Graduate Product Manager London HQ ·

Graduate Product Manager London HQ ·

London Entry level 30784 - 30784 £ / year (est.) Hybrid
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Join our Ad Products team to shape and manage innovative advertising solutions.
  • Company: Dynamic startup focused on connecting students, universities, and advertisers.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and clear career progression.
  • Other info: Opportunity for permanent role after six months based on performance.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact while developing your skills in a fast-paced environment.
  • Qualifications: Recent graduates or equivalent experience with strong problem-solving skills.

The predicted salary is between 30784 - 30784 £ per year.

Graduate Scheme: Build Something That Matters

Location: London, UK (Hybrid, 3-4 days in the office per week)

Salary: £30,784

Contract: Full-time

native has been building for 10 years. We’re still very much a startup: fast-moving, ambitious, and building with intent. We’re creating the infrastructure that connects students, Students’ Unions, universities, and advertisers through a joined-up marketplace. Our goal is to increase student engagement while enabling Students’ Unions to secure sustainable funding. For advertisers, we offer meaningful, measurable routes to student audiences. The more aligned these incentives are, the more defensible and scalable our business becomes.

We’re looking for recent graduates or those with equivalent experience who want to step straight into meaningful work, learn quickly, and grow fast.

What we’re looking for:

  • This role requires clarity of thought, structured thinking, and good judgement under pressure.
  • You’ll need to create order where none exists, make decisions in ambiguity, and move between speed and precision depending on what the moment demands.
  • The sharpest thinkers are often the ones who’ve had to work hardest to be taken seriously.
  • The people who see patterns others miss are often the ones who’ve never quite fit the standard template.
  • The candidates with the best judgement are frequently the ones who’ve been underestimated, or who’ve had to prove the same capability twice as many times as their peers.

If that describes your path - if you’ve had to explain yourself more than others, or if you’ve done hard things that don’t look impressive on paper - this role might be for you.

We’re looking for people who:

  • Rebuild problems from scratch rather than inherit solutions
  • Know when to move fast and when precision matters
  • Make decisions in ambiguity without needing permission
  • Do work properly because it matters to them, not because someone’s measuring
  • Have done hard things that required more than just being clever on paper

We look for intellectual sharpness and structured thinking. Strong academic records from disciplines like maths, engineering, philosophy, languages, or history tell us something. So does recognising yourself in what we’ve described above.

What you’ll be working on:

You’ll be part of our Ad Products team, the group that defines how our Ad Products work, how they scale, and how they’re used across our managed marketplace. This team sets the standards that shape sales, delivery, inventory, and reporting across the business.

As one of the Ad Product Managers, you’ll own specific products within the portfolio. Your responsibilities will include:

  • Defining the conditions required for your products to run reliably, using a structured blueprint approach to assess campus readiness
  • Assessing Students' Unions against those conditions to establish product availability and identify what’s needed to unlock additional supply
  • Maintaining documentation that captures how your products are sold, what they deliver for advertisers, and what campus conditions enable consistent delivery
  • Driving improvements to your product specifications based on evidence from sales performance, delivery feedback, operational constraints, and advertiser outcomes
  • Collaborating with Sales, Campaign Planning, Delivery, Creative Production, Inventory Management, and Data to ensure your products are commercially viable, operationally realistic, and reportable at scale
  • Contributing to quarterly team roadmaps that prioritise improvements to inventory quantity, engagement quality, delivery reliability, or sales clarity across the portfolio
  • Working with the wider team to translate UK product standards for deployment in new markets as the business expands internationally

Your work directly influences how Native sells, prices, delivers, and reports campaigns for the products you own. The systems you shape underpin the Campaign Deployment Engine, standardised campus supply, and the growth of our Ad Products portfolio across both UK and US markets.

Progression:

This is a six-month engagement. If you perform well, the expectation is that you’ll move into a promoted, permanent role at the end of that period. We treat this as a proving ground for long-term hires, not an internship.

During your interview process, you’ll be encouraged to reach out to people at the company who’ve walked this path before you.

Location and ways of working:

You’ll be based in our London office, working in person at least four days a week, with one optional day remote. We believe in high-bandwidth collaboration and fast decision-making, so most of the work happens face-to-face.

How to apply:

We don’t need a cover letter. Instead, tell us about how you think. That might be:

  • A trade-off you’ve had to make and how you decided
  • A problem you tackled without much guidance
  • A system or process you’d redesign and how you’d go about it
  • A time you had to choose what not to do, and why

Also please do include a recent CV, or a link to your LinkedIn profile / equivalent. And If you’re reading this and thinking, I really want to do this, but I probably won’t get picked - please apply anyway. We care far more about how you think and how you show up than whether you tick every imagined box. Don’t rule yourself out.

We’re hiring on a rolling basis. If this sounds like the kind of challenge you’re ready for, get in touch.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are actively creating an equitable environment for everyone at native to thrive. Diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we are making sure we have lots of support for all of our people to grow at native. At native, we embrace diversity in all of its forms and foster an inclusive environment for all people to do the best work of their lives with us.

Graduate Product Manager London HQ · employer: native

At native, we pride ourselves on being a dynamic and inclusive employer that champions employee growth and development. With a hybrid work model in the vibrant city of London, we offer a supportive environment where you can thrive while contributing to meaningful projects that enhance student engagement. Our commitment to diversity, competitive benefits, and a culture of accountability ensures that every team member feels valued and empowered to achieve their best work.

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Contact Details:

native Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Graduate Product Manager London HQ ·

✨Get Involved in Product Management Communities

Join online communities like Product School or LinkedIn groups focusing on product management; they’re great for networking and learning from others in the field. Participate in discussions and share your insights – it’ll help you make connections and show off your passion for product management!

✨Attend Product Management Meetups and Workshops

Look out for local meetups, workshops, and product management events in your area or online. These are perfect for meeting industry professionals, gaining insights, and potentially landing that entry-level gig at a company like native. Make sure to take notes and follow up with anyone you meet!

✨Showcase Your Projects

Start a blog or a portfolio website where you can showcase projects or ideas you've worked on. It doesn't have to be big; even small projects can demonstrate your understanding of product management principles. Share this with recruiters when applying to role like Graduate Product Manager London HQ · at native!

✨Apply Directly and Be Persistent

When you see a listing for an entry-level product management role at a company like native, apply directly through their website. Don't be afraid to send a follow-up email if you don’t hear back – it shows your enthusiasm and persistence!

We think you need these skills to ace Graduate Product Manager London HQ ·

Structured Thinking
Decision-Making in Ambiguity
Problem-Solving Skills
Analytical Skills
Collaboration
Documentation Skills
Product Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Passion for Product Management:Let’s be real, we want to see your enthusiasm for product management! In your cover letter, share what drives you about this role, any projects you’ve worked on (even if they’re uni assignments or side projects), and how they relate to the goals of native. This is your chance to connect your academic background or personal interests to the role we’ve got on offer!

Tailor Your CV with Relevant Skills:When crafting your CV, make sure to highlight skills that are super relevant to product management. Think problem-solving, data analysis, and communication. If you’ve used any project management tools (like Trello or JIRA) or any data analysis software, mention it! It’s vital to show us you’ve got the chops for this entry-level gig.

Include Any Relevant Experience:Even if you don’t have formal work experience, include any internships or projects where you worked in a team. We’re interested in how you’ve collaborated and contributed to the product development process. Be detailed about what you did, the tools you used, and any outcomes – that’ll definitely catch our eye!

Keep It Simple and Clear:As an entry-level applicant, we appreciate clarity. Make your CV and cover letter easy to read and free of jargon. This isn’t about making it fancy – it’s about clearly communicating your experiences and skills. Remember, we’re looking for potential and motivation just as much as previous experience!

How to prepare for a job interview at native

✨Show Off Your Understanding of the Product Lifecycle

Dive into the specifics of the product lifecycle and how it applies to the role at native. Be prepared to discuss your understanding of ideation, development, and launch phases, and why each matters. This shows that you’re not just about the theory; you see how it connects to real-world products.

✨Brush Up on Agile Methodologies

As an entry-level product manager, familiarity with Agile and Scrum processes will set you apart. Be ready to chat about how you’ve seen these approaches work in practice, even if it’s from coursework or projects. Employers at native are likely looking for candidates who can seamlessly slide into their current processes.

✨Case Studies Are Your Best Friend

Expect to face some case study questions where you might need to walk through a problem a product could face. Prepare by thinking through examples from products you love or even projects you've worked on, and be ready to showcase how you'd approach potential solutions. It’s a great way to highlight your problem-solving skills and creativity.

✨Get Ready to Discuss Your Passion for Products

Since this is an entry-level role, showing your passion is crucial. Talk about your favourite products and what you think makes them successful. Bring your perspective on how user feedback drives development—this shows you’re eager to learn and adapt, traits that are vital for a role at native.