Head of Product, AI Lab

We are an organisation that exists to drive progress. Our businesses share a devotion to innovation, independence and rigour in their fields of expertise. We empower people to understand and tackle the critical challenges and changes facing the world. Our analytical rigour, global expertise and evidence-based insights enable individuals and organisations to make sense of these shifts and chart a course through them.

We deliver analysis and insights in many formats to subscribers and businesses in 170 countries through our three businesses, The Economist, Economist Enterprise and Economist Education, which uphold our global reputation for excellence and integrity.

We’re now looking for a Head of Product to join the Economist AI Lab. This is a full‑time position at the centre of our AI research and innovation programme. This is a unique opportunity to work with a small team that is shaping how one of the world’s most respected media brands adapts to advances in AI.

You’ll lead the product development strategy and trajectory within the AI Lab - helping to shape the direction of early‑stage product and service concepts. Your role will be to work with the team to create the high‑level product visions, and then to design the roadmap to realise that vision, iterating as required. You will coordinate the focus of technology, design and customer research activity to ensure we are building things that will create meaningful benefits for future Economist subscribers.

This role will suit someone who thrives in uncertain, formative environments; who can connect new technical capabilities to customer needs; and who relishes the challenge of shaping the future rather than merely refining current practices. This role will be based in our London headquarters.

Responsibilities

• Be the voice of the future customer within the AI Lab, ensuring our work is focused on ambitious, high‑potential, customer‑centred opportunities.
• Coordinate design, research and technical exploration efforts to turn ideas into testable product and service concepts.
• Turn a vision into reality - creating the appropriate product briefs and user stories.
• Lead early‑stage testing and validation efforts - from problem framing, to research, to user testing and beta launches - and help us determine what’s worth scaling.
• Work closely with editorial, technology, business and external stakeholders to ensure Lab initiatives are well‑connected to broader strategic goals.

What sort of person we are looking for

• A curious and creative thinker who enjoys developing new concepts and trying new approaches.
• Able to work autonomously in an uncertain and fast‑changing setting, comfortable with fast‐failure.
• Works well in a small team with the freedom to make decisions and communicate clearly with others.
• Combines technical knowledge with business and customer sense to ensure that product development supports broader company objectives.
• Understands The Economist's core values of classical liberalism, intellectual rigour and editorial independence.
• A brilliant communicator, who is comfortable thinking on their feet as well as expressing themselves in written documentation.

Specific skills and expertise

• Experience leading product development involving emerging or experimental technologies, ideally including Generative AI.
• Experience working with product development frameworks and methodologies within an early‑stage, 0‑1 product lifecycle.
• Experience leading within B2C product contexts, particularly in content‑led industries such as news, media and entertainment.
• Skilled at communicating complex product and technology ideas clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Strong candidates might also have

• Direct experience working in a startup, innovation lab or corporate R&D environment.
• Experience developing and analysing customer research activities to identify and assess product market fit.
• Interest or background in using (Generative) AI within the context of multimodal contexts such as audio and video.

More about the Economist AI Lab

We believe AI will fundamentally change both our business and the world around us, making our mission more vital than ever. While we already use AI across The Economist Group, we think the changes to come in the next few years could be even more far‑reaching. This is why we have established the Economist AI Lab–to reimagine Economist journalism for an AI‑driven world. It is a deliberately ambitious project, exploring new ideas and possibilities beyond our existing AI initiatives and engineering roadmap. A small, dedicated team, the AI Lab serves as an innovation engine for The Economist –investigating bold new ideas that will shape how we serve our global audience in the future.

The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.

Working Arrangements

The majority of our roles operate on a hybrid working pattern, with 3+ days office attendance required.

What we offer

Our benefits package is designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and work‑life balance. It includes a highly competitive pension or 401(k) plan, private health insurance, and 24/7 access to counselling and wellbeing resources through our Employee Assistance Program. We also offer a range of lifestyle benefits, including our Work From Anywhere program, which allows you to work from any location where you have the legal right to do so for up to 25 days per year. In addition, we provide generous annual and parental leave, as well as dedicated days off for volunteering and even for moving home. You will also be given free access to all The Economist content, including an online subscription, our range of apps, podcasts and more.