Digital Product Owner in Southampton

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. Through our ground-breaking research, collaboration, and game-changing innovation, we work to gain a deeper understanding of our ocean, helping every living thing on our planet flourish. We are made up of a dynamic and vibrant community focused on solving challenging long-term marine science problems, underpinning international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes.

The ocean has the potential to provide the solutions to many social, economic, and environmental challenges we face worldwide. To truly harness the value of the ocean, we put ocean research, science, and discovery at the heart of our culture. Join us in shaping the future of oceanographic research and contribute your unique perspective to our organisation.

About the role: The NOC is looking for a Digital Product Owner. The project you’ll be joining is at the forefront of environmental science and innovation. In this strategic role, you will drive the vision and delivery of innovative software and infrastructure, enabling AI to democratise access to massive environmental datasets. You will lead the team in the development of tools that enable and support researchers around the world to leverage state-of-the-art artificial intelligence models to compress and process massive amounts of environmental data without the need for large computational resources.

Working alongside a team of over 30 Research Software Engineers, AI Scientists, User Research, and Product Designers, you will connect the dots between complex scientific challenges, technical execution, and usability. Using design thinking and agile methodologies, you’ll shape backlogs, manage stakeholder expectations, and deliver measurable results for projects across the team.

About you: We’re looking for someone who is proactive and thrives on turning ambiguous scientific challenges into clear and actionable product strategies. Open-minded and curious by nature, you have a genuine interest and desire to understand both the technical requirements and the diverse needs of the global oceanographic community. You’re a natural problem solver and approach collaboration with empathy and agility, working with others (researchers, engineers, and stakeholders) to build new digital technologies.

Our values at NOC are driven by a purpose greater than profit, although commercial viability and efficiency are always incredibly important too. Your values should align with ours: to democratise access to critical environmental data and to ensure ocean science flourishes for the benefit of every living thing on the planet. If you are ready to champion a user-centric culture and lead with integrity in a role that bridges cutting-edge technology with global sustainability, we want to hear from you.

Why NOC?

• Work flexibility (we usually work 3 days in the office, but we’re flexible)
• 30 days contractual annual leave, plus 3.5 extra closure days and bank holidays
• A 10% employer contribution pension scheme
• Financial support for relocation
• A salary sacrifice scheme for electric/hybrid vehicles
• Cycle2Work scheme allowing employees to acquire bikes and accessories
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and confidential support on mental, physical, emotional, health, and financial issues
• Access to a flexible benefits portal offering online discounts, cashback, and eGift cards
• A great working environment with a number of social events, including summer and Christmas celebrations
• Death in Service (3 times annual salary) provided by Aviva from day one of employment
• We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer

Location: This position can be based in Southampton or Liverpool. Our Southampton site is well connected by public transport and has ample cycle parking in addition to free onsite car-parking with over 40 EV charging points. The Liverpool centre is part of the University campus and is only a short walk from the city centre and Lime Street station. We have a hybrid working approach where for most positions staff can work from home up to 2 days per week.

If you are interested in this position but require a more flexible working arrangement, please contact the recruitment team using the contact details below. We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position, as we strive to create a supportive and equitable environment where all voices are valued and heard.

Those seeking employment at NOC are considered solely on their qualifications, skills, and experience, without regard to gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, family status (including pregnancy/maternity leave), or any other protected characteristic. There is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the position and declare a disability.