At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative digital products and collaborate with R&D teams.
- Company: Join John Crane, a global leader in flow control solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, hybrid working, and a commitment to diversity.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping user-centric digital solutions.
- Qualifications: Experience in product ownership and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Digital Product Owner to join our team reporting to the Digital Segment Director. As the Digital Product Owner you will define, own, and communicate platform feature requirements, prioritize backlog items, and drive delivery in close collaboration with R&D teams. This role is accountable for translating stakeholder and end-user needs into clear user stories and acceptance criteria within an Agile framework. As the voice of the customer within the scrum team, the Product Owner ensures the Sense Platform delivers value across user workflows, supports reliability diagnostics, and aligns with platform evolution objectives. This role is based from either our headquarters within Slough or site within Manchester working Monday to Friday normal office hours (hybrid working).
John Crane is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to crafting an inclusive environment for all employees.
Duties & Responsibilities (not limited to):- Serve as the interface between business stakeholders and the Sense Platform R&D team
- Translate functional and technical requests into detailed, prioritized backlog items
- Own and maintain the Sense Platform backlog, ensuring alignment with sprint and release goals
- Define clear, testable user stories, acceptance criteria, and prioritize according to business value and technical feasibility
- Participate in sprint ceremonies: planning, reviews, retrospectives, and daily stand-ups
- Provide day-to-day guidance and clarification to R&D team members during sprints
- Ensure backlog items are “ready” for development and that deliverables meet “definition of done”
- Coordinate with UI/UX designers to ensure designs align with user expectations and technical constraints
- Validate deliverables through User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in collaboration with stakeholders
- Actively monitor platform adoption and user feedback to continuously improve backlog relevance
- Maintain a transparent and refined backlog for the Sense Platform
- Lead sprint planning and backlog grooming sessions with clear prioritization logic
- Act as the point of contact for R&D, clarifying requirements and removing blockers
- Drive user-centric development by working closely with UX/UI, QA, and stakeholders
- Ensure all work items are aligned with business goals and platform strategy
- Manage scope and readiness of deliverables for each sprint cycle
- Experience within a similar role
- Strong communications skills
With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, and Neurodiversity.
Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network.
Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future. We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.
Digital Product Owner Engineering - John Crane - Slough in Cardiff employer: Smiths Group plc.
Smiths Group plc is an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Birmingham that fosters collaboration and innovation. Employees benefit from a strong focus on professional development, with opportunities for growth within the data governance team, while enjoying a culture that values diversity and teamwork. The company's commitment to data quality and process improvement ensures that every team member's contributions are meaningful and impactful.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Digital Product Owner Engineering - John Crane - Slough in Cardiff
✨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 Smiths Group plc.!
✨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 Smiths Group plc. 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 Smiths Group plc. through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Digital Product Owner Engineering - John Crane - Slough in Cardiff
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Digital Product Owner Engineering - John Crane - Slough, 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 Digital Product Owner Engineering - John Crane - Slough position at Smiths Group plc.. 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 Smiths Group plc.
✨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.