Product Owner

Southern Water; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a Product Owner to lead the development and delivery of digital products that support strategic objectives, operational performance, customer experience, and digital transformation ambitions.

As a bridge between business needs and technology, you will own the product vision, roadmap, and backlog, driving innovation and continuous improvement across the organisation, while ensuring governance and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience as Product Owner/PM in a complex environment.
• Proven ability to define strategies, roadmaps and backlogs.
• Strong stakeholder management across levels.
• Experience with Agile delivery and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Translate business requirements into features and outcomes.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Passion for digital innovation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate product vision, strategy and roadmap.
• Prioritise and manage product backlog balancing customer needs and business value.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, delivery teams, suppliers and users to translate priorities into outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products via agile methods.
• Drive digital transformation through technology, automation and data-driven solutions.
• Monitor product performance, feedback and business outcomes for continuous improvement.
• Champion user adoption and change management for new capabilities.
• Ensure governance, compliance, security and regulatory requirements throughout the lifecycle.

Skills

Product Owner

Product Strategy

Stakeholder Management

Agile Delivery

Data-driven decisions

Requirement translation

Communication

Digital transformation

Job description

Closing Date

2026-11-02

Job Title: Product Owner

Location: Hybrid working - Durrington

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday

Salary: Commensurate to experience

About the role

We are looking for a Product Owner to lead the development and delivery of digital products that support Southern Water's strategic objectives, operational performance, customer experience, and digital transformation ambitions.

Acting as the bridge between business needs and technology solutions, you will work closely with stakeholders, technical teams, suppliers, and end users to ensure our products deliver measurable value and evolve in line with changing business priorities. You'll own the product vision, roadmap, and backlog, driving innovation, digitisation, and continuous improvement across the organisation.

What you will be responsible for

• Defining and communicating the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with Southern Water's business objectives.
• Managing and prioritising the product backlog, balancing customer needs, operational requirements, regulatory obligations, and business value.
• Collaborating with stakeholders, delivery teams, suppliers, and users to translate business priorities into actionable product outcomes.
• Leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products through agile ways of working.
• Driving digital transformation through the adoption of innovative technologies, automation, and data-driven solutions.
• Monitoring product performance, user feedback, and business outcomes to continuously improve products and maximise value.
• Championing user adoption, engagement, and change management activities to ensure successful implementation of new capabilities.
• Ensuring products meet governance, compliance, security, and regulatory requirements throughout the product lifecycle.

What you'll bring to the role

Essential

• Experience working as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or in a similar product leadership role.
• Proven ability to define and deliver product strategies, roadmaps, and backlogs within a complex business environment.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and build relationships across multiple levels of an organisation.
• Experience working within Agile delivery frameworks and leading cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Experience translating business requirements into product features and deliverable outcomes.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly.
• Passion for digital innovation, continuous improvement, and delivering exceptional customer and business outcomes.

Desirable

• Experience within utilities, water, infrastructure, engineering, or other highly regulated industries.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Agile Product Owner, or similar.
• Knowledge of customer experience, digital transformation, automation, and data management principles.
• Experience working with third-party suppliers and technology partners.
• Understanding of regulatory, compliance, and governance requirements within a regulated environment.

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.

Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water and we need passionate people to help us achieve it.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information

In line with Southern Water's security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.