Lead Product Owner in England

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) works to create a more sustainable world by harnessing social and market forces to protect nature and improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities. We collaborate with diverse partners around the world to drive positive change across global supply chains and in some of the world’s most critical natural landscapes. With more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, RA is focused on reaching the 100‑million‑farmer tipping point at the core of our 2030 strategy. Achieving this ambition depends on reliable, scalable digital capabilities.

The Product Development department is responsible for developing and maintaining the digital solutions that support RA’s products and programs, operating across a complex ecosystem of internally built platforms and integrated third‑party systems. Product Owners (POs) at RA work across a range of delivery contexts. A single PO may support internal engineering teams using agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban, while also coordinating delivery with external technology vendors that follow more hybrid or waterfall approaches. Because of this, the PO role spans a wide range of responsibilities, from driving internal development and managing backlogs to coordinating vendor work, integrations, and delivery timelines. As the Lead Product Owner, you guide and support this team as they operate in these varied environments. You ensure high‑quality product delivery, strengthen product ownership practices, and help the team navigate both agile development and vendor‑driven implementations. This role reports to the Director of Product Development.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

• Lead and mentor an initial team of four Product Owners, with potential to grow further.
• Provide clear guidance, regular feedback, and support for individual skill development.
• Participate in hiring and building a strong, balanced PO team.
• Delivery

• Ensure successful delivery of technology solutions built internally or delivered through external vendors.
• Support POs in managing backlogs, defining requirements, or helping draft Statements of Work depending on the delivery model.
• Help the team adapt to agile, hybrid, or more traditional project approaches.
• Take on hands‑on Product Owner responsibilities yourself when needed, for either internal engineering teams or vendor‑managed solutions, depending on organizational priorities and hiring timelines.

• Work closely with Business Analysts, Product Development Managers, UI/UX designers, engineering teams, and vendor partners.
• Ensure smooth end‑to‑end processes and consistent user experiences across systems.
• Promote best practices in product ownership, agile ways of working, and vendor coordination.
• Encourage learning and adoption of new tools and emerging technologies.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and proactive problem solving.

• Help define and improve production support processes.
• Ensure clarity of ownership, smooth handover from development, and effective issue resolution.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Minimum of two years of experience as a line manager with direct people‑management responsibilities.
• Experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Analyst, or in a similar role within a complex, multi‑system environment.
• Ability to work effectively across agile development teams and vendor‑led delivery contexts.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Understanding of user‑centered design or UX practices.
• Proficiency with tools such as Jira, Confluence, or equivalent workflow‑management platforms.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working with third‑party software vendors or managing vendor contracts.
• Understanding of data engineering concepts and familiarity with geospatial data or GIS fundamentals.
• Familiarity with data‑driven decision‑making or analytics tools.
• Experience working in an international or mission‑driven organization.

BENEFITS OF WORKING AT THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE

• Be a part of a global organization with a strong mission and a collaborative, respectful, and accountable culture.
• Enjoy opportunities for professional growth and career development.
• Benefit from remote working flexibility and flexible hybrid working environment.
• Receive a competitive salary package.
• A favourable time‑off policy, including annual leave and Resilience Days, to help you recharge and balance life outside of work.
• Prioritize your wellbeing. We have numerous ways to promote work‑life balance, so you get the chance to take some time off, recharge, and remain at your best. This includes: Resilience and personal leave days, Employee assistance programs, Sabbatical opportunities.

Apply now and let’s grow together. We look forward to hearing from you and exploring how your skills can help us advance our mission.

Notes: Only candidates legally authorized to work in the Netherlands, UK or Kenya will be considered. If you have any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department. The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.