Product Manager in Portsmouth

About Unilink

Unilink Software is a fast-growing, international company and the leading provider of innovative, award-winning software solutions for the criminal justice sector. Our mission is to empower governments and businesses around the world to effectively secure their operating environments, intuitively manage their data, become more efficient, and foster a culture of rehabilitation. Our purpose is to create technologies that people can rely on so that justice systems work well. We foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and excellence. We care about our staff, our customers, the environment and everything we do - principles encompassed in our social purpose statement.

We work with fantastic customers - government and private sector organisations in the UK, Europe and Australia - who use our software solutions to reduce the administrative burden on staff, improve the information flow and security as well as to implement digital solutions to assist in rehabilitation of people in their care. We are growing quickly, expect that growth to accelerate and are looking for enthusiastic, passionate and driven individuals to join our team. Our offices are located in London, Southampton and Newcastle but our staff are located throughout the UK, in Europe and Australia. We offer flexible working, a good benefits package and competitive salary.

About the role

We are a leading organisation committed to enhancing communication channels between prisoners and the outside world, focusing on phone calls, emails, and video sessions. Our mission is to bridge the gap, fostering stronger, more meaningful connections through innovative technology solutions. We're on the lookout for a passionate Product Manager (Mid-Weight) to join our dynamic team and contribute to the development and enhancement of our communication products. As a Product Manager, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the product-related activities within our communications arm. You will be instrumental in driving the product lifecycle from hypothesis testing and rapid prototyping to ensure both user satisfaction and business value.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Vision: Collaborate with the Operations Director to define the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for our communications products, ensuring alignment with the overall business goals.
• Research & Hypothesis Testing: Conduct comprehensive user research and hypothesis testing to validate product ideas, ensuring they meet user needs and business objectives.
• Prototyping: Lead the rapid prototyping efforts, working closely with product designers and the UTS development team to quickly iterate and refine product concepts based on user feedback and testing results.
• Management: Oversee the project management aspects of product development, ensuring timely delivery within budget and scope. This includes planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and risk management.
• Engagement: Act as a key liaison between the product team and other stakeholders, including marketing, sales, and customer support, to ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to product development and launch.
• Monitoring: Monitor and analyse product performance against key metrics, identifying opportunities for improvement and optimisation.

Required Skills

• 3+ years of experience in product management, with a proven track record of managing successful B2C products, preferably in the technology or communications sector.
• Design: Strong understanding of user-centred design principles and experience in hypothesis testing, user research, and rapid prototyping to validate product concepts.
• Skills: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform product decisions and strategies.
• Management: Solid project management skills, with experience in agile methodologies and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Collaboration: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams and with stakeholders at all levels.
• Understanding: Good technical understanding, with the ability to work closely with developers, QA, and product designers to bring product concepts to life.
• High level of adaptability and comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment where rapid prototyping and iterative development are the norms.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Computer Science, or a related field. A professional certification in Product Management is a plus.

Nice to have

• Deep understanding of the unique challenges and sensitivities involved in providing communication services to prisoners and their connections to the outside world.
• Passion for leveraging technology to make a positive impact on society, particularly for underserved or unique user groups.
• Working with government contracts or within regulated industries.

Reporting Line

This role will report directly to the Operations Director but will require close collaboration with the existing UTS development team, including developers, QA, and product designers.