Head of Product - York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom - Candour Solutions

Description

Job Description – Head of Product – End User Experience

About Hiscox:

At Hiscox we care about our people. We hire the best people for the work, and we're committed to diversity and creating a truly inclusive culture, which we believe drives success. We embrace hybrid-working practices, balancing the ability to work remotely with the culture and energy we experience when we are face-to-face in our offices. Our focus on collaboration and cross- functional working is supported with virtual tools that minimise physical travel, hot-desking neighbourhoods that create a physical sense of community and Team Charters that our teams co- create to set out how they'll work together. This modern way of working has contributed to impressive employee engagement scores across Hiscox and means we're delivering even better solutions for our Hiscox Colleagues. As an international specialist insurer we are far removed from the world of mass market insurance products. Instead we are selective and focus on our key areas of expertise and strength - all of which is underpinned by a culture that encourages us to challenge convention and always look for a better way of doing things. We insure the unique and the interesting. And we search for the same when it comes to talented people. Hiscox is full of smart, reliable human beings that look out for customers and each other. We believe in doing the right thing, making good and rebuilding when things go wrong. Everyone is encouraged to think creatively, challenge the status quo and look for solutions. Scratch beneath the surface and you will find a business that is solid, but slightly contrary. We like to do things differently and constantly seek to evolve. We might have been around for a long time (our roots go back to 1901), but we are young in many ways, ambitious and going places. Some people might say insurance is dull, but life at Hiscox is anything but. If that sounds good to you, get in touch. You can follow Hiscox on LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Instagram (@HiscoxInsurance)

Position: Head of Product: End User Experience Reporting to: ITS Chief Technology Officer Location: York, London or Colchester In IT Services, our collective goal is to deliver and maintain best-in-class, innovative infrastructure solutions that are sustainable, resilient and inclusive. We do this by understanding the needs of our Hiscox colleagues so that we can create and tailor the tools and services that enable them to deliver on their goals. And this increases our competitive advantage in market. We work within an Agile methodology, because that helps us to deliver the right solutions quickly and accurately. It also means that we have the flexibility to pivot and adapt our work, through iterative testing with our Hiscox colleagues. We communicate and collaborate effectively with each other every day. This ensures that each of us knows what we need to achieve. And we take individual and team accountability for ensuring that everything we deliver brings value to our business. We're driven to innovate through technology, we're valued for our skills, our work is varied, and we're encouraged to take every opportunity to develop and grow. In IT Services, we set you up to succeed, the rest is up to you.

The Head of Product role:

We're looking for a Head of Product to join our IT Services (ITS) team to own the EUX value stream. The vision of the EUX value stream is to "enable our Hiscox colleagues to securely work anywhere, together, effectively by providing tools and technology that enhance rather than frustrate". To deliver this vision, the EUX value stream will have full lifecycle ownership (inception, design, build, support, change & decommission) of the front-end tools and technologies (M365, Laptops, Citrix, Unified Comms estate etc.) that are available for all Hiscox colleagues to consume. You will be responsible for leading the development and execution of the EUX product roadmap, defining and delivering innovative end user solutions that meet the needs of our Hiscox colleagues. You will report directly into the ITS Chief Technology Officer and be part of the IT Services leadership team (ITSL) working closely with your peers; Head of Product: Core Infrastructure Platforms, Head of Engineering & Technical Architecture, Head of Service and Head of Agile Delivery. Leading a team of Product Owners and Product Analysts, the Head of Product for EUX is a critical role that requires strong technical knowledge, strategic thinking, commercial acumen and excellent communication skills. Areas of responsibility will include (but are not limited to):

• In conjunction with the Head of Engineering & Technical Architecture, develop and execute infrastructure product strategies aligned with Hiscox's overall goals and objectives.

• Stay up to date with industry trends and market dynamics to identify opportunities for product innovation and growth.

• Build, lead and manage a team of Product Owners (including Associate POs) – foster a collaborative and high-performing culture within the team, provide guidance, mentorship and professional development opportunities.

• Drive the end-to-end product development process, including ideation, requirements gathering, prioritisation and roadmap creation. Work closely with delivery and engineering teams to ensure high-quality product delivery and maintenance.

• Develop a deep understanding of stakeholder needs by implementing simple, effective and continually available feedback mechanisms such as roadshows, interviews & satisfaction surveys.

• Own risk, audit, vendor, financial management for the EUX value stream.
• Plan and execute product launches, ensuring effective product messaging and

scheduling that aligns with the wider business calendar. Monitor product adoption and success metrics to make data-driven decisions to drive product improvements and user satisfaction.

• As Head of Product, be the escalation point internally and externally for anything related to the EUX value stream – be available to answer questions, clarify requirements and provide general guidance.

• Attend and participate key Agile retrospectives helping remove blockers to team productivity.

• Demonstrate 'lean thinking', continuously looking to minimise waste and drive efficiency within the EUX value stream.

• Be the Co-Chapter Lead for Product within IT Services, sharing knowledge, best practices and developing the team – coaching and mentoring our Product Owners and Product Analysts to support their career development.

• Be a visible participant and advocate of the wider Hiscox product management community to aid continuous learning, innovation and best practice.

Required skills/experience:

• Experience (5+ years) in a similar role, with a focus on infrastructure products. Strong technical background and deep understanding of infrastructure technologies, such as cloud computing, networking, storage, virtualisation, end-user-compute, etc.

• Strong communication, presentation and analytical skills are essential for this role, as the Head of Product needs to effectively guide and collaborate with teams, influence decision-making, and drive innovation.

• Demonstrable leadership skills, including extensive experience managing and leading cross-functional teams.

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and a customer-centric mindset.
• Deep understanding of Agile and product management frameworks.
• Experience working on large, complex projects, programmes or products with

proven ability to deliver lasting value to stakeholders.
• Experience operating in a challenging organisational environment with a

requirement to balance differing priorities and demands.
• An aptitude for customer centric problem solving and challenging the status quo.
• A proactive approach and a 'can do' attitude – passionate about delivering

exceptional customer service.