Product Manager, edX - Technical SEO & Site Performance at 2u

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. What We’re Looking For: 2U is searching for a Product Manager to own the technical foundation of organic growth for the edX Marketplace. For a marketplace at the scale of edX, the technical health of edX.org is the infrastructure that makes organic discovery possible. This role owns the product roadmap for everything that makes edX structurally strong for discovery — by traditional search engines, by AI-powered platforms, and by the learners who rely on fast, accessible, well-structured web experiences to find what they need. As PM, Technical SEO & Site Performance, you will translate SEO strategy into engineering-ready requirements — owning the product backlog for site architecture, crawlability, indexability, structured data, Core Web Vitals, and LLM/AIO optimization. You will work at the intersection of product, engineering, and SEO — partnering closely with the organic strategy lead, the GPM Organic Discovery & Content Experience, and the engineering organization to execute a technical roadmap that moves the needle on domain authority, search visibility, and AI discoverability. This is a highly specialized and high-impact role. The right candidate combines product management rigor with genuine technical SEO fluency — someone who can read a site audit, prioritize a crawl budget conversation with an engineer, and translate an AIO optimization strategy into a structured data implementation plan. Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To: • Own the product roadmap for technical SEO and site performance on edX.org — including site architecture, URL structure, internal linking, crawlability, indexability, structured data/schema markup, and Core Web Vitals. • Translate technical SEO strategy (developed in partnership with the organic strategy lead and SEO agency) into clear, prioritized, engineering-ready product requirements and backlog items. • Lead product initiatives to optimize edX.org for AI-era organic discovery — including LLM/AIO/GEO optimization, structured content formats, and ensuring edX is surfaced and cited by AI-powered search platforms. • Partner with engineering to monitor and improve site health metrics — including crawl coverage, page speed, mobile performance, and accessibility compliance (a11y, WCAG). • Conduct and interpret technical SEO audits; identify and prioritize issues that impact organic performance. • Define, track, and report on technical SEO KPIs — including crawl health, Core Web Vitals scores, index coverage, and page performance metrics. • Collaborate with the GPM Organic Discovery & Content Experience to ensure technical and content strategies are coordinated and mutually reinforcing. • Work cross-functionally with engineering, data, and UX teams to design and deliver technical solutions that support organic growth goals. • Interact with SEO strategists, agency partners, and organizational stakeholders to capture requirements and communicate progress in product memos and status updates. • Use your own product — explore edX.org as a learner and as a technical practitioner to develop empathy and identify opportunities. • Stay current on evolving search engine and LLM platform requirements, algorithm updates, and best practices; bring emerging insights into the product roadmap. Things That Should Be In Your Background: • 2–5 years of product management experience, with demonstrated focus on technical SEO, site performance, or web platform product ownership. • Genuine technical SEO fluency — you understand how search engines crawl, index, and rank web content, and you can translate that understanding into product decisions. • Hands-on experience with technical SEO tools such as Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Lighthouse, or equivalent. • Familiarity with structured data/schema markup, XML sitemaps, robots.txt, canonical tags, and Core Web Vitals. • Experience working closely with engineering teams to define and deliver technical requirements — you are comfortable in sprint planning, backlog grooming, and architectural conversations. • Structured and data-driven thinking with a strong bias to action. • Excellent communication skills — you can translate technical SEO concepts for non-technical stakeholders and product concepts for engineering teams. • Experience with agile software development. • Strong understanding of web performance, accessibility standards, and mobile optimization Other Attributes That Will Help You In This Role: • Experience with AI-driven search optimization (AIO/GEO) and structuring content for LLM surfacing and citation. • Familiarity with web analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Segment, or Amplitude. • Experience working with external SEO agencies or consultants. • Background in marketplace, consumer web, or online education products. • Experience with A/B testing and experimentation platforms. While this position is open to remote candidates across the U.S., we will prioritize those who live in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and who are available to come into our Headquarters in Arlington, VA two days a week. Benefits & Culture Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide millions of learners and counting with access to world-class higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance. Full-time, U.S.benefits include: • Medical, dental, and vision coverage • Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match • Free snacks and drinks in-office • Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO • Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break The anticipated base salary range for this role is ($124,000 -$140,000), with potential bonus eligibility. Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, budget for the position and cost of labor in the market in which the candidate will be hired. 2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike. 2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. About 2U 2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to develop and deliver education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through partnerships with the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, 2U delivers thousands of online programs to millions of learners worldwide on edX, its global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master’s degree programs and free, open courses, 2U transforms how top institutions deliver workforce-aligned online education, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. 2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.