At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead product development, bridging tech and business for innovative commodity trading solutions.
- Company: Join Sparta, a next-gen trading platform with a dynamic and supportive culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and opportunities for rapid career growth.
- Other info: Work in a collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the fast-paced world of commodity trading while growing your skills.
- Qualifications: 4-6 years as a TPM, strong project management, and technical proficiency required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Sparta is the next-generation commodity trading platform. We give trading desks the clarity, control, and collaboration they need to move faster and trade smarter. In February 2025, we secured $42 million in Series B funding. Now we’re scaling up across the business, and it’s an exciting time to join.
Our people are the driving force behind everything we do. At Sparta, you’ll be trusted to take ownership, backed by a team who wants you to succeed. You’ll be challenged, supported, and given room to grow. Because building something this ambitious takes everyone at their best.
At Sparta, your work has reach. From improving our platform, to powering smarter decisions for our customers, to changing how commodity trading is done around the world. And because we’re growing fast, you won’t just build your career. You’ll accelerate it, with a level of ownership and impact you simply don’t get at bigger, more bureaucratic companies.
A Technical Product Manager (TPM) bridges the gap between technology and business, playing a critical role in guiding the development of products that align with both customer needs and company goals. They combine technical expertise with strategic thinking to translate business requirements into actionable product features, engage with team leadership on prioritising features based on value, and ensure seamless communication between engineering, design, and business teams.
The TPM understands the technical details and ramifications of product decisions and collaborates closely with developers to solve complex challenges, make informed trade-offs, and deliver high-quality, scalable solutions. Their role is essential because they help balance product features against technical complexity, optimise resources, reduce development risks, and ensure that products not only meet market demands but are also technically feasible and aligned with the company’s vision and objectives.
The Technical Product Manager (TPM) role at Sparta encompasses product strategy and execution, design and architecture. You partner with product experts, commodity owners, product designers and software developers to make sure we’re shipping high quality products on time. You define and track product delivery milestones, identify risks and blockers, remove roadblocks and anticipate customer needs.
You will work on multiple Sparta products across energy commodity verticals. This position requires a combination of project management, technical proficiency in data software systems and exceptional execution skills, to successfully drive product projects. You are a team player, a person who loves enabling a team, fixing problems, scaling technical solutions, and always embraces the best idea, even when it is not your own.
This role can be based out of London, Madrid or Barcelona, working on a hybrid basis- ideally 2-3 days a week in the office with the team.
Core Responsibilities
- Defining project scopes, objectives, and deliverables.
- Identifying and resolving dependencies and roadblocks.
- Partner with Sparta’s commodity owners, software engineers and other stakeholders to drive key product deliverables through the entire software development cycle, from ideation, discovery and validation through implementation, release, and support of your products.
- Synthesize concrete technical goals from product vision, mapping global product strategy to granular team tasks and issues.
- Keep broad and complete state of everything involving or related to team's projects. Identify and resolve issues that may steer projects off-course.
- Enhance cross-team collaboration. Align domain experts and technical experts around shared objectives. Improve efficiency where you see miscommunication or lack of coordination.
- Coordinating with teams to plan and prioritise tasks to deliver biggest business impact.
What We're Looking For:
- 4-6 years of experience as a TPM working with multiple engineering teams on multiple products simultaneously, preferably in a fast-paced or dynamic environment.
- Demonstrated success managing complex data and AI centric software development projects for an enterprise software company or startup.
- An ability to engage in technical discussion and invest in learning technical concepts.
- Being outcome orientated with a getting things done attitude.
- Demonstrated ability to influence and coordinate between individuals who do not report directly to you.
- Ability to switch thinking hats, while primarily wearing the Green focusing on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas.
- A lightweight approach to project management centered around rapid iteration.
- Building strong relationships with customer-facing teams and possessing high levels of empathy for our end-users’ needs.
- Meticulous attention to detail, including holding tightly to your team’s vision and maintaining a high product quality bar.
- Experience and confidence using AI frameworks to automate work and generate efficiencies.
- Past experience working in a commodity trading environment is a plus but not required.
Sparta Commodities is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and promotes diversity within its workforce. We are determined that no-one will ever receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, race, veteran status or any basis covered by appropriate law.
Technical Product Manager employer: Sparta
At Sparta, we pride ourselves on being a dynamic and innovative employer that empowers our team members to take ownership of their work while fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As the Head of Research, you will not only have the opportunity to shape the future of commodity trading but also benefit from accelerated career growth in a fast-paced, VC-backed setting. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that every voice is valued, making Sparta an exceptional place to build a meaningful and rewarding career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Product Manager
✨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 Sparta!
✨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 Sparta 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 Sparta through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Product Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Technical Product Manager, 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 Technical Product Manager position at Sparta. 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 Sparta
✨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.
