At a Glance
- Tasks: Support product managers in creating awesome customer-facing apps and lead user research.
- Company: Join Smarkets, a leading prediction market platform with a global reach.
- Benefits: Enjoy stock options, health insurance, flexible working, and a £1,000 education budget.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with regular socials and excellent growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Kickstart your career in product management while making a real impact on innovative products.
- Qualifications: Analytical mindset, tech-savvy, and great communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Smarkets runs one of the world’s most sophisticated prediction markets, handling over £29 billion in volume since 2010 and engaging 200,000+ traders globally.
About the Product Team
The Product Team is responsible for making sure Smarkets builds products that customers love and that move the commercial needle. Smarkets operates two products—SBK, a retail sports betting app, and the Smarkets Exchange, a peer‑to‑peer trading app—across multiple jurisdictions and licences, with an expanding footprint in US prediction markets.
Role Overview
You will work hand‑in‑hand with the Product and Engineering Managers for our customer‑facing applications (SBK & Smarkets), acting as their operational backbone. This is an accelerated opportunity for systematic thinkers to master the product life cycle and grow into a full Product Manager role.
Responsibilities
- Support the Lead PM across discovery, prioritisation, and delivery.
- Own the QA and release processes across our two customer‑facing brands.
- Lead the user‑research programme to keep our roadmap laser‑focused on customer value.
- Coordinate agile rituals, manage the product backlog, maintain stakeholder alignment, and unblock execution for the Lead PM.
- Own the user research process; schedule and run interviews, craft surveys, and synthesize findings into actionable customer insights.
- Manage the end‑to‑end QA and release cycle (Smarkets and SBK), including test planning, App Store/Play Store submissions, post‑release monitoring, and bug triage.
- Translate vague problem statements into clear user stories and acceptance criteria, ensuring readiness before sprint kick‑offs.
- Analyze feature usage, sign‑up funnels, and in‑app behaviour to influence roadmap priorities.
- Conduct competitive tear‑downs of betting, fintech, and gaming apps to spot improvements.
- Draft release notes, update help‑centre articles, and brief Customer Support and Marketing teams.
Role Requirements
- Systematic Thinker: Highly process‑oriented; a background in business analysis, operations, or a similar analytical discipline is highly desirable.
- Tech‑Savvy: Instinctively explores new apps and can articulate their delights and frustrations.
- Analytical & First‑Principles Driven: Comfortable slicing data while being able to zoom out to the broader user journey.
- High EQ Communicator: Adapts communication style seamlessly for engineers, designers, traders, and executives.
- Trend Spotter: Keeps up with product, sports‑tech, and fintech news.
- Nice‑to‑have: Exposure to sports trading products, mobile gaming, brokerage, or any highly regulated consumer product.
Benefits & Perks
- Stock Options: Vest over 4 years—your success is our success.
- Pension Scheme: Competitive plan via Aviva, with up to 6 % matched contributions if you opt in.
- Health Insurance: Comprehensive coverage to keep you and your family healthy.
- Enhanced Parental Leave: Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
- Stay Fuelled: Fresh, chef‑made breakfast and lunch every day, plus fruit, snacks, tea, coffee and soft drinks.
- Cycle‑to‑Work Scheme: Support for sustainable commuting and staying active.
- Learning & Development: £1,000 annual education budget for courses, conferences, books or training.
- Holiday: 25 days paid leave plus bank holidays, with the option to carry over 5 days.
- Flexible Working: Choose 1 day from home (20 WFA days/year) or 2 days from home (5 WFA days/year) based on your needs.
- Team Energy: Regular socials, hackathons and events.
Diversity & Inclusion
We’re an equal‑opportunity employer and celebrate diversity in all its forms. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know—we’re happy to accommodate your needs.
Product Associate employer: Smarkets
Smarkets is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, offering employees the chance to thrive in a fast-paced environment while contributing to innovative products in the prediction market space. With generous benefits such as stock options, a competitive pension scheme, and a £1,000 annual education budget, Smarkets prioritises employee growth and well-being, making it an ideal place for those looking to advance their careers in product management. Located in a vibrant area, the company also promotes a healthy work-life balance with flexible working arrangements and regular team events.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Associate
✨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 Smarkets!
✨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 Smarkets 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 Smarkets through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Associate
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Associate, 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 Associate position at Smarkets. 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 Smarkets
✨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.
