Technical Product Owner

Hastings Direct; Bexhill-on-Sea; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Bonus opportunities

Wellbeing programme

25 days holiday

Job summary

Hastings Direct is seeking a Technical Product Owner to join our CIO‑led function. This hybrid role requires you to attend our Bexhill or Leicester offices at least once a week and be within a 90‑minute commute.

You will lead the delivery of technology products, shape direction with engineers and stakeholders, prioritise outcomes and ensure solutions align with customer and business needs. You should be curious about emerging tech, automation, data and AI to drive improvements across the

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Product Owner or Technical Product Owner.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and aligning multiple functions.
• Curiosity for emerging technologies and AI/data capabilities.
• Commercial and strategic mindset balancing value, risk and delivery priorities.
• Excellent communication and decision-making in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Own and prioritise the product backlog, focusing on highest-value opportunities.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across Technology and the wider business to identify opportunities, define product strategy and align delivery with enterprise objectives.
• Lead the evaluation and delivery of innovative technology solutions, including emerging capabilities that enhance operational efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Partner with engineering, architecture, security and risk teams to deliver scalable, secure and sustainable technology products.
• Balance value, risk, cost and delivery considerations, making informed trade‑off decisions that support strategic business goals.
• Measure product success through adoption, business outcomes and realised benefits, driving continuous improvement and future innovation opportunities.

Skills

Product Ownership

Stakeholder mgmt

Cross-functional teams

Emerging tech curiosity

Commercial strategy

Job description

Technical Product Owner

This is a hybrid role, requiring attendance at our Bexhill or Leicester office at least once per week and at quarterly departmental events. As such, applicants must be located within a 90-minute commuting distance of one of these offices.

We’re a digital insurance provider with ambitious plans to become The Best and Biggest in the UK market. Over the past few years, we've made significant investments in our data and tech capabilities, particularly within our CIO function. Our CIO team is at the forefront of driving innovation and ensuring our technology infrastructure supports our ambitious goals. We’ve nurtured our 4Cs culture, fostering collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement. We’re proud of the journey we’re on as a company and know that our continued success will rely on the contribution of our talented colleagues. The CIO team plays a crucial role in this journey, working on cutting-edge projects that enhance our digital presence and improve customer engagement. We provide insurance to nearly four million customers, but we know there’s even bigger opportunity out there. The fact you’re now reading this job advert means we’ve tempted you to find out more about #lifeatHD – we really hope you like what you see, and you’ll join us to share in the success of the exciting chapter that lies ahead. We understand some people may not apply for jobs unless they feel they tick every box. If you are excited about joining us and think you have some of what we are looking for, even if you’re not 100% sure, we would love to hear from you. Our CIO team is always looking for passionate individuals who are eager to make a difference and contribute to our success.

Summary

As a Technical Product Owner within our CIO function, you will lead the delivery of technology products and solutions that create meaningful business value. Working with engineers, architects, stakeholders and delivery teams, you will shape product direction, prioritise outcomes and ensure solutions are aligned to both customer and business needs. This role requires a commercially minded Product Owner who is comfortable working with ambiguity, exploring emerging technologies and identifying opportunities to solve business challenges in new and innovative ways. You'll play a key role in driving collaboration across technology and business teams while ensuring solutions are scalable, secure and operationally effective. We're looking for someone who is naturally curious, enjoys experimenting with new technologies and has a passion for understanding how advancements in areas such as automation, data and AI-driven capabilities can improve colleague and customer experiences.

Job Details

• Own and prioritise the product backlog, ensuring focus on the highest-value opportunities and outcomes.


• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across Technology and the wider business to identify opportunities, define product strategy and align delivery with enterprise objectives.


• Lead the evaluation and delivery of innovative technology solutions, including emerging capabilities that enhance operational efficiency and customer outcomes.


• Partner with engineering, architecture, security and risk teams to deliver scalable, secure and sustainable technology products.


• Balance value, risk, cost and delivery considerations, making informed trade‑off decisions that support strategic business goals.


• Measure product success through adoption, business outcomes and realised benefits, driving continuous improvement and future innovation opportunities.

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Technical Product Owner or similar technology leadership role.


• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and challenge senior leaders constructively.


• Demonstrable experience leading cross‑functional teams and creating alignment across multiple business and technology functions.


• Experience, Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with an interest in how automation, data and AI-enabled solutions can create business value.


• Strong commercial and strategic mindset, balancing customer value, risk, governance and delivery priorities.


• Excellent communication, facilitation and decision‑making skills within complex organisational environments.

The interview process

• 30‑minute screening call with the hiring manager


• 1‑hour virtual competency‑based interview


• 30‑minute virtual behavioural interview with the director

As a Disability Confident employer, we’re committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are fully inclusive – what this means to you is if you’re applying for a job with us, you’ll have fair access to support and adjustments throughout your recruitment journey. We also welcome applications through the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). For more information on the DCS, please visit our inclusive business page on our careers website.

Regrettably we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Benefits

• In addition to a competitive salary, you will also receive…


• Flexible working – we champion a flexible hybrid working approach – please speak to your recruiter to discuss in more detail


• Competitive bonus scheme - all colleagues are eligible for our annual 4Cs performance bonus


• Financial wellbeing – as well as providing you with 4x your salary with our life assurance cover, income protection at no extra cost, and matched pension contributions up to 10%, we are proud to provide you with an award winning package which includes – discounts, cashback, free independent mortgage advice and free access to financial wellbeing support


• Mental wellbeing programme – we have the thrive mental health app, our colleague assistance programme available 24/7, our own in-house mental health first aiders, support groups and a dedicated team to make sure we are covering your needs


• There's more! – 25 days annual leave + bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell one of your weeks, access to our health care cash back plans, dental plans, discounted health assessments, Cycle to work and tech schemes, discounted and free onsite facilities, social events throughout the year and much more ….

Join us and you’ll find a different way of doing things. We call it the 4Cs. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company and community.

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of their gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status.

Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.

At Hastings Direct, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, we encourage you to be open with us. Our recruitment team is here to provide the support you need to ensure a fair and accessible experience for all.

Hastings Direct is a fast growing, agile, digitally focused general insurance provider of products and services to over 4 million customers in the UK, employing over 4,600 colleagues. Our vision – to be the best and biggest digital insurance provider in the market. It's our attitude and the way we run our business that makes us different. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company and community. It's a dynamic, flexible, fun and constantly changing environment. You'll enjoy the scope to make a real difference for our customers, influence our company, benefit the communities we work in and have fun along the way.

If you enjoyed the video and would like to learn more about #LifatHD, check out our colleague stories