At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the delivery of interactive character products and ensure top-notch quality.
- Company: Join XICOIA, an innovative AI entertainment studio creating engaging characters.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for growth.
- Other info: Dynamic startup environment with a focus on creativity and innovation.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI entertainment and shape the future of interactive experiences.
- Qualifications: Experience in launching consumer-facing digital products and strong QA instincts.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Location: Hybrid (London-based, two days in office)
Duration: Full-time
Start Date: ASAP
About XICOIA
XICOIA is an AI entertainment studio building and managing AI-native characters as owned IP. Spun out of award-winning production company Particle6, we create characters that live across social platforms, interactive real-time experiences and original narrative production. Our flagship character, Tilly Norwood, became a global story within weeks of launch. Behind her sits a slate of characters in development and a growing pipeline of commercial partnerships.
About the Role
We are looking for a Product Manager to own the delivery and quality of our interactive character products. Our characters are real-time conversational experiences: a user talks to a character, and the character talks back, in voice, in real time, in a personality that has to hold up. Building these means bringing together conversational AI, voice synthesis, avatar rendering, a live web product, and a lot of creative craft. Your job is to make sure all of that ships, on time, and at a standard we are proud of. This is a delivery and quality role, rather than a strategy role. Creative direction sits with our CEO and creative team; engineering sits with our engineers. You own the space in between: the spec, the schedule, the QA, the vendors, the compliance, and the call on whether something is genuinely ready to go live.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Product Delivery: Own the end-to-end delivery of interactive character products, from spec through launch. Set milestones, run the sprint rhythm, unblock the team, and keep leadership sighted on real status rather than optimistic status.
- Quality & QA: Define what “ready” means before we build, then hold the line on it. Design and run structured QA across conversation quality, latency, voice, video and UX. Triage and prioritise bugs.
- Specification: Turn creative intent into clear, testable requirements that engineers and creative leads can both work from.
- Vendor & Partner Management: Manage our third-party technology partners across conversational AI, voice and avatar infrastructure. Hold them to contracted deliverables, escalate when quality slips, and evaluate alternatives.
- Compliance & Risk: Own the operational requirements of running consumer-facing AI products: GDPR and data retention, moderation and abuse handling, age gating, terms of use, and incident response.
- Repeatability: Document and systemise the build so that character two ships faster than character one, and character five ships faster again.
What We’re Looking For
- Several years of proven experience shipping consumer-facing digital products, apps or games, ideally with at least one launch you owned end to end. You have taken something live and dealt with the consequences.
- A genuine, independent quality bar. You form your own view on whether something is good, rather than reporting back what you were told.
- Strong QA instincts and the discipline to test systematically rather than by feel.
- Comfort working with technical teams: you do not need to write the code, but you need to understand the constraints and ask the right questions.
- Experience managing external vendors or technology partners against a contract.
- Excellent written communication. Clear specs, clear status, no ambiguity.
- Working knowledge of the operational requirements around consumer data and privacy (GDPR, retention, user safety).
- Comfort with ambiguity and unfinished process. This is a startup inside a fast-moving category, and much of what you do will not have been done before.
- Genuine hands-on experience with AI tooling, not just interest in it. You have built with, tested, or worked daily inside LLM-based products.
Nice to Have
- Background in games production, digital agency production, or a consumer app startup.
- Direct experience with conversational AI, voice synthesis or generative video platforms.
- Experience shipping products with a real-time or latency-sensitive component.
- Interest in entertainment, comedy or character-led IP.
Accessibility
Please contact hiring@xicoiatalent.com for any questions or if you require any accessible adjustments to the application process.
GDPR Statement
By applying you consent to XICOIA retaining your application for 12 months unless you say otherwise.
Privacy & Your Data
We take your privacy seriously. Every application is reviewed manually by our hiring team. For full details on how we store your information and your rights under the Data Protection Act, please see our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
This role will require you to complete a self-declaration of any unspent criminal convictions prior to or at the commencement of your employment.
Product Manager, Interactive Characters employer: Xicoia
XICOIA is an innovative AI entertainment studio located in London, offering a dynamic hybrid work environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. As a Product Manager for Interactive Characters, you'll be part of a passionate team dedicated to delivering high-quality, engaging products while enjoying opportunities for professional growth and development. With a focus on cutting-edge technology and a commitment to excellence, XICOIA provides a unique chance to shape the future of interactive entertainment in a supportive and vibrant workplace.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Manager, Interactive Characters
✨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 Xicoia!
✨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 Xicoia 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 Xicoia through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Manager, Interactive Characters
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Manager, Interactive Characters, 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, Interactive Characters position at Xicoia. 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 Xicoia
✨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.
