At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead product management for innovative automotive solutions and collaborate with top OEM partners.
- Company: Join a fast-growing tech company dedicated to making a positive impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy 33 days holiday, health cash plan, and enhanced family leave.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture that values your growth and success.
- Why this job: Shape the future of automotive products while building strong industry relationships.
- Qualifications: Experience in product management and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Location: Remote
Department: Product
Contract type: Permanent / Full-time
About the role
We’re looking for a Product Manager - OEM to join our Product Team, and play a key role in being responsible for product management of Activate Group's OEM-facing product line, including AvantelIQ and our Total Loss Avoidance product. Working within our Avant Consult business, the role will own the roadmap for these products, build strong relationships with OEM partners including BMW & MINI UK, McLaren, Volkswagen Group and Toyota, and translate their requirements into well-defined product improvements. The Product Manager will work closely with the Head of Product and development teams to ensure our products remain compliant, competitive, and deliver maximum value. This is an exciting time to join Activate Group as we build out a dedicated Product function, with real opportunity to shape best practice and ways of working from the ground up.
Activate Group is a growing UK business with 1,000+ team members nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to build a long-term career with a company that values its people and offers genuine development and progression opportunities.
Key responsibilities
- Product Strategy & Roadmap
- Own and maintain the product roadmaps aligned with Activate Group's wider product strategy.
- Define and prioritise product requirements based on OEM compliance needs, market trends, and business goals.
- Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with OEM partners to gather feedback and identify opportunities for enhancement.
- Act as the voice of the customer within the business, ensuring product decisions reflect OEM requirements and compliance standards.
- Engage with senior stakeholders across Activate Group and Avant Consult to ensure product initiatives are aligned with business goals.
- Collaboration & Delivery
- Partner closely with the Head of Product and development teams to translate roadmap priorities into well-defined features, user stories, and deliverables.
- Ensure delivery teams understand the reasoning behind each product decision, fostering a culture of purpose-driven development.
- Work with QA, UX/UI, and data teams to ensure products are high quality, intuitive, and measurable.
- Market & Industry Awareness
- Keep ahead of automotive, OEM compliance, and total loss trends to ensure Activate Group's products remain competitive and industry-leading.
- Identify and evaluate opportunities for automation and data-led product improvements.
- Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Define and track key product metrics, ensuring performance meets expectations and drives value for OEM partners and the business.
- Contribute to establishing best practice in product management processes, tools, and reporting across the team.
Skills and experience
- Experience in product management, ideally within automotive, OEM, SaaS, or technology sectors.
- Track record of delivering successful products from concept to market.
- Strong stakeholder management and customer engagement skills, including experience managing relationships with large corporate partners.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business language.
- Experience working closely with software development teams in an Agile environment.
- Familiarity with modern UX/UI practices.
Desirable (but not essential):
- Knowledge of, or experience within, the automotive or OEM industry.
- Experience with compliance, auditing, or total loss processes.
Benefits
We believe in rewarding our people for the great work they do. When you join Activate Group, you can expect:
- 33 days holiday, including bank holidays
- Personal health cash plan – claim back the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental and optical check-ups
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
- Life assurance at three times your basic salary
- Free breakfasts and fresh fruit
- A birthday surprise for everyone
What you can expect from us
At Activate Group, we want everyone to have the tools and support they need to do their best work. We’re an innovative business that continuously reviews and improves our systems, processes and ways of working, making sure they support our teams to do their jobs effectively.
Every role at Activate Group is aligned to our wider business vision and purpose – making someone’s bad day better. You’ll understand how your role contributes to the bigger picture and how your work helps deliver excellent outcomes for customer and partners.
We believe work should be enjoyable. We make time to celebrate success, recognise achievements and bring people together at team events and company-wide celebrations. We’ll also support your ongoing development through regular feedback and career planning.
Whether you’re based in one of our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough or Huddersfield, working at an Activate Accident Repair (AAR) site, or working from home, you’ll be part of a supportive culture where people are encouraged to succeed.
A bit about us
Activate Group is a fast-growing business approaching 1,000 team members nationwide. We work with some of the UK’s largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in road incidents through our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough and Huddersfield. We manage every step of the repair journey - repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair (AAR) body shops, as well as through a UK-wide network of trusted independent repair partners. We also work with the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturers, supporting their approved repair programmes, and deliver innovative technology solutions to fleets, vehicle repair centres and dealerships.
Our purpose & values
Our purpose underpins everything we do: Make someone’s bad day better.
Our values define how we work with our team members, customers and suppliers:
- Make it happen – Be accountable. Take the initiative, work fast, and do a great job.
- Strive for better – Be bold. Challenge the norm - make small improvements often.
- Win together – Be a team player. Win together, learn together, respect each other.
Product Manager - OEM employer: ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED
Activate Group is an exceptional employer located in Newcastle, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises employee well-being and development. With generous benefits such as 33 days of holiday, a quarterly bonus scheme, and a personal health cash plan, employees are rewarded for their hard work while being part of a supportive team that celebrates success and fosters growth. Join us to make a meaningful impact in a role that truly contributes to improving our customers' experiences.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Manager - OEM
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Manager - OEM
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Manager - OEM, let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Product Manager - OEM position at ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at ACTIVATE GROUP LIMITED
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
