Product Owner

Location:  Exeter, UK

Term: Full time, Permanent

Salary: Competitive with great benefits package

Sparx is a research-based educational technology company. We are using technology, data and real-world observations to investigate the way young people learn. Our mission is to improve educational outcomes through research-based technologies that empower educators and motivate students.
We are creating scalable and affordable products to improve motivation and learning, which are developed and proven using rigorous scientific methods. Our vision is to improve the life opportunities of over 5 million learners by 2030.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the Product Team and cross-functionally with colleagues in other areas of the business (eg Technology, Content Science, Data Science and Education Support & Engagement teams) to evolve existing products and deliver new ones, with the latest user experience best practice and education technology market intelligence in mind.

As a Product Owner you will be a key member of the agile scrum team – ensuring that features are prioritised and well articulated and are delivered to specification and agreed timelines. You will also support measurement of product success post-launch, to ensure product efficiency, customer adoption and satisfaction.

Key responsibilities:

• Liaising directly with product users (internally and externally) and with internal stakeholders to determine product needs for a given area or component of the product
• Developing an in-depth knowledge of your users and their needs through observation, communication and analysis of their behaviours
• Working with other teams to arrive at well-considered solutions that meet your users’ needs
• Identifying and articulating user needs in the form of user stories, wireframes and functional specifications
• Playing a key role in the agile ceremonies – sprint planning, review and retrospective meetings
• Developing strong relationships with your stakeholders; ensuring regular communication
• Acting as a primary point of contact and domain expert for your product area
• Creating, maintaining and prioritising your product area backlog in line with the wider Product and Portfolio Roadmap
• Supporting development of product strategy and the product / portfolio Roadmap; developing an awareness of and presenting the likely long-term requirements for your product area
• Proactively contributing to ongoing process and efficiency improvement
• Researching and tracking the latest trends in education technology, user experience, and instructional design; making recommendations thereon to the wider Product team

About you 
Essential:

• Passionate about being part of something special, and for building and delivering great products that deliver value to our customers and make a difference
• Solid understanding of the product lifecycle and Agile methodologies
• Experience capturing product requirements and solutions (user story authoring, wireframing, functional specification authoring).
• Aptitude / experience in prioritising requirements based on sound principles
• High levels of empathy with our product users and able to understand their product needs
• Can work effectively with technical colleagues.
• Can build strong interpersonal relationships with all teams including senior management, and internal and external stakeholders
• An interest in the future of education
• A strong sense of urgency and ownership
• Proficient computer skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Accurate and precise attention to detail

Desirable:

• Exposure to educational digital products or Ed-Tech
• Experience of working in a fast-growing start-up
• Minimum 2:1 in Maths, Science, Engineering or any technical-based degree
• Working knowledge of software development
• Experience in a similar role

Our team

Our diverse and vibrant team is growing fast! We’re not just developers, data scientists, product owners, content or education experts – we’re also cyclists, DJs, triathletes, published scholars, parents, pet owners, musicians, adventurers, and more. We bring our whole selves to work, and we’re united by our belief in the transformative power of learning and excitement about tackling the hard problems in technology. Based in one of the best workspaces in the country, we set clear and challenging goals, collaborate, celebrate success and have the opportunity to learn from each other every day. We encourage everyone to stretch beyond their roles and deliver on our mission.

Unfortunately, at this current time, we cannot accept applications that require sponsorship for an employment visa.