Founding Product Marketing Manager

Permanent contract
New York
No remote work
Salary: $120K to 160K

MakiPeople
MakiPeople

Interested in this job?

Questions and answers about the job

The position

Job description

About Maki

Maki enables companies to build intelligent, science-backed hiring strategies that predict on-the-job performance. As AI makes it easy for anyone to generate polished CVs, teams face overwhelming volume and unreliable signals. Traditional screening is slow, biased, and inconsistent; great candidates are missed while time and budget are wasted.

Maki replaces this guesswork with an integrated engine that evaluates every candidate, predicts success, and improves continuously. We combine validated assessments, behavioral signals, and autonomous AI agents to interview, score, and shortlist applicants in a consistent and explainable way. This gives hiring teams faster decisions, stronger job fit, and a much better candidate experience, while reducing churn and lifting overall performance.

Role overview

We are hiring a First Product Marketing Manager to build Maki’s product narrative from the ground up. You will clarify what our products do, who they are for, and why they matter. You will lead go-to-market for new features and products, create high-quality enablement materials, and ensure that every team tells the same story. You will also report directly to the CEO and learn alongside him.

This is a foundational role at a pivotal moment. By 2026, Maki will have a stable product architecture and a growing enterprise pipeline; structured storytelling and effective launches will become core growth levers. You will help define how Maki is understood in the market.

What you will do

Messaging and positioning

  • Create and maintain the company’s core narrative and value proposition.

  • Clarify the distinction and relationship between Mochi and Shiro.

  • Translate technical AI capabilities into simple, outcome-focused benefits.

Go-to-market leadership

  • Own product and feature launches from planning to execution.

  • Build repeatable GTM processes with clear ownership, audiences, and success measures.

  • Partner with Product, Growth, and Sales to align timing and priorities.

Sales enablement

  • Create and update customer-facing materials including decks, one-pagers, battlecards, and case studies.

  • Consolidate fragmented materials into a single, consistent messaging source of truth.

  • Equip Sales and CS with tools that improve conversion and adoption.

Market and customer insight

  • Conduct interviews with customers and prospects; extract proof points, objections, and value messages.

  • Feed insights into messaging and product decisions.

  • Support differentiated positioning based on real customer needs.

Cross-functional alignment

  • Ensure teams stay aligned on positioning, messaging, and GTM plans.

  • Support the product roadmap narrative and internal communication of upcoming changes.

  • Bring clarity and structure to a fast-moving, AI-driven environment.

What makes this role unique

  • You will be the First PMM; you will define the function and build the foundation for scale.

  • You will shape how a multi-product AI offering is understood by the market.

  • You will work directly with leadership and GTM teams on high-impact strategic decisions.

  • You will turn complex technology into simple, credible stories for HR and talent leaders.

What we are looking for

Experience

  • 5 to 8 years in B2B SaaS product marketing.

  • Experience as the First or second PMM at a Series A to C company.

  • Proven ability to define messaging, positioning, and GTM for products used by business operators such as HR, recruiting, CX, or finance ops.

  • Strong track record of partnering with Product and Sales to build enablement programs.

  • Ability to simplify complex or technical products without losing depth.

  • Background in HR tech, future of work, or AI SaaS is preferred.

  • Based in the United States; New York preferred.

Qualities

  • Clear communicator with excellent writing skills.

  • Structured, analytical, and creative; able to switch between strategy and execution.

  • Curious, customer-driven, and comfortable with ambiguity.

  • Collaborative and able to influence cross-functional teams.

Interview process

  • Screening with Juliette (Founder Associate)

  • Interview with Max (CEO and co-founder)

  • Take-home assignment and presentation with Julien (CRO)

  • and fit interview with Ben (CPO and co-founder).

Want to know more?