At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of our innovative editor suite, enhancing user experience across multiple formats.
- Company: Join Pencil, a trailblazer in advertising tech using Generative AI to empower creativity.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible time off, health insurance, wellness stipends, and remote work options.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for mentorship and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping tools that help small businesses and creative individuals thrive.
- Qualifications: Experience in product management with a focus on editors and AI-assisted tools is essential.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About us: At Pencil, we are driving innovation in advertising technology through our state-of-the-art SaaS product, which harnesses Generative AI to redefine content creation. Our mission is to make AI the default in advertising without replacing creative people. To achieve this, we need to make sure that our technology isn’t just in the hands of big brands - we need to try to help small businesses and creative individuals too.
The role: You’ll own Pencil’s core creative engine: our unified editor suite. The goal is simple: make it fast and intuitive to go from “almost there” to “perfect,” with speed, confidence, and control. Our editors work across a diverse range of output families, including Digital, Display Ads, Email, and Print. While each medium presents distinct constraints and subtle complexities that must be respected, these nuances should not lead to fragmentation or hinder our speed of execution. This role is about setting clear direction, building shared foundations, and driving momentum across the suite so the product feels coherent while still meeting the bar for each output.
You won’t be expected to be the deepest specialist in every editor domain. You will be expected to set strategy, create clarity, and establish reusable primitives and patterns that allow the team to move quickly and ship high-quality experiences across formats.
Job requirements:
- Have owned a complex product area end-to-end (strategy → roadmap → delivery → iteration) and driven meaningful outcomes.
- You must have hands-on experience with editors, creation tools, builders, workflows, or AI-assisted tools - whether for design, video, content, or email and can navigate the complexity of multi-format platforms.
- Are comfortable working in technically complex systems.
- Have strong product judgment and can make hard tradeoffs quickly by knowing when to push, simplify, or escape.
- Have shipped nuanced, high-quality UX by partnering closely with Engineering and Design.
- Can influence without authority and keep cross-functional teams aligned and moving.
- Enjoy mentoring and raising the bar for how a team operates, not just what it ships.
You’ll thrive here if you…
- Move Fast. You’re comfortable making decisions with imperfect information, iterating quickly, and fixing things before they become fires.
- Stay Human. You care deeply about users and teammates, and design with empathy for real workflows.
- Act Like an Owner. You take responsibility for outcomes, not just outputs, spotting problems early and taking initiative to fix them.
- Keep It Simple. You fight unnecessary complexity, design reusable patterns, and make hard things feel intuitive.
- Love to Surprise. You enjoy finding unexpected ways to delight users, especially in the last mile of polish and usability.
Job Benefits:
- 25 days PTO plus public holidays, although we operate a Flexible Time Off scheme
- Health insurance / private medical cover
- Monthly stipend towards wellness, fitness, and learning and development
- Remote - work from anywhere in your home country
- Enhanced parental leave policies, whether you become a parent through birth, adoption or surrogacy
- Access to our Pencil office in The Shard, London for UK team
- Flexible working hours
Process:
- Talent Screen
- Hiring Manager Interview
- Task & Task Presentation
- Values Interview
Lead Product Manager - Editor - EMEA in London employer: Pencil
Pencil is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and innovative work culture, particularly for those passionate about AI and advertising technology. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, you will have access to professional development opportunities while enjoying generous benefits like 25 days of paid time off, health insurance, and flexible working hours, all from the comfort of your home in Greater London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Product Manager - Editor - EMEA in London
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like Pencil!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at Pencil would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at Pencil through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Product Manager - Editor - EMEA in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Lead Product Manager - Editor - EMEA, let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Lead Product Manager - Editor - EMEA position at Pencil. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pencil
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
