Product Owner

Howden Group Holdings; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Howden Group Holdings as a Product Owner to drive AI strategy and governance. You'll play a crucial role in ensuring AI solutions align with business priorities, managing portfolios, and fostering innovation across teams. This role is key in maximizing the impact of AI initiatives while promoting a culture of learning and compliance within the organization.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Hybrid working options

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in AI product ownership or related role.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML tools and data governance practices.
• Experience with compliance frameworks like EU AI Act.

Responsibilities

• Oversee AI product inventory and track adoption.
• Engage with teams to refine AI use cases.
• Facilitate communication between AI and business units.

Skills

AI product ownership

change management

data analytics

stakeholder engagement

communication

Tools

AI/ML tools

cloud platforms

data governance practices

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Product Owner will play a critical role in shaping and executing the AI strategy, ensuring AI-driven initiatives align with business priorities, governance standards, and organisational objectives. This role blends AI product ownership, governance, and change management to ensure AI solutions are scalable, well-governed, and effectively adopted across the business.

They will maintain a strategic overview of AI products and support the Head of Advanced Analytics in driving AI adoption to solve key business challenges and uncover new value-generating opportunities. Additionally, they will oversee change adoption, ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks, and promote AI education and awareness across the business.

Working closely with the data scientists, developers, governance teams, business stakeholders, and external vendors, they will foster a culture of innovation and drive the efficient delivery of Proof of Concepts. By showcasing the art of the possible, they will help shape a roadmap for delivering high value usecases into production, maximising business impact.

AI Product Ownership & Portfolio Management

• Develop and maintain an AI product inventory, tracking adoption and usage.
• Support AI project prioritization based on business impact, feasibility and resource availability.
• Ensure efficient AI tool utilization, avoiding duplication and aligning with enterprise-wide tech strategy.
• Identify AI capability gaps by analysing business needs and emerging trends.
• Lead AI governance discussions, ensuring compliance with internal and regulatory standards.
• Manage the transition of M365 Copilot to the Service Desk, overseeing support and reporting.

AI Use Case Prioritization & Development

• Engage with business teams to identify and evaluate AI use cases.
• Refine AI project proposals, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Promote reusability by directing teams to existing AI capabilities.
• Define, prioritize, and oversee the delivery of POCs based on business value and tech strategy.
  

AI Reporting & Knowledge Sharing

• Consolidate AI portfolio reporting, tracking benefits, risks, and ROI.
• Develop executive-level presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Roll out and manage AI education and awareness programs, creating materials to improve AI literacy.
• Host AI knowledge-sharing sessions and showcase POCs to drive awareness and scalability.
  

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Represent the AI team in legal, risk, and compliance discussions to ensure AI regulatory compliance, aligning with frameworks like the EU AI Act.
• Work with Data Governance teams to establish policies for AI tool adoption and risk mitigation.
• Assist in developing governance frameworks for AI onboarding, monitoring, and audits.
  

Change Management & AI Adoption

• Integrate change management principles into AI projects for smooth business adoption.
• Monitor AI-driven changes, identifying risks, blockers, and areas for improvement.
• Facilitate communication between AI and business teams, ensuring alignment and engagement.
• Support training and communication efforts to enhance AI awareness and effective usage.

Strategic & Operational Support
•

• Assist in defining the AI strategy, identifying key governance frameworks, and assessing internal capabilities.
• Manage vendor relationships and external AI consultant engagements.
• Oversee the "Hub & Spoke" model, ensuring effective AI support for multiple business units.
• Run workshops with technology and business stakeholders, supporting AI solution development.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure AI projects receive necessary support.
• Assist with AI budgeting and financial planning, contributing to Group Data portfolio management.
• Explore AI partnerships with industry groups, academia, and technology vendors.
  

Skills / Experience Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in AI product ownership, change management, data analytics, or a related role.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML tools, cloud platforms, and data governance practices.
• Experience with AI / Data governance and compliance frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act).
• Proven ability to engage with business leaders, developers, and governance teams.
• Expertise in Agile methodologies, backlog prioritization, and roadmap development.
• Ability to create executive-level reports and presentations.
• Experience in financial planning and programme / portfolio budgeting.
  

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent communication and change management abilities.
• Strategic thinker with a problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to translate complex AI concepts into business-friendly insights.

Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to drive AI innovation and adoption, ensuring AI solutions are effectively integrated and deliver maximum business impact. If you are passionate about AI strategy, governance, and business transformation, we invite you to join our team and help shape the future of AI

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent