We are an organisation that exists to drive progress. That's the “red thread” that connects everyone at The Economist Group (TEG). Our businesses share a devotion to innovation, independence and rigour in their fields of expertise. We empower people to understand and tackle the critical challenges and changes facing the world. Our analytical rigour, global expertise and evidence-based insights enable individuals and organisations to make sense of these shifts and chart a course through them.
We deliver analysis and insights in many formats to subscribers and clients in 170 countries through our four businesses, The Economist, Economist Impact, Economist Intelligence and Economist Education, which uphold our global reputation for excellence and integrity.
Advertising plays a vital role in funding our journalism and supporting our global reach. At the same time, The Economist is a subscription-led, editorial-driven product, and advertising must be delivered in a way that respects audience trust, protects the reader experience and upholds our brand.
We are seeking a Head of Ad Product to lead the strategy, technical ownership and delivery of advertising products across The Economist’s digital ecosystem.
This role sits within the Product organisation, reporting to the VP, Engagement, to ensure that advertising products are developed with a strong product mindset - balancing commercial value with user experience, editorial integrity and long-term sustainability. It will have a dotted line to the Global Head of Advertising.
The role
The Head of Ad Product will be accountable for the end-to-end advertising product portfolio across The Economist’s owned and operated platforms.
You will own the advertising product vision and roadmap, and provide technical product leadership across the advertising technology stack spanning web, mobile app, newsletters, Espresso and future surfaces.
A core responsibility of this role is balance: ensuring advertising is an integrated, high-quality part of a subscription-first ecosystem - effective for advertisers, operationally sound for the business, and appropriate within a premium editorial experience.
You will lead the evolution of advertising products that make responsible, privacy-safe use of The Economist’s first-party data, enabling relevant, high-value advertising while maintaining audience trust and complying with regulatory requirements.
You will manage and lead a cross-functional product squad and work in close partnership with the Global Head of Advertising, who is your primary commercial stakeholder. Together, you will shape how advertising evolves at The Economist, while this role remains accountable for product quality, platform integrity and user experience.
Responsibilities
- Own the product vision and roadmap for advertising across The Economist’s digital products.
- Manage and prioritise the advertising product backlog, leading a dedicated product squad.
- Define how advertising fits coherently within a subscription-led, editorial-first ecosystem.
- Lead technical product ownership of the advertising stack across web, app, newsletters and Espresso.
- Define how first-party data is responsibly leveraged to support targeting, measurement and performance - in line with privacy, consent and trust expectations.
- Ensure advertising products are scalable, performant, privacy-compliant and future-ready.
- Partner closely with the Global Head of Advertising to translate commercial strategy into product capabilities.
- Lead the discovery, design, delivery and optimisation of advertising formats, sponsorships and integrations.
- Set clear standards for ad quality, placement, relevance and user experience.
- Work with engineering teams to define architecture and integrations that balance optimal ad delivery with uncompromised content performance and user experience. ●
- Partner with Revenue Operations to streamline ad-related workflows and reduce operational complexity.
- Own relationships with key ad tech vendors and platforms, ensuring they support first-party-data-led strategies.
- Establish feedback loops between sales, editorial, product and operations to drive continuous improvement.
- Communicate product strategy, trade-offs and progress clearly to senior stakeholders.
Who you are
- Senior product leader: Significant experience owning complex, platform-level products.
- Ad tech fluent: Deep understanding of digital advertising systems, including first-party data-driven models.
- Product-first mindset: Strong judgement about balancing monetisation with user experience and trust.
- Technically confident: Comfortable engaging deeply with engineers on architecture, data flows and trade-offs.
- Data-aware: Experience working with audience data, consent frameworks and measurement systems.
- Strategic thinker: Able to set direction while driving execution through teams.
- Commercially aware: Understands how advertising products deliver value for clients and the business.
- Collaborative: Effective partner to editorial, sales, operations and technology leaders.
- Clear communicator: Able to explain complex decisions to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Pragmatic and decisive: Comfortable making prioritisation decisions in a live, high-impact environment.
Domain knowledge
- Experience working with ad servers, programmatic platforms and sponsorship products.
- Strong understanding of first-party data strategies in premium or subscription-led environments.
- Familiarity with privacy, consent, identity and regulatory requirements in digital advertising.
- Experience delivering products across multiple platforms (web, app, email).
- Enthusiasm for The Economist’s mission and editorial standards.
#LI-Hybrid
Working Arrangements
The majority of our roles operate on a hybrid working pattern, with 3+ days office attendance required.
AI usage for your application
We are an innovative organisation that encourages the use of technology. We recognise that candidates may utilise AI tools to support with their job application process. However, it is essential that all information you provide truthfully and accurately reflects your own experience, skills, and qualifications.
What we offer
Our benefits package is designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and work-life balance. It includes a highly competitive pension or 401(k) plan, private health insurance, and 24/7 access to counselling and wellbeing resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
We also offer a range of lifestyle benefits, including our Work From Anywhere program, which allows you to work from any location where you have the legal right to do so for up to 25 days per year. In addition, we provide generous annual and parental leave, as well as dedicated days off for volunteering and even for moving home.
You will also be given free access to all The Economist content, including an online subscription, our range of apps, podcasts and more.
