Head of Product Development
Location: Cumbria (Fully Remote)
Salary: Upto £75,000
Chapman Tate Recruitment is seeking an accomplished Head of Product Development to join our client, a dynamic insurance house, for a pivotal senior leadership role. This position offers the opportunity to shape innovative and customer-focused product strategies that deliver exceptional value.
As Head of Product Development, you will take ownership of the ideation, assessment, and prioritization of the product development roadmap. You'll lead a team dedicated to leveraging data and customer insights to innovate in a highly regulated and competitive market. Your work will ensure that the insurance products distributed directly or through partnerships remain industry-leading, driving growth and success.
Key Responsibilities
Product Strategy and Vision
- Define and communicate a clear product strategy in alignment with the company’s goals and market trends, reporting progress to the board.
- Conduct market research, competitor analysis, and customer feedback analysis to identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation in the insurance sector.
Roadmap Development
- Develop a detailed product roadmap with priorities, timelines, and resource allocation. Collaborate with development and testing teams to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of projects with measurable benefits.
- Adapt the roadmap in response to changing market conditions and evolving customer and partner needs.
Product Development and Delivery
- Work with the commercial team to prioritize opportunities based on business value and customer impact, ensuring alignment with the company’s product vision.
- Identify and mitigate risks to ensure smooth and successful project delivery.
Team Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performing product development team focused on data-driven decision-making, UX principles, and continuous innovation.
- Develop, motivate, and manage employees at all levels to maximize performance.
Cross-functional Collaboration
- Partner with architecture, development, marketing, and partnerships teams to foster a culture of innovation and deliver best-in-class products.
- Facilitate communication and effective decision-making across teams.
Customer Focus
- Drive customer-centric product development by analyzing customer feedback and addressing pain points.
- Ensure alignment with Consumer Duty principles and the needs of all customers, including vulnerable customers, for positive outcomes.
Performance Tracking and Optimization
- Leverage conversion optimization tools, data insights, and split-testing methodologies to validate ideas and implement improvements.
- Champion UX principles and foster a culture of measurement and customer engagement within the team.
Role Dimensions
- Leadership of a team currently consisting of three direct reports, expanding to five in 2024.
- Products under management are projected to generate £60 million in premium/revenue for 2024.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Experience, and Qualifications
- Proven leadership experience with a track record of owning product roadmaps/backlogs.
- Extensive background in product development and customer-facing journey optimization in regulated environments.
- Experience with agile development methodologies (preferably SCRUM) and digital analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe).
- Proficient in session recording tools (e.g., Glassbox) and skilled in running split tests.