Chief Product Officer (CPO)

company Full-Time: 40 hours/week About Yaqeen Institute Yaqeen is a nonprofit on a mission to pioneer Islamic research in creative, cutting-edge formats tailored to meet people where they are. We work to dismantle doubts through well-researched truths, nurture conviction by strengthening belief with practical, spiritual guidance, and inspire contribution by reviving our tradition of faithful changemakers, insha’Allah . We’re seeking like-minded professionals who embody Islamic values including sincerity, excellence, and compassion, and want to make a difference in the faith of people worldwide. role About the role Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research is seeking a Chief Product Officer to lead our product organization and drive the next phase of our mission: to move people to a realization of Islam that inspires faith, grounds it with intellect, and creates a world of doers who are tranquil, confident, and purpose-driven. We reach millions of people globally through research-backed Islamic content spanning peer-reviewed papers, curriculum used by 1,000+ Islamic schools, a mobile app with a rapidly growing engaged user base, books, and video content that has seen a 30% increase in YouTube views in the past year alone. We are at an inflection point. We have built the content and the audience. Now we need a product leader who can build the engine that turns reach into lasting, measurable impact on people's faith and lives. The CPO will own the full product portfolio: our consumer app, Hashiya (our academic publishing platform), curriculum for Islamic schools, books, and our data and analytics capabilities. You will lead a lean, high-potential product team and work closely with engineering, content, research, and marketing to deliver products that genuinely change lives. This is not a maintenance role. We are looking for a builder who can unify a distributed product organization, drive retention and engagement at scale, champion AI-powered innovation, and bring the rigor of data-driven product management to a mission-driven context. What you'll do Product Vision and Strategy Define and own the long-term product vision, connecting Yaqeen's mission to measurable product outcomes Develop an integrated product roadmap across all verticals (App, Hashiya, Curriculum, Books, Data and Analytics) Lead the transition from a reach-focused to an engagement-and-retention-focused product strategy Evaluate and drive platform consolidation decisions (app architecture, content delivery, brand separation) Lead GOSP (Goals, Objectives, Strategy, Plans) conversations for the product organization Retention and Growth Own the retention strategy: reduce churn, increase monthly active users, and deepen habitual engagement Design and iterate on gamification, social features, and personalization to drive re-engagement Build experimentation frameworks for testing engagement hypotheses with statistical rigor Develop proxy metrics for measuring impact on religiosity and spiritual growth Team Leadership and Development Lead and develop a team of product managers across multiple squads Coach PMs on executive communication, budget ownership, data-driven storytelling, and strategic thinking Foster collaboration across squads that currently operate independently Build a unified operating cadence: shared planning, cross-squad visibility, and regular demos Drive AI fluency across the product team, including building and curating AI agents for day-to-day workflows AI and Data Strategy Own the data infrastructure strategy: content tagging, cataloging, and curation for AI-powered personalization Drive AI-powered personalization to deliver the right content to the right user at the right time Lead adoption of the latest AI models and tools to maximize throughput and quality Build systematic audience sensing and market intelligence capabilities Content Product Strategy Oversee strategic positioning of consumer products (Yaqeen App) versus academic products (Hashiya) Drive content modality expansion (audio, interactive, short-form) based on user behavior data Develop a target audience roadmap: who to reach next, on which platforms, and in what sequence Support curriculum partnerships and joint ventures to scale educational impact Stakeholder and Executive Engagement Partner with the CEO, Deputy CEO, and board to align product strategy with organizational goals Present product performance, roadmap, and budget proposals to executive leadership Lead the product organization through zero-based budgeting cycles with compelling, data-backed justifications Build relationships with external partners (content distributors, educational institutions, technology vendors) Qualifications Required Qualifications 10+ years of product management experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role (VP Product, CPO, or equivalent) Demonstrated success in driving retention and engagement for consumer-facing digital products Experience leading and developing product teams of 5+ people across multiple product lines Strong command of data-driven product management: A/B testing, cohort analysis, funnel optimization, and metric design Experience with mobile app products and content platforms Proven ability to unify distributed teams around a shared vision and operating cadence Executive presence: ability to communicate product strategy to board-level stakeholders and translate mission into measurable outcomes Comfort operating in a lean, resource-constrained environment where you build alongside your team Demonstrated experience integrating AI and emerging technologies into product strategy and team workflows Preferred Qualifications Experience with mission-driven, nonprofit, or social-impact organizations Familiarity with gamification design, behavioral psychology, and habit formation frameworks Experience with AI/ML-powered personalization and recommendation systems Understanding of educational technology and/or curriculum products Experience with content platforms (publishing, media, or knowledge-sharing) Familiarity with the Muslim community and Islamic content landscape Experience building or managing AI agents and agentic workflows Track record of coaching product managers from individual contributors to strategic leaders Yaqeen Institute embraces a philosophy that values and promotes diversity. Our goal is to attract, develop, retain, and advance a talented and diverse workforce within a culture where all employees are empowered to reach their fullest potential. Please note that all career opportunities at Yaqeen Institute are subject to a three-month probationary period, during which we assess performance, alignment with our values, and mutual fit to ensure long-term success in the role.