Product Specialist

We’re making a difference:
Together, we can ensure that there is enough water for everyone, now and in the future.

The Product Specialist collaborates with the Product Owner to deliver key product initiatives by breaking them down into actionable components and driving execution across relevant teams. This 12-month FTC role is critical in ensuring that products meet both functional and non functional requirements, acting as the key liaison between the business stakeholders, technology teams and operational departments.

The Product Specialist plays a key role in refining and managing the product backlog, ensuring alignment with business KPIs, ODI’s and strategic goals, including Portsmouth Water’s demand reduction and water efficiency targets. By transforming business needs into tangible and valuable solutions, this role supports Portsmouth Water’s ambition to become a digital-first utility with the UK's first fully smart water network.

• Contribute to defining and communicating the product vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and customer needs.
• Be the product champion within the business, fostering a culture of innovation and customer‑centric design and continuous improvement.
• Assist in managing and prioritising the product backlog, ensuring prioritisation aligns with business value, strategic initiatives and technical improvements.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure the backlog is actionable and aligned with business objectives.
• Write and refine user stories with clear acceptance criteria, ensuring clarity for development teams and alignment with business objectives.
• Lead backlog refinement sessions regularly incorporating stakeholder and development team feedback to enhance product quality.
• Manage cross‑functional dependencies, proactively identifying and addressing blockers to successful product delivery.
• Serve as the technical expert for customer deliverables, including metering and billing.
• Ensure seamless integration and optimisation of CRM Kraken, Temetra, and website platforms, balancing business needs with technical constraints.

• Experience in agile software product management, from inception to launch
• Previous experience as a Product Owner, or similar role, delivering platform capabilities
• Experience with smart metering and billing systems
• Ability to engage with complex technical details
• Stakeholder management and engagement skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical details into clear requirements
• Proficiency in agile processes, including backlog management, sprint planning, and user story development

If you are successful for the role, you will be required to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre‑employment checks that will include a basic disclosure check. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the national security vetting process for either a CTC or SC clearance check. Any offer of employment is conditional upon completion and receipt of satisfactory checks.

We recognise people want to work in a variety of different ways, and that’s why we’re happy to consider flexible working arrangements. Please feel free to talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may be looking for.

Please note, we may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications - so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we actively encourage applications from all sections of society.

Please be aware, the Company has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and…