Head of Product (Washington)

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

About Our Organization: Punchbowl News is a news content company focused on power, people, and politics in Washington. We are seeking a Head of Product to join our growing team. Punchbowl News’ primary focus is breaking news about power, the nation’s political leadership and explaining to our audience of political junkies how Washington works. We produce (at least) three newsletters each day, a daily podcast, dozens of events, and more across our growing product suite. Punchbowl News’ theory is that power in Washington emanates from the Capitol – and that’s the center of our focus. Our audience includes members of Congress, high-ranking members of the Trump administration, lobbyists, top-level reporters, media executives, Wall Streeters, tech and Hollywood executives, and everyday political fans.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Employment Status: Full-time Regular

Primary Location: Washington, DC

Job Summary:

Punchbowl News seeks an experienced, forward-thinking Head of Product to lead our next chapter of product innovation. This leader will guide a team at the intersection of journalism, data, and technology — crafting essential tools for a high-intensity audience of political professionals, policy insiders, and news junkies. This role goes beyond shipping features — it’s about building tools that bring order to chaos, insight to noise, and simplicity to complexity. You will work closely with editorial, engineering, marketing, and sales to align on shared outcomes and to bring impactful, trusted products to market quickly and iteratively.

We’re looking for someone with deep product intuition, a strong backbone for decision-making under ambiguity, and a relentless commitment to users.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and evolve a clear product roadmap for Punchbowl News' digital platforms, including our website, newsletters, Portal, Enbloc AI, and potential future offerings.
• Act as the connective tissue across product, editorial, sales, engineering, and marketing to align on shared priorities and outcomes.
• Champion a culture of thoughtful experimentation and iterative progress, grounded in evidence and customer feedback loops.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of product managers and collaborate with engineers focused on the end-to-end development of digital products, from conceptualization to launch, including newsletters, The Portal, Enbloc AI, and other new products.
• Build with and for our users: design power-user-friendly, radically simple, and highly usable experiences for political professionals.
• Lead qualitative and quantitative discovery practices, incorporating user interviews, analytics, and feedback into every sprint.
• Manage day-to-day operations, budgets, and several vendor relationships, with a focus on clear ownership and accountability.
• Identify and prioritize product opportunities to enhance audience engagement, user experience, and content distribution.
• Lead on new products and initiatives to increase Punchbowl News’ audience, revenue, market share, and overall valuation.
• Collaborate with editorial, sales, and tech to build and enhance products that grow our Punchbowl News audience and drive engagement.
• Stay current on the competitive landscape and emerging technologies in digital publishing.
• Focus on constant improvement for products by using analytics and user feedback.

Qualifications:

• +12-15 years of relevant work experience, with at least 3 years in leadership roles.
• Experience with news or information products is necessary.
• Proven track record developing and launching successful digital media products.
• Experience integrating AI technologies into content-based products.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, unify fragmented workstreams, and deliver clarity amidst ambiguity.
• Strong understanding of subscription business models and user acquisition/retention strategies.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to translate data insights into product decisions.
• Outstanding communication and cross-functional leadership abilities.
• Technical literacy is required to effectively collaborate with engineering teams.
• Passion for news, politics, or public policy is a major plus — must have empathy for our users and curiosity about how power works in Washington.

The salary for this role is in the range of $200,000 - $300,000. Final compensation will be based on scope, work experience, and relevant skills.

In addition to salary, Punchbowl News is pleased to offer other benefits:

• Punchbowl News offers a 401(k) plan and employer-matching contributions after six months of employment.
• Punchbowl News offers robust healthcare benefits to employees (medical, dental and vision).
• Punchbowl News covers health insurance premiums for individuals and any qualified family members.
• Punchbowl News offers a generous and fair vacation policy with 20 days paid leave plus most federal holidays.
• Punchbowl News offers an additional two weeks of office-wide vacation (end of August, end of December).
• Punchbowl News offers birth parents up to five consecutive months (20 weeks) of paid leave at full salary. Partners or non-birth parents are eligible for a total of 12 weeks of paid leave.
• Punchbowl News offers opportunities for learning and development through programs, classes and regular internal training sessions.

The job is based in Washington, D.C., but we are open to candidates from elsewhere in the United States. Punchbowl News is committed to building a diverse staff.

Employment Eligibility & Equal Opportunity Statement

Punchbowl News celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

In accordance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required Form I-9 upon hire.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Product Management, Strategy/Planning, and Production

• Industries

  Online Audio and Video Media

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Punchbowl News by 2x

Sign in to set job alerts for “Head of Product” roles.

Vice President of Product Management, Cybersecurity

Washington, DC $240,000.00-$300,000.00 1 week ago

Washington DC-Baltimore Area $200,000.00-$375,000.00 1 week ago

Director of Product Management, National Security

McLean, VA $235,000.00-$270,000.00 1 week ago

Director, Product Management - RCM Services

Chantilly, VA $180,000.00-$200,000.00 1 week ago

Senior Director, Drug Product and Packaging Tech Transfer

Gaithersburg, MD $179,000.00-$269,000.00 1 week ago

Gaithersburg, MD $190,000.00-$235,000.00 1 week ago

Gaithersburg, MD $167,772.00-$251,658.00 1 week ago

Germantown, MD $110,000.00-$150,000.00 2 weeks ago

McLean, VA $195,000.00-$293,000.00 1 week ago

Director, Product Management, Partner Experience

Washington, DC $200,000.00-$375,000.00 1 week ago

Gaithersburg, MD $190,000.00-$235,000.00 1 week ago

Director of Product Management - Critical Facilities

Ashburn, VA $150,000.00-$175,000.00 1 week ago

Director, Product Management of Data Products

Director, Product Management, Partner Experience

Tysons Corner, VA $50.00-$53.00 1 week ago

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.