Chief Product Officer

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USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. If you are a California resident, you acknowledge that by applying for a job with us, this California Job Applicant Privacy Notice will apply to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com 

Chief Product Officer (CPO) serves as a core member of the executive team, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, leading the transformation of our product ecosystem into a growth engine for a modern, digital-first media enterprise. This role is central to transforming USA TODAY Co. into a customer-centric, product-led, digitally scaled media enterprise. The CPO will help unlock new growth pathways, leveraging the diversity of the product portfolio, to modernize the product ecosystem, and ensure the company remains competitive in a rapidly evolving media and technology landscape.

This role will define and execute an integrated product vision, strategy, and roadmap across consumer, advertising, and platform experiences—ensuring alignment with company strategy, changing customer needs, and long-term growth objectives. The CPO will partner closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to drive product-led growth, innovation, and differentiated user experiences across USA TODAY and the broader network. Consistent with enterprise priorities, this leader will combine deep product expertise, media industry knowledge, and technology-driven innovation to accelerate revenue growth, audience engagement, customer expansion and loyalty and platform scalability.

• This role is central to transforming USA TODAY Co. into a product-led, digitally scaled media enterprise

• The CPO will leverage the breadth of the product portfolio and potential to unlock new growth pathways, modernize the product ecosystem, and ensure the company remains competitive in a rapidly evolving media and technology landscape

Key Responsibilities

1. Define and Align Enterprise Product Strategy 

• Define and communicate a clear, compelling multi-year product vision and strategy aligned with company growth goals

• Translate strategy into actionable product roadmaps, investment priorities, and measurable outcomes

• Ensure product initiatives directly support revenue growth, customer acquisition, retention, and engagement, purposefully elevating the overall quality and reliability of the experience across channels and platforms, and safeguarding consumer trust across our product portfolio

• Serve as the executive owner of product portfolio performance across consumer, B2B, and platform products 

2. Drive and Scale Product-Led Growth & Innovation 

• Drive a product-led growth model across all digital products and platforms

• Identify and scale new opportunities across subscriptions, advertising, data products, and emerging revenue streams

• Lead innovation across AI, personalization, content experiences, and platform capabilities

• Ensure rapid experimentation, testing, and data-driven iteration across the product lifecycle

• Build efficient and fast-cycle development and learning as a practice and cultural norm  

3. End-to-End Product Lifecycle Ownership 

• Oversee the full product lifecycle: discovery, development, launch, optimization, and sunsetting

• Ensure a strong focus on customer needs, user experience, and product-market fit

• Deepen understanding of the customer, championing customer-centricity throughout the entire product lifecycle.

• Establish clear product KPIs, OKRs, and performance management systems tied to business outcomes

• Leverage analytics to continuously optimize product performance and decision-making

4. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Technology, Data, Content, Revenue, Marketing, and Operations leaders to deliver cohesive product experiences

• Align engineering capabilities, monetization strategies, and go-to-market execution to achieve product strategy

• Act as a key connector across teams to ensure speed, prioritization clarity, and execution discipline

• Collaborate with the executive team on capital allocation, strategic tradeoffs, and transformation priorities

5. Organization Leadership & Talent Development 

• Shape and lead a high-performing design and product organizations (product management, UX, product analytics)

• Establish best-in-class product management disciplines, operating rhythms, and governance models

• Attract, develop, and retain top product and digital talent

• Foster a culture of customer-centricity, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement

6. Market Leadership & External Engagement 

• Act as a visible leader externally representing USA TODAY Co.’s product vision with partners, investors, and the broader market

• Monitor industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform product strategy

• Bring external perspective from high-growth technology environments to accelerate transformation

Qualifications & Experience

Leadership Experience

• 15+ years of progressive product leadership experience, including senior executive roles

• Proven success leading product organizations in high-growth technology companies

• Demonstrated impact driving product-led growth, digital transformation, and revenue expansion

Industry Expertise

• Strong experience in both: 

o Technology-driven product environments (SaaS, platforms, marketplaces, or digital ecosystems)

o Media, content, or digital publishing companies with scaled audiences

Functional Expertise

• Deep expertise across: 

o Product strategy and roadmap development

o Customer experience and user-centered design

o Data, analytics, and experimentation frameworks

o Monetization models (subscription, advertising, data-driven products)

• Proven ability to align product, technology, and commercial strategies

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic thinker with strong business and financial acumen

• Exceptional cross-functional leader with ability to influence at executive and board levels

• Track record of building and scaling high-performing teams and organizations

• Comfort operating in complex, fast-changing environments with competing priorities

Personal Attributes

• Visionary and growth-oriented, with an entrepreneurial mindset

• Customer-obsessed with strong intuition for user needs and product-market fit

• Data-driven decision-maker with bias for action and experimentation

• Highly collaborative, capable of aligning diverse stakeholders

• Resilient, adaptable, and energized by large-scale transformation and change

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The annualized base salary for this role will range between $450,000 and $480,000. Variable incentive compensation, including commissions, is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, education level, location, and union representation, if applicable