Product Manager, AI R&D
Upwage
Software Engineering, Product, Data Science
United States
Posted on Oct 3, 2025
About Upwage
Upwage is a fast-growing startup that helps employers hire better talent and helps candidates find jobs they love. Our flagship product makes screening faster, fairer, and more enjoyable, so recruiters spend less time buried in résumés and more time connecting with people.
AI is at the core of what we build, but our philosophy is that it should eliminate busywork, surface overlooked talent, and reduce bias—not replace human conversations.
As we enter our next stage of growth, we’re looking for teammates who are passionate about building a fairer, more human future of hiring.
Role Overview
This role is designed for someone passionate about cutting-edge AI experimentation and skilled at translating research into customer-ready concepts. You will act as the bridge between our AI R&D team and our Product team — ensuring prototypes are scoped, tested, and validated with customers, then transitioned into scalable products.
The big sell: This is a chance to work hands-on with AI/LLMs in a real-world, high-impact application, moving beyond theory into products that change how millions of people find work.
You’ll thrive here if you love working at the intersection of technical depth, product thinking, and customer problem-solving.
What You’ll Do
- Drive AI Prototyping: Manage rapid prototyping of AI features and products, working closely with the AI R&D team to scope, prioritize, and run experiments. Work directly with cutting-edge LLMs in real-world hiring applications, helping shape products that will impact millions of candidates and employers.
- Bridge R&D and Product: Translate early research and experimental outputs into clear requirements and transition plans for the flagship Product team.
- Scope fine-tuning projects: Collect requirements, curate data inputs, and manage project execution (without personally coding or fine-tuning).
- Define & interpret LLM evaluations & product performance metrics: Analyze model behavior and outcomes, providing insights to guide go/no-go decisions on prototypes.
- Engage customers directly: Demo prototypes, gather feedback, and consult with customers to reimagine how AI can solve their hiring challenges.
- Author research & white papers: Collaborate with the Head of AI to produce external-facing research documents that answer customer questions and demonstrate our AI thought leadership.
- Coordinate, don’t manage: Unblock engineers, align stakeholders, and keep experiments on track — without direct people management.
- Champion experimentation: Promote a culture of curiosity, rapid iteration, and customer-informed innovation across teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- 4+ years of experience as a Product Manager or closely related role.
- Familiarity with AI/ML concepts, particularly LLMs (experience as a developer or engineer is a plus).
- Proven ability to scope AI-related projects and translate complex technical ideas into actionable product direction.
- Experience designing & interpreting model evaluation metrics and using insights to inform product decisions.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to be a bridge between technical and non-technical roles.
- Comfort in exploratory, ambiguous environments — able to structure chaos into opportunity.
Preferred Qualifications
- Background in B2B SaaS, HR tech, or talent acquisition products.
- Experience working directly with open-source AI models and/or commercial LLMs.
- Demonstrated ability to write or contribute to research papers, white papers, or customer enablement resources.
- Startup experience in fast-paced, high-growth settings.
Why Join Us
- Be at the forefront of AI innovation in hiring, shaping prototypes that redefine how candidates and employers connect.
- Fully remote, flexible schedule, and competitive pay.
- Meaningful early-stage startup equity.
- Full health and dental benefits package.
- $2K reimbursement for a brand new MacBook.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Upwage is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
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