At a Glance
- Tasks: Collaborate to deliver impactful product initiatives and drive execution across teams.
- Company: Join Portsmouth Water, a forward-thinking utility focused on sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, generous pension, and performance bonuses.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in water efficiency and digital innovation.
- Qualifications: Experience in agile product management and strong communication skills required.
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?
Key Responsibilities
- 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 optimisation of CRM Kraken, Temetra, and website platforms, balancing business needs with technical constraints.
What do you need?
Skills, Qualifications & Competencies
- 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?
At Portsmouth Water, we believe in rewarding our people. Here’s just a taste of what’s waiting for you when you join the team:
- Holidays Made Better Enjoy 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, giving you plenty of time to relax, recharge, and explore.
- A Pension That Works for You We’ll help secure your future with a generous pension scheme, contributing up to 15% - because your tomorrow matters as much as your today.
- Performance Pays Off 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.
- Family Comes First 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.
- Social Events All expenses covered summer and winter social events
- Peace of Mind, Always 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 Whether you need confidential mental health and wellbeing advice 24/7 through our Employee Assistance Programme, or physical health support via our Virtual GP service (available 8am-10pm, 7 days a week for you and your immediate family), help is always close at hand with the Health Hero app.
- Electric Vehicle Scheme (after 1 year)
- Cycle to Work Scheme
• Health Cash Plan …and so much more!
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Product Specialist in Langstone 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 Langstone
✨Connect with Product Management Communities
Dive into online communities like Product School or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, share your insights, and ask questions. This can help you build relationships and visibility in the product management scene, plus you might hear about temp roles before they even get posted!
✨Attend Industry Meetups and Workshops
Check out local meetups or workshops specifically targeted at product management. These gatherings are prime spots to meet hiring managers and fellow practitioners. Plus, they often lead to connections that can help you land temporary roles.
✨Showcase Your Work with a Portfolio
Even if you're after a temporary gig, having a solid portfolio is key! Include case studies of past projects, highlighting your role and how you drove product success. Use platforms like Behance to display your work visually.
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
When you spot a temp role like Product Specialist at Portsmouth-Water, go straight to their website to apply. Direct applications often have a better chance of standing out since they show commitment. It's worth the extra effort, trust us!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Specialist in Langstone
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Sense:In product management, we want to see your understanding of user needs and business value. When you're crafting your CV and cover letter, highlight specific products you've worked on, the methodologies you used, and how those experiences shaped your product sense. If you have insights into user journey mapping, competitive analysis, or product lifecycle, make sure to feature them!
Highlight Relevant Experience:For a temporary role, employers often look for candidates who can hit the ground running. Make sure your written application showcases not just your past roles, but also specific outcomes you've driven. Don't shy away from using metrics—how did your contributions impact the product or team? We love when you quantify your achievements!
Be Ready to Adapt:Temporary positions can often lead to quick changes in direction. In your cover letter, convey your adaptability and eagerness to learn. Mention any experiences where you’ve had to pivot or adjust your approach to meet project goals. Talk about how you thrive in dynamic environments—it'll really resonate with us at Portsmouth-Water!
Link to Your Portfolio:If you've worked on product roadmaps, user stories, or any visualisations, link to your portfolio in your application. Even a personal project that demonstrates your skills as a product manager can show your proactive approach. It's a great way for us to see your work in action and understand your style. And remember, apply through our website to make it easier for us to find you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Portsmouth-Water
✨Show Off Your Product Knowledge
Make sure we can discuss the product lifecycle with confidence! Be ready to showcase your understanding of key concepts in product management, such as roadmap planning and user research. We want to hear about any tools you're familiar with, like JIRA or Trello, as they’re popular in this space!
✨Agile Mindset is Key
As a temporary role, they'll want us to hit the ground running. Brush up on Agile methodologies and be prepared for scenario-based questions where you might need to demonstrate how you'd handle shifting priorities or tight deadlines. Show that you can think on your feet and adapt quickly!
✨Bring Your Portfolio of Projects
If you've got any product projects up your sleeve—be it case studies or live examples—bring them along! For a temporary position, they’re going to want to see tangible results from your previous work, so don't hold back on demonstrating how you've made an impact in past roles.
✨Communicate Clearly and Concisely
They’ll be looking to see how you articulate your ideas, so practice your pitch! Make sure we can summarise complex product requirements into clear, understandable language. Being able to express yourself well is vital in product management, especially in a temporary role where quick collaboration is essential!
