At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Search & Discover product domain, driving innovation in digital preservation.
- Company: Join Preservica, a leader in safeguarding digital information for global institutions.
- Benefits: Flexible remote work, dedicated training time, and a vibrant team culture.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team at the forefront of digital preservation technology.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by enhancing how users discover preserved content with AI.
- Qualifications: 12-18 months of product management experience and a passion for user-centric development.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Owning the discovery experience for the world's leading digital preservation platform. Preservica is trusted by governments, archives, libraries and enterprises worldwide to safeguard critical digital information for the long term. As we evolve our platform, the ability to find, surface and make sense of preserved content is becoming more important than ever.
For archivists, records managers and their users, discovery has historically meant knowing exactly what you're looking for: precise metadata, correct catalogue references, exact file names. Finding content across large, heterogeneous collections has required significant manual effort, specialist knowledge, and time that most institutions don't have. AI is changing that fundamentally. Semantic search, natural language querying, and intelligent classification are making it possible to surface relevant content even when users don't know the right terminology, metadata is incomplete, or collections span decades of inconsistent cataloguing practice.
We are looking for a Product Manager to own Search & Discovery and lead the work of making that step change real.
The Role
You will own the Search & Discover product domain, working directly with an engineering delivery team as part of a leadership triad alongside a Tech Lead and Agile Delivery Manager. The Tech Lead owns technical decisions. The ADM owns delivery process. You own the what and the why. Preservica is at the forefront of bringing AI capabilities into digital preservation, an industry where the technology is genuinely new and the problems are hard. This role sits at the centre of that work.
You will be defining and validating how capabilities like semantic search, natural language querying, and AI‑assisted relevance ranking can solve real problems for archivists, records managers and their users — grounded in discovery research, not assumption. This means understanding both the user workflows where AI can genuinely help and the contexts where it introduces risk or needs careful design. Your primary focus is discovery: understanding how users search, browse, and surface content across different workflows and institutional contexts, and translating that understanding into a backlog that the delivery team can execute with confidence.
What You’ll Do
- Own Search & Discover as a product domain, developing deep understanding of the jobs‑to‑be‑done for archivists, records managers and their users, and using that understanding to drive the roadmap and influence platform‑level priorities.
- Lead discovery through user interviews, prototyping and other research; translate findings into clear problem statements and validate assumptions before committing engineering effort.
- Partner with the UX team to prototype and test AI‑powered capabilities early, and maintain shared research documentation so findings are accessible and cumulative.
- Connect customer needs, product capabilities and business goals, championing user outcomes and translating them into well‑formed requirements that the delivery team can execute with confidence.
- Own the dialogue between product requirements and technical solutions, partnering with the Tech Lead on feasibility and trade‑offs and with the ADM on backlog readiness and sprint cadence.
- Anticipate GTM needs and rally stakeholders around the team's work, ensuring launches land well with customer‑facing teams and customers understand the value of what's been built.
- Understand the competitive landscape for search and discovery in information governance and digital preservation, and use that knowledge to sharpen prioritisation.
- Be the subject matter expert for Search & Discover and share learnings with the wider product team, raising the bar for how the team approaches discovery and problem framing.
- Leverage AI to be more effective and efficient in your own work, and actively look for opportunities to improve how the wider team works through AI‑augmented ways of working.
Who We’re Looking For
Experience
- At least 12–18 months of product management experience, with genuine ownership of discovery and backlog.
- Demonstrable ability to conduct user research and translate findings into prioritised, outcome‑oriented backlogs.
- Passion for PLG strategies and user‑centric product development.
- Experience working in an agile delivery environment alongside engineering and design.
- Enterprise SaaS experience is a plus; experience in content management, information governance, records management or search‑adjacent products is particularly relevant.
AI Fluency
- You actively use AI tools to do your job better.
- You understand AI capabilities and limitations well enough to make sensible product decisions about AI features.
- Experience working on or shipping AI‑powered features is a bonus, not a requirement.
How You Work:
- You default to the problem before reaching for the solution.
- You're comfortable with ambiguity and can make progress before everything is defined.
- You communicate clearly to engineering, stakeholders and customers without needing to translate through someone else.
- You take ownership of outcomes, not just outputs.
Why Preservica
Help protect the world’s digital memory. Our Active Digital Preservation solutions are at the razor’s edge of commercial software solutions, and used by leading business, archives, libraries, museums, and government organizations around the world. Work with bright and talented innovators. Dedicated training time to support professional growth. A flexible working environment with a modern office in Abingdon.
Preservica are an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Product Manager in Abingdon employer: Preservica Ltd
At Preservica, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that fosters innovation and professional growth. As a remote UK-based company at the forefront of digital preservation technology, we provide our employees with dedicated training time, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to work alongside talented innovators who are passionate about safeguarding the world's digital memory. Join us to make a meaningful impact in an industry that is evolving through AI capabilities, while enjoying a supportive environment that champions user-centric product development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Manager in Abingdon
✨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 Preservica Ltd!
✨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 Preservica Ltd 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 Preservica Ltd through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Manager in Abingdon
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Manager, 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 Product Manager position at Preservica Ltd. 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 Preservica Ltd
✨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.