Senior Product Manager, Search and Discovery

Position Overview

• Location Type: [Not specified]
• Job Type: Full-time
• Salary: [Not specified]

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled professionals worldwide. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies trust Upwork’s platform to access expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive meaningful business outcomes. Upwork’s AI-powered platform has facilitated over $20 billion in economic opportunity for professionals worldwide. With professionals spanning 10,000+ skills, including AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, Upwork empowers businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams.

We’re looking for a Senior Product Manager to lead the evolution of how users discover opportunity and talent through Upwork’s search and recommendation systems. In this highly technical and strategic role, you will shape the intelligent algorithms behind our global marketplace—owning end-to-end experiences in query understanding, indexing, personalization, and relevance. You’ll work closely with world-class engineers, data scientists, and ML experts to build next-generation matching systems that directly impact how millions of freelancers and clients connect. If you’re passionate about search, personalization, and real-world AI applications, this is your opportunity to make a massive impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of AI-powered search and recommendation systems that deliver personalized, relevant, and high-quality matches across the marketplace
• Define and drive the product roadmap for discovery experiences, prioritizing scalable models and impactful innovations
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners—engineering, data science, machine learning, design, and go-to-market teams—to deliver seamless, performant, and measurable solutions
• Leverage cutting-edge AI/ML techniques such as neural retrieval, personalized ranking, and NLP-driven intent parsing to solve real user problems
• Implement robust A/B testing frameworks to evaluate system performance, inform decisions, and continuously improve user outcomes
• Define and monitor key product metrics; proactively identify areas for optimization and growth
• Stay ahead of industry trends in search, recommendation systems, and generative AI, bringing new insights and best practices to the team

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Product Manager working on search, recommendation engines, or large-scale information retrieval systems
• Strong technical fluency, especially around ranking models, indexing strategies, and ML systems, with the ability to collaborate deeply with engineering and data teams
• Demonstrated success driving A/B testing programs and incorporating learnings into iterative development cycles
• Ability to distill abstract customer and business needs into clear, actionable product requirements
• Effective communicator and collaborator who brings cross-functional teams together toward shared outcomes in a fast-paced environment

Company Information

Come change how the world works. At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home. Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities. We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, unli... [Information truncated]