Associate Product Owner

TN United Kingdom; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in transport and mobility innovation is looking for an Associate Product Owner. This role involves collaborating on product strategies, maintaining a product backlog, and engaging with users for feedback. The successful candidate will have a background in software product management and Agile methodologies, with opportunities for flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days of annual leave

Matched pension scheme

Life assurance & income protection

Healthcare cashback scheme

Professional development support

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or similar role.
• Ability to understand and represent user needs supported by research.
• Experience with Agile software development methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Senior Product Owner to refine product strategies.
• Define, prioritise, and maintain a clear product backlog.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and support delivery.

Skills

Communication

Analytical mindset

Organizational skills

Education

Degree in IT, Business Management, or related field

Formal certification in Agile Product Ownership or Product Management

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

Confluence

Job description

Job Title: Associate Product Owner

TRL Software, part of TRL—a global leader in transport and mobility innovation—designs and delivers cutting-edge software solutions to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability across transport networks worldwide.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and detail-oriented individual to join our team as an Associate Product Owner. This role offers an excellent opportunity for someone interested in software product management, eager to learn, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact in a dynamic, agile environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Collaborate with the Senior Product Owner to refine product strategies and roadmap initiatives.
2. Define, prioritise, and maintain a clear and actionable product backlog.
3. Write detailed user stories and acceptance criteria to translate customer needs into development-ready features.
4. Participate in Agile ceremonies such as stand-ups, sprint planning, demos, and retrospectives.
5. Support delivery by ensuring the team has a well-groomed backlog and proactively remove blockers.
6. Contribute to market and user research, bringing insights into product planning and decisions.
7. Assist in creating product-related content (user group material, blog posts, website content).
8. Engage with users to gather feedback and validate product improvements.

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or similar role within a commercial software product company, delivering solutions to external customers or clients.
• Degree in IT, Business Management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Formal certification in Agile Product Ownership or Product Management (e.g., CSPO, SAFe POPM, or equivalent).
• Working knowledge of Agile software development and methodologies.
• Ability to understand and represent user needs, supported by research and data.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Analytical mindset with a willingness to learn technical concepts.

Desirable Experience

• Exposure to highways, transport, or infrastructure domains (rail, utilities, energy).
• Experience with tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, Confluence, or similar.
• Familiarity with UX principles and data analysis.

Why Join TRL?

The successful candidate can be based anywhere in the UK, with some travel expected. We support flexible working arrangements, including full-time, part-time, hybrid, and job-sharing options. Our benefits include:

• Competitive salary
• 25 days of annual leave
• Matched pension scheme
• Life assurance & income protection
• Healthcare cashback scheme
• Professional development support

Join our mission-driven team delivering real-world innovation in mobility and transport.