Principal Product Manager (Public Sector)

Kainos; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kainos seeks a Principal Product Manager for the Public Sector in High Wycombe to lead engagements from concept through delivery. You will shape product strategies, drive agile transformation, and coach senior staff while managing performance in a fast-changing environment.

The role requires extensive experience across sectors, strong stakeholder communication, and the ability to translate business needs into actionable product requirements.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of Product Management with strong UX, Agile and programme assurance.
• Experience across multiple major verticals including Public Sector.
• Experience with multiple business application environments (CRM, eCommerce, etc.).
• Strong C-level stakeholder communication and client coaching.
• Broad business and technology understanding with industry trend awareness.
• Proven delivery experience in an Agile team.
• Experience in line management or coaching.
• Expert facilitator able to drive outcomes with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to plan and lead engagements from initiation to completion.
• Excellent commercial awareness and understanding of project dynamics.
• Adaptable to new disciplines and fast-changing environments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead and assure significant engagements from concept through delivery.
• Shape product strategies and business cases for major initiatives.
• Coach and develop senior staff; manage performance.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at various levels to align objectives.
• Drive agile transformation and product delivery in a user-centered context.

Skills

Product Management

User Experience

Agile

Programme Assurance

Public Sector domain

Stakeholder communication

Coaching & team development

Line management

Facilitation

Requirements translation

Delivery: Waterfall/Agile

Business & tech awareness

Job description

Principal Product Manager (Public Sector)

2026-09-16T00:00:00

High Wycombe

Buckinghamshire

GB

HP11 2

Any

2026-10-22T14:03:31.213

Job Description

As a Product Consultant (Principal) at Kainos, you will be responsible for leading and assuring significant engagements from concept through to delivery. An experienced analyst with an ability to shape product strategies and business cases, the successful candidate will have significant experience of Agile transformation and programme delivery in a user-centred product context. You'll also manage, coach and develop a small number of senior staff, with a focus on managing employee performance.

Minimum (Essential) Requirements

• Extensive vertical knowledge of Product Management, coupled with strong knowledge of User Experience, Agile and Programme Assurance disciplines.
• In depth experience of at least two major business verticals (e.g. Telco, Financial Services, Retail) including Public Sector
• Experience of at least two business application environments (e.g. CRM, eCommerce etc.)
• Experience of strong C-Level stakeholder communication and relationship building, including coaching and mentoring of clients to raise awareness of product management.
• Broad business and technology understanding and a good awareness of industry trends.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering as part of an agile team.
• Experience of line management or coaching
• Expert facilitator: able to drive focused outcomes from large gatherings of diverse stakeholders and interest groups.
• Able to plan and lead consulting engagements from initiation through to completion.
• Excellent commercial awareness and sound understanding of business and project dynamics.
• Demonstrated adaptability to embrace and lead in new disciplines.
• Excellent communicator: able to explain, persuade and justify decisions.
• Highly effective at translating business requirements into cost-effective functional requirements
• Good commercial awareness, always delivering within project constraints
• A strong understanding of Agile and Waterfall Project Management delivery methodologies
• Able to work flexibly and to tight deadlines within uncertain and fast-changing environments.
• We all work in teams here in Kainos - a proven ability of strong team management skills, including effectively managing a multi-disciplinary team is crucial
• We are passionate about developing people - a demonstrated ability in managing, mentoring and coaching members of your team and wider community is important
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with a variety of stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a digital start up.
• Experience of working as a product manager and delivering high quality digital products.
• Experience of working in a full-service digital agency environment.
• Experience leading Digital Transformation initiatives.
• Project management experience across a range of methodologies and frameworks (e.g. waterfall, scrum, Kanban, PRINCE2, MSP etc.)
• Certified Scrum Product Owner
• Active participant in communities of interest (e.g. online groups, speaking at conferences etc.)