Associate Product Manager - FTC 12 Months

Northern; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free travel

Pension scheme

Enhanced family benefits

Cycle to work

Exclusive discounts

Employee assistance programme

Training and career development

Recognition through awards

Job summary

Northern is seeking an Associate Product Manager on a 12-month fixed-term contract to help improve our digital products and services for customers. You will work hybrid, collaborating with Customer Experience, IT and Commercial teams to turn customer insights into practical product requirements and improvements.

You will build backlog items, track KPIs and OKRs, and contribute to the lifecycle from discovery to delivery, while supporting budgets and supplier relationships.

Qualifications

• Experience in product management with full lifecycle understanding.
• Ability to turn customer insights into clear product requirements and user stories.
• Experience delivering backlog items and prioritising delivery.
• Ability to collaborate with Digital, IT, Operations, Marketing and CX teams.
• Experience using KPIs, OKRs, and customer feedback to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of the customer product roadmap.
• Turn customer needs and data into clear product requirements and user stories.
• Manage and prioritise elements of the product backlog.
• Collaborate with Digital, IT, Operations, Marketing and CX teams to deliver improvements.
• Monitor product performance using KPIs, OKRs and feedback.
• Support continuous improvement across the product lifecycle.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, suppliers and partners.
• Identify new ideas, technologies and opportunities to improve the customer experience.
• Support budgets, business cases and supplier relationships to deliver value.

Skills

Product management

Agile delivery

Stakeholder management

Data-driven

Customer-focused

Communication skills

Prioritisation

UX/UI basics

Digital/web/app development

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Trello

Miro

Job description

JOB ROLE: Associate Product Manager - FTC 12 Months SALARY: £43,934 ROLE TYPE: Hybrid HOURS: Monday – Friday - 37 Hours CONTRACT: 12 Month FTC
LOCATION: Manchester/Leeds/York
Make a difference to our customers At Northern, we're here to make journeys better for our customers. As an Associate Product Manager, you'll help us improve the digital products and services that our customers use every day. Working as part of our Customer Experience Product team, alongside our Customer Product Managers, you'll turn customer insight, data and feedback into practical improvements — helping us deliver simple, useful and reliable digital experiences. What you'll be doing

• Supporting the development and delivery of our customer product roadmap.
• Turning customer needs, research and data into clear product requirements and user stories.
• Managing and prioritising elements of the product backlog.
• Working with Digital, IT, Operations, Marketing and Customer Experience teams to deliver improvements.
• Monitoring product performance through measures such as KPIs, OKRs and customer feedback.
• Supporting continuous improvement throughout the product lifecycle.
• Building strong relationships with internal teams, suppliers and technology partners.
• Helping identify new ideas, technologies and opportunities to improve the customer experience.
• Supporting budgets, business cases and supplier relationships to ensure we deliver value for money.

What you'll bring We're looking for someone with experience in product management, ideally with an understanding of the full product lifecycle and Agile delivery. You'll be confident working with both technical and non-technical teams and able to turn complex information into clear, customer-focused outcomes. You'll also have:

• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• A data-driven and customer-focused approach.
• Experience using product tools such as Jira, Confluence, Trello or Miro.
• An understanding of UX/UI and digital or web/app development principles.
• Excellent organisation and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• A passion for innovation and improving customer experiences.

Experience of the rail industry is useful, but it's not essential — what matters most is your curiosity, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. What does success look like? You'll help us deliver digital products that work for our customers, are delivered on time and continue to improve. You'll keep priorities clear, work collaboratively with our teams and suppliers, and use customer feedback and data to help make better product decisions. If you're passionate about customers, digital products and making a real difference to the journeys people take every day, we'd love to hear from you. What’s in it for you? At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

• Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.
• Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.
• Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.
• Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.
• Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.
• Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.

Why Northern? We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North – connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,500 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment. Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, beginning a journey that would transform travel across the world. We’ve recently celebrated 200 years of the modern railway and, as we reflect on that legacy, our focus is now on the future as Great British Rail takes shape. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey. A place for everyone The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board. At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B – we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We’re also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview. We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and a medical assessment. No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.