Every login is a promise Every time someone logs in to a Schibsted service, gives their consent or buys a subscription, they rely on a shared identity platform that most users never think about. When it works, people move between our brands as one recognised, trusted user. When it doesn’t, no brand can deliver on its business. Schibsted is a leading Nordic media group that operates in three markets, Sweden, Norway and Finland, with brands such as Aftonbladet and VG and streaming services like TV4 Play and MTV Play.
Schibsted Account, our common login, consent and user data platform, is the foundation that lets these brands act as one ecosystem while each keeps its own identity. We are looking for the leader who will make it happen. The role As Product Director for User Foundation, you own the product vision and delivery for the area, and decide what we build, why and when. User Foundation is a cross-functional area of around 30 people.
Product managers, UX designers and data specialists report directly to you. Engineers report in their own line and own how things are built, but they work in the area every day as one team with you. You and engineering leadership share the area’s outcome goals. Most product and technology leaders serve one business. You will serve many. The news brands want faster login flows, the TV brands want their own needs met, partners need stability and the platform needs continuous renewal.
Not everything can come first. Your job is to weigh these priorities honestly, decide what is best for Schibsted as a group, and bring people along, including those who don’t get what they asked for. You will say “not now” in a way that builds trust, and “yes, and here is how” often enough that brands see you as a partner rather than a gatekeeper. The platform is being renewed and the team is being strengthened. Within the next couple of years, TV4 Play and MTV Play users should be able to log in with Schibsted Account, building a stronger ecosystem in the Nordics.
We must deliver this without breaking the business plans of the brands that depend on us. You decide what the renewal delivers and in what order, and engineering owns how it’s built. You will also own the direction of privacy and consent across the group. Schibsted acts as data controller for its users, and how we collect, manage and honour consent is both a legal obligation and a foundation of user trust. You will work closely with legal and data protection colleagues, and with engineering and architects to make sure consent is built to the rules.
What you will do Own the vision, roadmap and delivery for User Foundation, and balance renewal of the existing platform, onboarding of new brands and new product capabilities. Own the direction for privacy and consent across the group. Translate GDPR and other regulation into what the platform offers, and agree the consent architecture with engineering and architects. Lead and develop the product managers, UX designers and data specialists in the area.
Make transparent prioritisation decisions based on what creates the most value for the group. Agree the plan with engineering, and protect it from work quietly stacked on top. Run product and engineering as one team, with one plan and shared goals. When you disagree on priorities or capacity, settle it together with engineering. Build trust with leadership across the news brands, TV brands, partners and senior executives, and agree adoption timelines with new brands.
Treat the platform as a product with real users, from the login and consent experience end users meet to the SDKs developers build with. Work with the other areas in Technology Foundation where you depend on each other. Who you are You must have A track record of delivery. You can point to platform or product changes you shipped, not only plans you wrote. Proven leadership of product people, such as product managers, designers and data specialists.
Experience as a product manager or product director, treating platforms as products and leading teams through organisational change. Exceptional stakeholder management, with a track record of aligning senior stakeholders with conflicting interests and keeping relationships intact afterwards. Sound judgement on competing priorities and a group-first mindset that puts the whole organisation ahead of any single brand’s agenda.
Experience with identity, authentication, consent or other business-critical platforms with many internal customers. Solid understanding of privacy and data protection (GDPR), and comfort taking accountability for consent and compliance in a consumer context. Enough technical depth to judge a rebuild plan and hold your own with engineers and architects, including on legacy modernisation and technical debt. You’re comfortable sharing an outcome with an engineering counterpart, and you settle disagreements directly.
It's a plus if you have Experience in media, streaming or marketplace businesses. Experience with large-scale migrations or onboarding of brands to a shared platform. Experience with consent management platforms or data controller responsibilities at scale. Knowledge of AI-assisted product development. How you'll know you've succeeded TV4 Play and MTV Play users log in through Schibsted Account within the planned timeframe, or earlier.
Consent and privacy are handled consistently and compliantly across all brands, with a clear long-term architecture and less vendor dependency. Brands trust User Foundation as a partner that delivers, and choose to adopt it. Difficult prioritisation calls are made openly, and people understand why. The platform’s risks are lower, with less firefighting and less dependence on key individuals. Why join Few roles let you shape how a whole group of well-known media brands relates to its users.
The work is difficult, visible and important, with strong backing from senior leadership and a clear mandate. You’ll also help set up how product and engineering work together in User Foundation.
Job description provided by Schibsted.
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