Proposition Development Lead

St. James's Place; Cirencester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private Medical Insurance

Generous Pension Scheme

Enhanced Parental Leave

Protection Benefits

EV salary sacrifice

Job summary

St. James's Place is seeking a commercially minded Group Products professional to lead the evolution of the manufactured product range.

You will drive idea generation, influence strategic investment, and mobilise cross-functional teams around opportunities aligned with client needs and Group strategy. You will act as a senior SME for proposition strategy, shaping the agenda and prioritising initiatives while collaborating with Partnership and other leaders to deliver commercial and client

Qualifications

• Experience in Proposition Development, Product Development, Product Strategy or a similar role within Financial Services.
• Identify customer, adviser and market opportunities, translating insights into commercially viable propositions and recommendations.
• Experience developing business cases, conducting research and presenting findings to senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance customer outcomes, business objectives and regulatory considerations.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to influence decisions and build credibility across a broad range of teams.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities, with the confidence to challenge existing approaches and drive innovation.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development and shaping the forward-looking strategy and roadmap for the manufactured product proposition, ensuring alignment with Group strategy, client needs and risk appetite.
• Acting as a recognised SME for manufactured proposition strategy, providing insight and guidance to senior leaders.
• Identifying and shaping strategic product opportunities, aligning to Consumer Duty and risk appetite with evidence-based recommendations.
• Leading market insight and competitor analysis to translate intelligence into strategic recommendations.
• Engaging with the Partnership to inform and shape product development and secure alignment on opportunities.
• Developing robust business cases for product development and launches, ensuring alignment to strategic objectives and client outcomes.
• Collaborating with related leads to route opportunities that are not suitable for manufactured solutions.
• Setting agendas and chairing quarterly strategy forums to drive alignment and delivery of actions.
• Acting as a senior spokesperson for Group Products and enhancing engagement across business areas.

Skills

Proposition Development

Product Development

Product Strategy

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Thinking

Job description

Are you ready to chart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success. This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance

Location: Cirencester Office

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: Permanent

Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

About the role

The role of Group Products (“the Division”) is to develop and oversee the suite of products and services available to clients of St. James's Place, ensuring they are fairly priced, aligned to regulatory expectations, support business growth and deliver good client outcomes

The main purpose of the role is to lead idea generation for the evolution of the manufactured product range, driving innovation and prioritisation of opportunities aligned to client needs and Group strategy. Acting as a recognised Subject Matter Expert in proposition strategy and product innovation, the role develops the forward-looking proposition agenda, influences strategic investment and prioritisation decisions, and mobilises cross‑functional stakeholders around agreed opportunities.

What you'll be doing

• Leading the development and shape the forward-looking strategy and roadmap for the manufactured product proposition, ensuring alignment with Group strategy, client needs, Partnership priorities, Consumer Duty and risk appetite while influencing prioritisation decisions.
• Acting as a recognised business-wide SME for manufactured proposition strategy, providing authoritative insight, thought leadership and advice to senior leaders and strategic forums.
• Identifying, assessing and shaping material strategic product opportunities arising from other business areas and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment to Group strategy, Consumer Duty and risk appetite, and providing evidence-based recommendations to support strategic decision‑making.
• Leading market insight and competitor analysis, developing a forward‑looking view of trends, client needs and innovation opportunities, and translating complex market and client intelligence into strategic recommendations.
• Engaging with the Partnership, leading structured consultation activity to inform and shape manufactured product development, balancing competing stakeholder priorities and securing alignment on future proposition opportunities.
• Developing and articulating robust business cases for manufactured product development and launch, ensuring clear alignment to strategic objectives, client outcomes and commercial viability, exercising independent judgement where there are multiple potential solutions or competing priorities.
• Collaborating with the Panel Development Lead to route opportunities which are not suitable for manufactured solutions but represent advice‑led needs.
• Setting the agenda for and chair quarterly Group Products strategy forums, driving alignment on priorities, risks, and opportunities, facilitating constructive challenge, and ensuring clear ownership and delivery of actions arising.
• Acting as a senior spokesperson for Group Products, championing product strategy and enhancing understanding and engagement across the business, building influence across multiple business areas and stakeholder groups

About you

We're looking for a commercially minded proposition or product professional who enjoys turning ideas into opportunities. You'll be naturally curious, able to assess market trends and customer needs, and confident developing business cases that influence decision making. You'll thrive in a collaborative environment, building strong relationships across the business whilst helping shape the future direction of SJP's product and proposition offering.

Essential Criteria

• Experience in Proposition Development, Product Development, Product Strategy or a similar role within Financial Services.
• Ability to identify customer, adviser and market opportunities, translating insights into commercially viable propositions and recommendations.
• Experience developing business cases, conducting research and presenting findings to senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance customer outcomes, business objectives and regulatory considerations.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to influence decisions and build credibility across a broad range of teams.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities, with the confidence to challenge existing approaches and drive innovation.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within Wealth Management, Investments, Pensions or Adviser‑led businesses.
• Knowledge of proposition design, product lifecycle management or strategic planning processes.
• Experience working directly with financial advisers, distribution teams or client‑facing stakeholders.
• Background in consulting, business strategy or innovation‑focused role

What's in it for you?

Whatever stage of life you're in, our benefits are designed to provide the support, flexibility, and peace of mind you need to thrive both at work and beyond.

In addition to our discretionary annual bonus scheme, which reflects both individual and company performance, you'll benefit from a market‑leading benefits package tailored to support your wellbeing, financial security, and family life.

Our benefits include:

• 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Private Medical Insurance – company‑funded cover for you and your immediate family
• Generous Pension Scheme – a non‑contributory employer contribution of 10%, increasing with length of service up to 15%, plus the opportunity to increase this through salary sacrifice
• Enhanced Parental Leave – up to 26 weeks' full pay to support growing families.
• Protection Benefits – company‑funded critical illness cover, income protection, and life assurance
• EV salary sacrifice scheme through Tusker

Reasonable Adjustments

We're an equal opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage please let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]

Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career‑break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience, regardless of whether you tick every box.

As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.