At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative digital tools for public engagement and decision-making.
- Company: Join Nesta's Centre for Collective Intelligence, a hub for creativity and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working, and generous pension contributions.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values innovation and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by shaping how communities engage with important societal issues.
- Qualifications: Experience in agile product management and a passion for user-focused digital solutions.
The predicted salary is between 58500 - 58500 £ per year.
We are hiring a Product and Delivery Manager for the Centre for Collective Intelligence.
About the team
You'll join the Centre for Collective Intelligence, which is currently incubated within Nesta and planning to transition into an independent organisation over the next few years. We design digital tools and pioneer new ways to engage the public at scale to address society’s most pressing challenges, and help public and voluntary sector institutions build trust and collaboration with citizens. Zeitgeist, our flagship digital deliberation product, is at the heart of this work: a tool that helps us run large-scale, high-quality public and stakeholder deliberation online.
The role
We're looking for a Product and Delivery Manager to take ownership of Zeitgeist and to lead the delivery of new digital products and tools that put participation and deliberation at the heart of public decision-making. You'll split your time across three connected areas of work:
- Zeitgeist product management (c. 40%) - owning the roadmap and backlog for our flagship deliberation product, leading the multidisciplinary product team (two developers plus freelancers as needed), and balancing new feature development and maintenance against commercial project priorities. You’ll also ensure the timely build of client projects that use Zeitgeist.
- Delivery of new digital products and projects (c. 40%) - managing user-research, prototyping, build, testing, delivery and scaling of new digital products and projects that rely on these new tools for public engagement and participation.
- Business development (c. 20%) - supporting business and client development, with lead responsibility for securing philanthropic or grant funding to resource the development of Zeitgeist and new digital tools that enable us to deliver our vision.
You'll be responsible for:
- owning and prioritising the Zeitgeist product backlog, and setting a roadmap that balances new feature development, maintenance and technical health against commercial and client priorities
- leading and coordinating a multidisciplinary product team, including two developers and freelancers as needed, running the agile rhythms and rituals that keep the team focused and delivering
- managing the delivery of client projects built on Zeitgeist, ensuring they're delivered on time, on budget and to a high standard
- managing the end-to-end lifecycle - prototyping, build, testing, delivery and rollout/scaling - of new digital products and projects with digital at their core, including tools for public participation in decision-making and policy
- translating user and stakeholder needs into a realistic roadmap, quarterly priorities and fortnightly sprints that match team capacity
- applying agile product management practices throughout, and supporting the product team to maintain strong agile ways of working
- contributing to product and project strategy, helping shape direction and vision
- carrying out user-research and user-testing
- serving as the team's data protection and security lead, ensuring our products and ways of working meet data protection and information security standards
- reporting on product and project progress, risks, budget and priorities to clients, Directors and other internal stakeholders
- quality-assuring team outputs and managing sign-off with Directors and clients
- supporting business development activity, with a particular focus on identifying and securing philanthropic or grant funding to develop Zeitgeist and new digital tools, as well as broader proposal writing, networking and pitching
- building relationships with clients, colleagues, funders and delivery partners, plus building a network of freelance associates to support the impact and sustainability of the product and the wider portfolio
- other tasks as required by the Director
The person
- Agile product management: hands-on experience using agile product management approaches to plan, prioritise and deliver against the product roadmap.
- Product ownership: a track record of owning a digital product end-to-end, including backlog, roadmap, feature development and ongoing maintenance, as well as balancing user, technical and commercial priorities.
- Strategic product scaling: Experience leading digital products and services through the transition to scaled, sustained impact, with a focus on de-risking growth and navigating the complexities of scaling.
- Iterative development and testing: Experience using lean-agile principles and using live data and ongoing discovery to focus product iterations toward increasing the impact and scale of existing solutions.
- User focus: You have experience supporting multidisciplinary teams to develop digital products and services that meet the needs of users and stakeholders, as well as having the desired business and/or social impact; including helping them to uncover and understand user and stakeholder needs through user research and testing.
- Digital protection and security: a good understanding of data protection requirements and best practice in security standards, including incident reporting and risk mitigation.
- Delivery management: experience managing the delivery of digital projects and products, from prototyping through build, testing and rollout, keeping delivery on time and on budget.
- Team leadership and management: experience leading and coordinating multidisciplinary teams, including developers and freelancers, and running effective agile rhythms and rituals.
- Stakeholder and client management: confident building relationships with clients, partners and senior stakeholders, and comfortable balancing client and commercial demands with product strategy.
- Commercial and funding awareness: experience or strong interest in business development, and product strategy, including identifying and pursuing funding opportunities - ideally including philanthropic or grant funding.
- Start-up mentality: able to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities at once, and proactively spot and fix problems before they escalate, plus an all-hands-on-deck mentality - helping out beyond your role silo.
- experience of leading user-research and testing
- hands-on comfort with prototyping using code or no-code/low-code tools
- experience securing philanthropic, grant or other funding for product or programme development
- familiarity with design disciplines such as UX or service design
- experience developing digital products and services for social impact or mission-driven outcomes
What we offer
- Salary: circa £58,500 plus array of benefits, including up to 12% employer pension contributions, Private Medical Insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, and more.
- Location: Blackfriars, London (minimum 2 days a week) and remote.
- Term: 12 month fixed term, with possibility to extend.
- Hours: Full time (37.5 hours a week) - flexible working considered.
- Reports to: Director of the Centre for Collective Intelligence.
At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results. We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve, and we want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued and everyone is encouraged to grow and develop. This means that when we recruit, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates, and we're happy to consider reasonable adjustments that candidates may need to be successful. We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements - just let us know at any stage of the process if these are options you'd like to explore.
Product and Delivery Manager employer: Nesta
Nesta is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and social impact, providing a dynamic work environment where creativity thrives. With a strong emphasis on collaboration within multidisciplinary teams, employees benefit from a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance, alongside ample opportunities for professional growth and development in the tech sector. Joining Nesta means being part of a mission-driven organisation that values your contributions to building meaningful digital tools for societal betterment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product and Delivery Manager
✨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 Nesta!
✨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 Nesta 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 Nesta through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product and Delivery Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product and Delivery Manager, 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 and Delivery Manager position at Nesta. 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 Nesta
✨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.
