding and Whole Page Optimization

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

As the Director of Product Management for Query Understanding and Whole Page Optimization (QU/WPO), you will define and execute the strategic vision for Yahoo Search’s query understanding capabilities, classification systems, triggering mechanisms, and holistic search page optimization. You will guide a technically-focused team leveraging machine learning, embeddings, natural language understanding, and potentially large language models (LLMs), to deliver highly relevant and impactful search experiences. This role blends deep technical acumen in ML/NLU systems with strong stakeholder and strategic management skills.

This role requires technical expertise in machine learning applications within search, particularly around query classification, intent understanding, and triggering mechanisms, combined with excellent stakeholder management and strategic prioritization capabilities. You will collaborate closely with engineering, data science, monetization, and other Search product teams, ensuring the right balance between user satisfaction, business impact, and revenue goals.

The ideal candidate is comfortable navigating technical complexity, capable of identifying high-impact initiatives, and effective at aligning stakeholders toward clear, strategic goals. While you do not need to directly design or build front-end user experiences, a deep understanding of user intent, search behavior, and platform dynamics is essential.

Specifically, you will:

• Define and drive a comprehensive vision, strategy, and roadmap for Query Understanding (QU) and Whole Page Optimization (WPO) teams. 

• Partner with ML and science teams to advance query understanding systems, embedding-based classifiers, and triggering decisions.

• Leverage metrics, experimentation, and user insights to identify high-impact areas and continuously improve search relevance and user satisfaction.

• Drive holistic page optimization strategies that balance user relevance, internal product requirements, and revenue considerations.

• Build platform capabilities that enable vertical product teams to leverage foundational query understanding, triggering, slotting, and ranking systems.

• Manage complex stakeholder relationships, ensuring alignment and clear communication of strategic priorities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of product management experience, particularly in ML-driven systems, natural language understanding, or search technologies.

• Expertise in leading technical product areas involving ML classifiers, embeddings, LLMs, or similar AI-driven technologies.

• Experience assessing ML model effectiveness, guiding iterative improvements based on data, metrics, and user insights.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with a data-driven decision-making approach.

• Proven track record of cross-functional leadership, managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience at a consumer-focused technology company specializing in search or recommendation systems.

• Familiarity with state-of-the-art NLP technologies, including LLMs and embeddings-based models.

• Experience developing platform products and capabilities leveraged by internal or external teams.

• Ability to navigate organizational complexity in a dynamic, high-growth environment.

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 $150,380.00 - $327,025.00/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.