Head of Product, Mobile / Social

Overview

This role is based in Porto, Portugal, with the majority of direct reports Portugal-based. We offer hybrid working with a shared office space in Porto city centre where you can spend time with colleagues in-person, as necessary. The Mobile / Social team owns the iOS and Android apps and Hostelworld’s unique social network. We design and deliver seamless, high-performing mobile experiences that inspire travellers to book, connect and share their journeys. Our team is responsible for the full mobile product lifecycle—from strategy and design to experimentation, analytics and continuous optimisation. We build features that enable travellers to discover destinations, join local events, and connect with like-minded adventurers in real time. Leveraging data insights, personalisation and emerging technologies like GenAI, we craft experiences that feel intuitive and social by design. We partner closely with Growth, Marketing, and Data Science to drive engagement, retention and revenue through innovative mobile solutions. Our mission is to make Hostelworld the go-to platform for social travel, putting community and connection at the heart of every trip.

What You’ll Do

In a nutshell , you will own the end-to-end mobile product strategy and execution—leading a team that is focused on accelerating growth, elevating our in-trip social experience, and shipping reliable, high-performing apps that travellers love.

Domain Ownership

• Define and own the Mobile / Social product vision, strategy and roadmap, aligned to company OKRs; prioritise for customer impact and commercial outcomes.
• Own the P&L levers for Mobile / Social (acquisition, activation, engagement, retention, monetisation) and partner with Finance to forecast, scenario‑plan and track ROI.
• Champion in‑trip social experiences (community, discovery, messaging, activities) that build network effects and meaningful connections between travellers.
• Elevate app quality and performance : crash‑free sessions, app start time, ANR rate, bundle size, offline resilience, accessibility and privacy by design.
• Partner with Data / AI to apply GenAI and on‑device ML (e.g., intelligent trip planning, content personalisation, relevance / ranking, safety / moderation, multilingual support).
• Ensure instrumentation, analytics and telemetry are first‑class : event taxonomy, self‑serve dashboards, causal inference and cohort analysis to inform decisions.
• Collaborate with Lifecycle / CRM on push, in‑app messaging and notifications - contextual, timely and respectful of user preferences and local regulations.
• Own the Mobile surface of our brand : work with Design / Research on design systems, usability, and inclusive experiences for a global audience.
• Partner with Growth Marketing on ASO (App Store / Play optimisation), ratings / reviews strategy and creative experimentation.
• Communicate clearly and often—from PRDs and decision memos to ELT‑ready updates; simplify complexity and create alignment across stakeholders.

People Management & Leadership

What We’re Looking For

Knowledge & Skills :

Experience & Qualifications

Nice To Have

What We Offer

Our Behaviours

We believe in talented and diverse teams that reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities in which we operate. If you don’t meet all the requirements, please consider applying if you think you can still perform the role as described.

Our vision is to be the world’s leading social travel platform. We are on a mission to help travellers find their people and create unforgettable moments together.

Since the launch of our social network in the hostelling category in 2022, Hostelworld has grown rapidly, with a vibrant community and a strong, asset‑light, cash‑generative business model.

#J-18808-Ljbffr