Principal Product Manager - Ads Auction and Measurements

<h2>Summary</h2><p style="margin: 0px;">Yelp connects people with great local businesses. Our platform is powered by a vibrant community contributing reviews and engaging with local businesses daily. We monetize primarily through advertising, helping millions of businesses connect with high-intent consumers. The Ads Auction system sits at the heart of this exchange, determining which ads are shown for every opportunity.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">The Ads Market Dynamics team is responsible for the core engine that drives Yelp's advertising business. We develop and optimize the sophisticated auction, bidding, and pacing systems that balance advertiser value (ROI), consumer experience, and Yelp's monetization goals. We work at the intersection of economics, machine learning, and large-scale systems engineering.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">As the Principal Product Manager for Ads Auction and Measurement, you will own the product strategy and execution for Yelp's core ad auction, bidding, pricing, budget pacing mechanisms, and corresponding measurements. This is a highly technical leadership role where you will guide the evolution of algorithms and systems that make real-time decisions maximizing value across multiple stakeholders. You will define how we measure the performance and impact of these complex systems, focusing on both short-term efficiency and long-term impact. You will partner closely with world-class engineering and applied science teams to design, experiment, implement, and iterate on auction dynamics and the metrics that guide our progress.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">This opportunity is fully remote and does not require you to be located in any particular state within the US. We welcome applicants from throughout the US. We’d love to have you apply, even if you don’t feel you meet every single requirement in this posting. At Yelp, we’re looking for great people, not just those who simply check off all the boxes.</p><br><h2>What you'll do:</h2><ul><li>Auction Strategy & Roadmap: Define and drive the product roadmap for Yelp's ads auction, bidding algorithms, pricing mechanisms, and budget pacing systems, ensuring alignment with business objectives and competitive dynamics. Identify key levers for optimization and innovation.</li><li>Algorithm & System Optimization: Partner deeply with Engineering and Data Science to design, develop, and refine the auction-based ad selection system. Translate advertiser goals (ROI, leads, conversions), user experience, and monetization considerations into algorithmic requirements, and prioritize initiatives based on concrete data and expected impact.</li><li>Auction Measurement & Evaluation: Define and own the key metrics framework for evaluating auction health, efficiency, and the business impact. Drive the development of robust measurement for complex trade-offs (e.g., relevance vs. monetization, short-term vs. long-term effects). Design and interpret large-scale A/B tests.</li><li>Independent Data Analysis: Conduct hands-on analysis of large-scale auction and advertising datasets using tools like SQL and Python to uncover optimization opportunities, validate hypotheses, understand performance drivers, and inform product decisions.</li><li>Technical Product Development: Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle for auction-related features and improvements, from ideation and requirements definition through launch and iteration.</li><li>Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the product leader for the auction domain, collaborating effectively with Engineering, Data Science, Sales, Finance, and other Product teams. Communicate complex technical concepts and trade-offs clearly to diverse audiences.</li><li>Drive Business Impact: Directly influence Yelp's revenue and advertiser success by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the core ad marketplace.</li></ul><br><h2>What it takes to succeed:</h2><ul><li>Experience: 8+ years of technical product management experience, preferably focused on auctions, bidding systems, search ranking, or monetization platforms within the online advertising (AdTech) industry.</li><li>Auction & Optimization Expertise: Strong theoretical understanding and practical experience with auction theory (e.g., VCG, GSP), optimization algorithms, statistical modeling, and machine learning concepts relevant to ad targeting and ranking.</li><li>Advanced Analytical & Data Skills: Proven ability to independently query, manipulate, and analyze large, complex datasets. Proficiency with SQL and data analysis tools/languages (e.g., Python, R) is required.</li><li>Statistical Rigor: Deep understanding of applied statistics, experimental design (A/B testing), causal inference, and methods for measuring statistical significance and inferring long-term impact.</li><li>Educational Background: Strong quantitative background; Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Mathematics, or a related field is highly preferred.</li><li>Technical Fluency: Ability to engage deeply with engineers and data scientists on technical details of algorithms, system design, and data infrastructure.</li><li>Communication & Collaboration: Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders across various functions.</li><li>Problem Solving: Strong structured thinking and problem-solving abilities, capable of breaking down complex problems into actionable components.</li></ul><br><h2>What you'll get:</h2><ul><li><p style="margin: 0px;">There are a variety of factors that go into determining a salary range, including but not limited to external market benchmark data, geographic location, and years of experience. Based on the anticipated level of experience we are seeking, we expect the compensation range for this role to be between $207,000 and $326,000. You may also be offered restricted stock units and benefits.</p></li><li>This opportunity has the option to be fully remote in all locations across the US.</li><li>You can find more information about Yelp's five star benefits <a href="https://www.yelp.careers/us/en/benefits-at-yelp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>!</li></ul><br><h2>Closing</h2><div><em>At Yelp, we believe that diversity is an expression of all the unique characteristics that make us human: race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, and education — and those are just a few. We recognize that diverse backgrounds and perspectives strengthen our teams and our product. The foundation of our diversity efforts are closely tied to our core values, which include “Playing Well With Others” and “Authenticity.”</em></div><div> </div><div><em>We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition or disability.</em></div><div> </div><div><em>Actual salary offered may vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, an individual's location and experience. </em></div><div> </div><div><em>We will consider for employment qualified candidates with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable law (including, for example, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance for roles based in San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for roles based in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and the California Fair Chance Act for roles based in California).</em></div><div> </div><div><em>Where required by law, a criminal background check will not be conducted until after a conditional offer of employment is made, and any evaluation of a candidate's criminal background check will be subject to an individualized assessment that takes into account the candidate's specific criminal records and the responsibilities and requirements of the particular role.</em></div><div> </div><div><em>We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected] or 415-969-8488.</em></div><div> </div><div><em>Note: Yelp does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to any recruiting alias or employee. Yelp is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.</em></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSiQ5ajIdwoMv07VjFKWB71xJJU-yzWOgQkZLRngmFFhquutnmdihX5_E9lY0Qq6m7VSTNQfeO_tMKK/pub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Recruiting and Applicant Privacy Notice</a></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTGyXsWXm4zjJFrUhtqagO8G9c5QWvBd4BaE5_tfP5SC0AA0McQLFMgOQjzAWOXWw7vIbXvJRJzYSoG/pub?urp=gmail_link" target="_blank" title="Washington State Fair Chance Act" rel="noopener">Notice to Washington Applicants - Washington State Fair Chance Act</a></div><div> </div><div>#LI-Remote</div>