Product Specialist

Kia UK; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive company in the UK is seeking a Product Specialist to manage automotive models from concept to launch. The role demands strong analytical and communication skills to enhance product competitiveness. The successful candidate will possess at least 2 years of experience in the automotive sector, a driving licence, and a knack for marketing. The position offers great benefits including an employee car scheme, private medical care, and wellness initiatives, based in Walton-on-Thames, with easy access to public transport.

Benefits

Employee Car Scheme (from £90/month)

Free onsite lunch

Private Medical Care

Annual Health Checks

Enhanced Maternity Leave

Yoga and sports clubs onsite

Charity involvement opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years work experience essential.
• Interest in marketing as a business function.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines or enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage applicable models throughout their lifecycle stages.
• Maximise competitiveness and profitability by reviewing market conditions.
• Communicate product features and prices effectively.

Skills

Strong computer literacy; SAP, JATO and MVRIS experience beneficial

Strong analytical skills

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

Full valid UK driving licence

Job description

Welcome to Kia UK!

About Us

Kia UK is a leading automotive brand offering one of the industry’s largest range of models across multiple vehicle segments, contributing to it being the fourth most popular UK car brand in 2025. With more than 190 Kia dealerships across the country, Kia is now widely known for its advanced electrified products offering the technology of tomorrow, today.

Kia UK has consistently grew for over 30 years, supported by bold design, quality products and ever-evolving customer service. By 2027, the brand aims to offer no less than nine fully electric vehicles in the UK, a positive step towards becoming a leading global sustainable mobility solutions provider.

People are central to Kia UK and every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to grow personally and professionally. This was recognised with Kia UK named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2025 by Great Place To Work®, and also ranked in the 2025 Best Workplaces™ for Women. Kia employees reported positively on areas such as working atmosphere, trust in management, corporate strategy, pride in working for the company, benefits, facilities and much more!

The Role

Summary

As a Product Specialist at Kia, you will be the expert and go-to person for a portfolio of automotive models, involved in every stage from initial concept through to launch and lifecycle management. This dynamic role requires a deep understanding of Kia products, market segments, and competitors, as well as strong analytical, organisational, and communication skills. You will present to diverse audiences, create and maintain product materials, and collaborate closely with internal teams and external partners to maximise competitiveness and profitability.

Main Responsibilities

• To manage applicable models throughout their lifecycle stages, including initial UK specification, pricing and planning, with a significant focus on launch planning
• To maximise the competitiveness and profitability of each model by the continuous review of market conditions
• To ensure the effective and accurate communication of applicable products’ features and prices
• Be the Kia expert for your range of models
• Develop proposals for the specification and grade strategy of applicable models
• Identification of market opportunities, and development of Special Action Models to take advantage of these at the appropriate point in a model’s lifecycle
• Responsible for working as the product expert in presentations and PR events as necessary
• Responsible for the detailed pricing of applicable models and features in close collaboration with Kia Europe (KEU) and Kia UK’s (KUK) Finance department
• The company expert on this sector of the market in terms of competitor product and marketing actions
• Responsible for communicating product and pricing information internally and externally (Kia dealer network and market makers)
• Responsible for maintaining all products on internal data systems i.e. KDCS and SAP
• Responsible for maintaining the accuracy of model‑specific finance costing
• Reporting to Kia Corporation / KEU as appropriate on KUK’s product and pricing offering
• Working with KUK’s Fleet team to maximise product competitiveness in the sectors
• Supporting the wider KUK Marketing team to ensure Product accuracy of KUK marketing assets
• Liaison with the Dealer Support Team to ensure the relevant information/vehicles are ‘live’ on the Kia Portal system at the appropriate times
• Responsible for maintaining and strengthening cross‑company communication channels in respect of product issues and news
• Responsible for liaising with After Sales team to integrate accessories into the product offer to maximise competitiveness and profit margin

Skills

• Strong computer literacy; SAP, JATO and MVRIS experience beneficial
• Strong analytical skills and organisational skills
• Conscientious and strong attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Good presentation skills
• Minimum 2 years work experience essential
• Interest in marketing as a business function
• Ability to work to tight deadlines or enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment
• Full valid UK driving licence

Experience

• Experience in automotive sector is required

We recognise that there may be a number of ways to meet our requirements. We are looking for the best candidate for the job and encourage you to apply even if your experience or qualifications don’t exactly match what we’ve outlined in the role description. If you think you could be a good fit for this role, we’d love to hear from you!

The Benefits

🚗 Employee Car Scheme (car lease + insurance all included from £90/month)

🍳 Onsite Chef at head office > free lunch

🩺 Private Medical Care (Vitality)

💗 Annual Health Checks and free flu jabs

🦷 Private Dental Care (Denplan, £0 excess)

😮 Pension with enhanced employer contribution

💸 Income Protection & life Assurance

🤒 Critical Illness Protection

🏖 24 days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

🚴 Wellness benefits including cycle to work scheme, free eye tests, EAP, Mental Health First Aiders and more

💰 Financial hub providing free financial guidance and support

🌍 Work from anywhere for one week a year

🤰 Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave (up to 6 months full pay)

👶Enhanced Paternity Leave (up to 4 weeks full pay)

🤸 Free weekly yoga, football, and badminton clubs whilst onsite at UK head quarters

🎱 Pool tables, dart board, and massage chairs whilst onsite at UK head quarters

😇 Opportunity to get involved & give back via our charity partners

🥳 Birthday Vouchers

🎉 Celebrations such as our Spring Ball, Christmas events, Social Club and much more!

Location/Travel

The Kia UK Head Office is based in Walton-on-Thames, just a 5 minute walk from the station. We also have plenty of on‑site parking for drivers, including EV charging ports.

There is step‑free access throughout the building, but please let us know if you require any additional accessibility support and we will cater to your needs as best we can.

Interview Process

Step 1: CV review

Step 2: Teams Interview

Step 3: Face to Face Interview & Presentation at Head Office

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We understand that every candidate is unique, and we welcome the opportunity to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that all individuals can fully participate in our interview process. If you require any adjustments or support to facilitate your interview, please let us know. We are happy to discuss your needs and make arrangements that support your participation to best showcase your skills and qualifications.

At Kia, we are committed to employing the best‑qualified people and provide equal opportunity for the advancement of employees including promotion and training and thereby not discriminating against any person because of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief or disability.