Vice President, Product Operations & PMO

Be Part of What’s Next

Hearst Magazines is looking for a Vice President, Product Operations & PMO to help our Product & Technology organization operate with clarity, discipline, and momentum. In this role, you’ll be a senior operational partner to the Product & Technology leadership team—building the systems, rhythms, and insights that turn strategy into predictable delivery and measurable business impact.

By unifying Product Operations and executive ownership of the PMO, you’ll drive consistency across planning, execution, governance, and reporting—strengthening how we prioritize, invest, and deliver across our digital portfolio.

About Hearst Magazines (Why Us?)

Hearst Magazines’ portfolio of more than 30 iconic brands in the U.S.—including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Popular Mechanics — inspires, entertains, and builds new and bold experiences for an engaged and growing audience across digital, video, social and print, reaching nearly 130 million readers and site visitors each month. With sophisticated content creation, cutting-edge technology, and industry-leading data capabilities, we make media and products that move people across all platforms. We are a global media company that publishes nearly 200 magazine editions and 175 websites around the world—and together, we are shaping what’s next.

Key Responsibilities (What You Are Doing)

Strategy Enablement & Planning

• Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to support the long-range planning (LRP) and annual planning processes, translating agreed-upon strategy into actionable plans, objectives, and roadmaps.
• Design, operate, and continuously refine standardized planning and strategy frameworks used by Product and Technology to ensure consistency, transparency, and financial alignment.
• Engage executive stakeholders across Editorial, Subscriptions, Advertising, Finance, and Marketing with the outputs of planning and prioritization processes.
• Establish and maintain mechanisms (e.g., OKRs, KPIs, planning artifacts) that enable leadership to visualize alignment between strategic objectives and execution—without owning strategy definition.

Product Operating Model & Process Excellence

• Define, own, and evolve the Product Operating System, including:
  • Intake and prioritization frameworks
  • Roadmapping and dependency management
  • Delivery governance and operating rhythms
• Govern the Product & Program Management technology stack (e.g., Jira Align, roadmapping and intake tools), ensuring data integrity, adoption, and consistent usage.
• Standardize onboarding programs, operating rituals, and documentation to ensure clarity, scalability, and consistency across Product and Technology teams.
• Establish executive-ready communication templates, operating cadences, and narratives that enable clear, timely updates to leadership and business partners.
• Serve as a key adviser to the CPTO, helping to unblock decisions and ensure alignment between Product, Technology, and business objectives.

Program Management Office (PMO) Oversight (Primary Expansion of Scope)

• Provide executive ownership and oversight of the Program Management Office, ensuring consistent program management standards, reporting, and operating cadence across Product and Technology.
• Ensure cross-team initiatives are well-coordinated, with active management of risks, dependencies, and delivery timelines.
• Establish clear expectations for program governance, escalation paths, and decision-making authority.
• Ensure alignment between program execution, product roadmaps, and approved budgets.
• Partner with PMO leadership to continuously improve delivery discipline, transparency, and predictability across the organization.

Budget & Resource Management

• Own management of the Product & Technology operating budget, including:
  • Monthly tracking and forecasting
  • Variance analysis
  • Ongoing optimization in partnership with Finance
• Align expenditures to product roadmaps, delivery milestones, and organizational priorities.
• Oversee vendor, platform, and contractor relationships, including MSAs, SOWs, purchase orders, renewals, and payments, while driving cost efficiency and value realization.
• Support capacity planning and resource allocation discussions to ensure teams are appropriately staffed to meet delivery commitments.

Governance, Insights & Reporting

• Define and maintain the operating rhythm for Product and Technology, including portfolio reviews, planning checkpoints, and executive readouts.
• Own the Insights Engine, aggregating:
  • Customer intelligence
  • Experimentation and A/B testing results
  • Delivery velocity and operational reminders
  • Financial and budget performance
• Develop reporting frameworks that aggregate data across teams into cohesive, audience-tailored narratives for stakeholders ranging from the C-suite to operational leaders.
• Translate complex operational and performance data into actionable insights that inform decision-making and highlight the impact of products and features on engagement and revenue.

Qualifications (What We’re Looking For)

• 10–12+ years of experience in product operations, program management, or operations leadership within media, publishing, or technology-driven organizations.
• Proven experience managing multimillion-dollar operating budgets and complex vendor relationships with strong financial discipline.
• Demonstrated success operating across Product, Engineering, Design, Finance, and business stakeholders in a large, distributed organization.
• Strong understanding of consumer-facing digital products and the operational challenges of scaling delivery across multiple teams.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to operate credibly with executive leadership.
• Experienced people leader, capable of mentoring senior managers and PMO leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• NYC hybrid work environment (4 days per week in-office).

Benefits (What We Offer)

• Work with the Best: Collaborate with top-tier professionals across media, advertising, tech, fashion, lifestyle, and publishing, shaping the future of these dynamic industries.
• Grow Your Skills: Unlock your potential with access to innovative training programs, immersive workshops, and exclusive industry events.
• Work-Life Harmony: Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid work, empowering you to balance professional success with personal priorities.
• Foster Connection & Belonging: Join our Employee Resource Groups and help create a welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered.
• Wellness First: Prioritize your well-being with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance from Day 1.
• Plan for Your Financial Future: Enjoy competitive financial perks, including a 401(k) plan with a generous company match.

The base salary for this role is between $190,000 - $230,000. The actual base pay offered is dependent upon many factors, such as: transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Hearst is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.