Head of Product Management

I am going to take an educated guess that you're probably tired of the 'new year, new job' recruitment cliches that currently dominate the online job boards. So with that in mind, I wanted to craft something a little bit different that (hopefully) grabs your attention. But in order to do so, I need to take you on a journey...

The journey begins with an innovative Tech Start-Up in the London area who are looking to start 2019 by recruiting an experienced Head of Product Management. Due to the nature of the organisation (less than 20 heads) and the level of seniority, this is naturally a hugely strategic hire for them as a business and is due to unrivalled growth since their inception over 3 years ago.

The organisation in question are in the Internet/E-Commerce space and are genuinely dynamic, offering the benefits of working in a Start-Up (ownership, flexibility, agility, responsibility, stimulation) without any of the usual financial worry, due to their impressive financial backing. Simply put... it is a great place to work.

The journey continues with the role, hugely important to their future growth plans and the opportunity to take ownership of their product roadmap both now and in the future. You will be tasked with coming up with innovate ideas for product improvement and new features through your own vision as well as by engaging with the team, customers and analysis of data.

From a technical standpoint, you will be expected to produce detailed functional specifications and work closely with Software Developers, UX Designers, Copywriters and Graphic Designers to produce full specifications. Moreover, you will work closely with their Founders/Owners, joining their 'Technology Leadership Function' and providing expert-level advice around developing a product in a period of growth.

This journey ends with the requirements, which are pretty detailed! So rather than copying the job description word for word (nobody wants to read War & Peace...), I thought I would highlight the key requirements needed for this position:

Product Management - First and foremost, you need to have a proven track record (commercially) working as a Product Manager/Product Owner, ideally within the Digital/E-Commerce/Internet space. I am not going to put a figure on it in terms of 'numbers of years of experience' but the key here is experience... this is a leadership role and a challenging one at that.

Technical Knowledge - Whilst you won't be creating wireframes or writing code, you will be expected to work closely with technical stakeholders (Software Developers, Web Designers, UX Designers) on a daily basis. This is a small company with a collaborative approach, so you need to have an understanding of Web/UI technology (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, LAMP etc.) as well as UX.

Agile - This organisation believe in an Agile approach to Product Development, so an understanding of Agile methodologies and any previous experience either driving Agile engagement or working as a Scrum Master would be hugely beneficial.

Stakeholder Management - Finally, your role will be highly stakeholder-facing so excellent communication skills (written & oral) and the ability to both manage and influence expectations is critical. Tech Start-Ups can be challenging, fast-paced environments so it is imperative that you demonstrate anm ability to work with both internal and external stakeholders, both technical and business-focused.

So there you have it... something a bit different to start the year and hopefully a role you are interested in finding out more about. If you like the sound of my journey (cliche - yay or nay?) and want to follow it up with a chat then give me a shout. I can be contacted via the following:

LinkedIn - 'Liam Haghighat'

Mobile -

Office -

Email -

Anything discussed will remain completely confidential and fully compliant with GDPR.