Head Of Product Management

Job content

About UCAS

UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to higher education.

UCAS is the world’s leading shared admissions service for higher education. We provide application services for UK universities and colleges as well as delivering a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers.

We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We’re committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers — they’re at the heart of everything we do.

Business Unit description

Digital and Data

The Digital and Data business unit defines and delivers the digital products and services used by students, providers, advisers, and commercial partners, as well as the underlying technology platforms that enable these products to be developed in a responsive and agile way.

Through the development and support of our underpinning data platform the business unit ensures that our data is curated and made available for use both by our analytical reporting and our data products and insights teams.

Working in multi-disciplinary teams comprising customer insight, product managers, architects, developers, testers and data scientists, the Digital and Data business unit ensures that UCAS is a customer centric, product-focused digital business, connecting students with their next opportunity.

About the role

The Head of Product Management leads the shaping of the future product strategy and market analysis/positioning of UCAS’ products and services.

As part of the Senior Leadership team, they will be responsible for strengthening and developing product lifecycle management and will lead a team of product managers, customer and user experience specialists to be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end delivery of new and improved products for the business, strategy development, market analysis, and strategic partnerships and relationships.

Key accountabilities:

• Lead UCAS’ strategic product management function, taking responsibility for the end-to-end conception, design, development and release of a broad portfolio of products that realise value for UCAS’ customers to ensure the future success of our business.
• Development and continuous improvement of effective product lifecycle management, working with a wide range of functions and multidisciplinary teams across the business.
• Working with Executive and Board (where applicable) to guide and define the strategic direction for products, taking account of market opportunities and customer expectations and alignment to the Corporate Strategy and Operating Model.
• Overall ownership of UCAS’ portfolio of products – ensuring that products are well defined and that there is a clear understanding of how they serve our customers and deliver value for them and for UCAS.

Skills, qualifications, and experience

• A proven leader, able to demonstrate empathy where required and the ability to build collaborative, collegiate working relationships.
• Demonstrable experience of having introduced a new product management approach or changed how product management is delivered within an organization.
• A strategic thinker, with a proven track record of problem solving and analytical skills.
• A thorough understanding of strategic product lifecycle management and good practice.
• A passion for understanding customers’ needs and motivations and a proven ability to deliver high quality products that realise these.
• Demonstrable experience of taking products from idea through to development, successful market adoption, and demonstrable experience of optimising existing products to improve reach and revenue.
• Proven experience of building trust, support and buy-in to proposals across an organisation to drive forward change.
• Excellent communication skills. Ability to lead conversations and negotiations with potential customer and partners. Active listening and influencing skills required.
• Excellent judgment, well-organised and able to work flexibly, managing various complex and fast-moving activities simultaneously.
• Strong team-player, with the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and build support and buy-in across the business.
• A strong people leader, with a proven track record in motivating, nurturing and developing teams to deliver consistently high performance.

Package

Competitive salary with 30 days annual leave, voluntary flexible benefits, paid volunteering days, and a contributory stakeholder pension. It’s not just about the financial benefits that UCAS offers – on-site you can also benefit from our restaurant, affordable gym membership, flexible ways of working and continued online development and support. You will enjoy an exciting, agile working environment, with a vibrant culture and flexible approach to work, all of which reflects our teamwork and innovative spirit