Group Product Manager – Data & Insights

About Us

Across the FT Group, our people are united by a mission to deliver world-class information, news and services to our global audiences. We’re a digital-first organisation made up of journalists, technologists, product managers, event planners, strategists, commercial and finance experts, marketing and communications specialists – and much more. Our strength is in our employees.

 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace

At the FT, we aim for employees across all regions to have a voice so that diverse perspectives are heard and valued. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs. We’ll continue to remove barriers for all, and in particular barriers facing employees from underrepresented groups.

 

The Role / Position Overview

The Internal Products group within Product & Technology is partnering with Analytics on a multi-year programme to transform the FT’s data insights capabilities. The vision is that all staff should have the data literacy skills and instant access to the data they need to make their daily decisions, whether tactical or strategic.

Within a multidisciplinary team of Analytics, Delivery and Engineering you will play a key role working with pan-business stakeholders to transform the FT’s ability to make effective data-informed decisions through a three-pronged approach: new tooling, an educational programme and improvement to our data models.  Your job will be to further define and execute on this strategy, ensuring that the solutions meet the end-user needs and business goals.

 

You will be part of the leadership team for this project and jointly responsible for its success.

 

The role requires an expertise in data & technology as well as experience in new product development from inception through to post-launch optimisation. You are expected to be a highly skilled communicator with proven ability to influence both multi-functional team members and stakeholders at a senior level.

Managing change will be a key component of this role as the successful outcomes will rely upon meaningful change within the business units.

 

Key Responsibilities

Bring the “voice of the customer” into the project to ensure that the potential for broader business impact is recognised and embraced
Collaborate with product teams to rapidly test hypotheses for improving productivity and other business metrics.

To work closely with senior stakeholders to set business goals and success metrics for Data Democratisation, and to achieve a shared ownership of those outcomes.

Lead any product discovery work and business analysis and ensure findings are sound, communicated and understood by the team.
Form a clearly defined and prioritized backlog of work that reflects the outcomes of the project.

Use insights from analytics, user research and the competitor landscape to inform proposals.

You’ll provide support to your team by setting clear and measurable goals, frequently monitoring progress, learning and adjusting course when needed.

Required Skills / Experience 

Strong data literacy skills and a sophisticated grasp of how data can be used to drive effective decisions within an organisation
Some knowledge of SQL/R/Python/basic database design is desirable

Experience with overhauling a complex Business Intelligence system

You care about the bottom line but you also care about maintaining a great user experience – and you know how to deliver on both.

Knowledge of when to employ different approaches to product management, and can balance lean-style MVP experimental work with focused iteration.

Curiosity, able to uncover hidden value, solve problems and find opportunities.

Setting hypotheses, testing riskiest assumptions and breaking down complex problems into small steps.

Ability to influence and negotiate with your peers and senior management.

Knowledge of the entire product lifecycle from insights/analysis, roadmap development, launch tactics, post launch iteration
Ability to balance workloads and priorities against incoming requests that may arise within the Product & Technology department

Experience in partnering with engineering, business teams and external vendors to work collaboratively towards a shared goal.

A proven ability to quickly get up and running in a domain and identify trends and opportunities in complex organisations.

Build strong and effective working relationships, accommodate different personalities and roles, act as an effective devil’s advocate and are empowered to work in the best way for the project to deliver value for our colleagues, customers and the organisation as a whole.

What’s in it for you? Our Benefits

Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working (including working from home), medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages, subsidised gym memberships and Giving Back opportunities. Full details of our benefits can be found here.

Further Information

The FT are committed to providing an inclusive working environment for all. We are an equal opportunities employer who seeks to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We also promote flexible working and will consider specific requests around flexibility for all roles where it can be accommodated. Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements, or have any questions, please contact a member of our HR team who will be happy to help.