Product Owner - AiBC

British Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

British Council is seeking a Product Owner to manage global English systems and drive end-to-end product lifecycle improvements. You will keep stakeholders informed, promote uptake, and ensure customer-driven decisions across the delivery lifecycle.

The role involves cross-functional collaboration, backlog ownership, and coordinating with content, technical, and marketing teams to deliver high-quality platforms. Hybrid work model with UK or Poland residency requirements are noted.

Qualifications

• Track record of creating, launching and scaling digital product development programmes for B2C and B2B markets.
• Demonstrable experience of managing products through agile processes, and writing / working with user stories.
• Experience working in a global, multi-country context with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Product/service development & delivery across global platforms.
• Procurement / development, configuration, QA, and ongoing maintenance of systems.
• Manage backlog, prioritise in line with business objectives and ensure visibility.

Skills

Agile project management

User stories

Stakeholder management

Education

First degree or equivalent qualification/ experience

Job description

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Location: UK or Poland (residents only – relocation and sponsorship not provided)

Role purpose

Product Owner will manage global English system(s) and capabilities from an end-to-end life-cycle perspective and support the continuous improvement of such digital assets. They will keep people informed about the development of the product and promote its uptake, represent users throughout the delivery process and use their feedback to inform continuous improvement, ensuring the primacy of the customer in all decision making.

Role context

E&E is a commercially run business with an income of over £700 million per annum generating financial surpluses that are critical to the overall financial sustainability of the British Council.

Our work in English teaching generates annual revenues of nearly £200m annually, with activities spanning a global network of 80 English teaching centres in 50 countries, teaching 400,000 students each year, as well as an emerging portfolio of on-line products and services already reaching over 120 million English learners and teachers annually.

Our work in examinations generates annual revenues of nearly £500m and spans English proficiency testing, including the world’s leading English test IELTS (run in partnership with Cambridge Assessment English and IDP) which is now taken by 3 million candidates worldwide each year, as well as the British Council’s own Aptis test, and a wide range of UK school, professional and other qualifications.

Main accountabilities

• Product/service development & delivery
• Manages the procurement / development, configuration, quality assurance and on-going maintenance and support of new and legacy systems / platforms
• Works to reduce any duplication or replication of capabilities across the product portfolio to ensure the most effective use of British Council funds
• Owns the Product Backlog and ensures this is prioritised in line with business objectives. Ensures that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood
• Supports the roll‑out of new products at a global / regional / country level, provides advice and support on necessary modifications if required
• Takes overall responsibility for quality assurance of the content delivered through the systems in consultation with the content development teams, other technical teams and marketing and business development professionals and other stakeholders.
• Ensures platform content adheres to brand guidelines and the interface is user friendly and designed to meet the requirements of the British Council
• Maintains platform availability and functionality to comply with the limits set out in the service level agreement with external clients
• Consultancy, analysis & problem‑solving
• Applies advanced knowledge and technical expertise to solve a range of complex business issues stemming from technical platforms, using specialist knowledge and techniques
• Contributes to the design and development of technical projects to support platform development
• Provides specialist technical support and advice to stakeholders
• Relationship & stakeholder management
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders to ensure effective, integrated and joined‑up delivery of project and platform related goals in a complex matrix environment.
• Provide appropriate data to internal teams such as Proposition, Marketing, or Customer Management
• Develops business relationships with a range of external consultants, technical innovators and suppliers for the procurement of new solutions and the implementation of new technologies as appropriate.
• Advises business development managers on technical solutions, ensuring that proposals meet the needs of the business. Provides input into business cases on the suitability and cost of proposed solutions.
• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside the BC to enhance own knowledge and expertise
• Financial management
• Uses agreed corporate systems and processes, to actively contribute to the planning and management of the core budget for the platform (s) and for any special initiatives or change projects for which they are responsible
• Contributes to the monthly and year‑end reporting on income, expenditure and risk, and actively applies learning from this process to improve financial planning, management and performance within online learning
• Leadership & management
• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and deliverables over a quarterly to annual time horizon
• Line management responsibility as appropriate
• Determines work plans and coordinates input from others to meet specific objectives on time and within budget
• As an experienced professional, contributes ideas to support the development of discipline‑wide and customer / platform specific business plans and priorities

Language Requirements

Written and verbal fluency in English.

Certification and Professional Qualifications

• Agile project management qualification preferred
• ITIL Certification Desirable

Education

First degree or equivalent qualification/ experience

Role specific knowledge and experience

• Minimum / essential requirements
• Track record of successfully creating, launching and scaling digital product development programmes for B2C and B2B markets
• Demonstrable experience of managing products through agile processes, and writing / working with user stories
• Full time residency in the UK or Poland with unlimited right to work.
• Desirable
• Experience of achieving business results through a globally dispersed team in a matrix environment

British Council values and behaviours

British council values and behaviours are applicable across our organisation, in all roles and at all levels. They are important because they say what we stand for at the British Council and help us to deliver our strategy. We use them to guide our decision making, as well as guiding how we treat one another and the people we work with. These will be assessed in the selection process. Our values are: Open and Committed; Expert and Inclusive; Optimistic and Bold.

Unit: English & Exams / Product / Delivery and Governance

Work style: hybrid

Pay band: 8

UK annual salary: £38,000 - £46,000

Poland monthly salary (PLN) 16,300 - 21,700

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [e-mail]