At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive product initiatives and collaborate with teams to deliver innovative solutions for water efficiency.
- Company: Join Portsmouth Water, a forward-thinking utility committed to sustainability and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, generous pension, bonuses, and comprehensive wellbeing support.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements available; apply early as we may close the advert soon.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on water sustainability while developing your skills in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in agile product management and strong communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
We’re making a difference: Together, we can ensure that there is enough water for everyone, now and in the future. The Product Specialist collaborates with the Product Owner to deliver key product initiatives by breaking them down into actionable components and driving execution across relevant teams. This 12-month FTC role is critical in ensuring that products meet both functional and non-functional requirements, acting as the key liaison between the business stakeholders, technology teams and operational departments. The Product Specialist plays a key role in refining and managing the product backlog, ensuring alignment with business KPIs, ODI’s and strategic goals, including Portsmouth Water’s demand reduction and water efficiency targets. By transforming business needs into tangible and valuable solutions, this role supports Portsmouth Water’s ambition to become a digital-first utility with the UK's first fully smart water network.
What will you be doing?
- Contribute to defining and communicating the product vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and customer needs.
- Be the product champion within the business, fostering a culture of innovation and customer-centric design and continuous improvement.
- Assist in managing and prioritising the product backlog, ensuring prioritisation aligns with business value, strategic initiatives and technical improvements.
- Collaborate with development teams to ensure the backlog is actionable and aligned with business objectives.
- Write and refine user stories with clear acceptance criteria, ensuring clarity for development teams and alignment with business objectives.
- Lead backlog refinement sessions regularly incorporating stakeholder and development team feedback to enhance product quality.
- Manage cross-functional dependencies, proactively identifying and addressing blockers to successful product delivery.
- Serve as the technical expert for customer deliverables, including metering and billing.
- Ensure seamless integration and optimization of CRM Kraken, Temetra, and website platforms, balancing business needs with technical constraints.
What do you need?
- Experience in agile software product management, from inception to launch.
- Previous experience as a Product Owner, or similar role, delivering platform capabilities.
- Experience with smart metering and billing systems.
- Ability to engage with complex technical details.
- Stakeholder management and engagement skills.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical details into clear requirements.
- Proficiency in agile processes, including backlog management, sprint planning, and user story development.
If you are successful for the role, you will be required to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment checks that will include a basic disclosure check. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the national security vetting process for either a CTC or SC clearance check. Any offer of employment is conditional upon completion and receipt of satisfactory checks.
We recognise people want to work in a variety of different ways, and that’s why we’re happy to consider flexible working arrangements. Please feel free to talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may be looking for.
Please note, we may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications — so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we actively encourage applications from all sections of society.
Please be aware, the Company has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Due to the high volume of applications we may receive, we’re unable to respond to every applicant individually. If your application is of interest, we’ll usually be in touch within 4 weeks of receiving it.
What can Portsmouth Water offer you?
- Enjoy 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, giving you plenty of time to relax, recharge, and explore.
- We’ll help secure your future with a generous pension scheme, contributing up to 15% – because your tomorrow matters as much as your today.
- You could earn a non-contractual bonus of up to 6% of your basic salary, linked to company performance – because when we succeed together, you should benefit too.
- Whether you’re welcoming a new arrival through birth or adoption, we’ve got your back with enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave and pay.
- All expenses covered summer and winter social events.
- Our life assurance scheme gives your loved ones extra security, with a 4x salary lump sum benefit in case the unexpected happens.
- Comprehensive Wellbeing Support, including confidential mental health and wellbeing advice 24/7 through our Employee Assistance Programme, or physical health support via our Virtual GP service.
- Enjoy exclusive discounts at thousands of retailers, plus exciting benefits like Electric Vehicle Scheme (after 1 year), Cycle to Work Scheme, Health Cash Plan…and so much more!
Product Specialist in Havant employer: Portsmouth-Water
Portsmouth Water is an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation and collaboration thrive. With a strong commitment to employee development, you will have access to growth opportunities and training that empower you to excel in your role as a Strategic Water Infrastructure Programme Lead. The company's focus on sustainability and community impact, combined with its supportive culture, makes it a rewarding place to contribute to vital water infrastructure projects in the region.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Specialist in Havant
✨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 Portsmouth-Water!
✨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 Portsmouth-Water 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 Portsmouth-Water through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Specialist in Havant
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Specialist, 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 Specialist position at Portsmouth-Water. 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 Portsmouth-Water
✨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.
