Principal Product Manager - Automotive | Circa £72,700 negotiable + excellent benefits | Permanent | Hybrid

Are you passionate about driving innovation in the automotive industry? Do you have a knack for creating and managing cutting-edge products? We're looking for an experienced Principal Product Manager to join our team and lead our automotive product portfolio to new heights!

Your mission

As the Principal Product Manager, you will play a critical role in ensuring our products deliver positive value to our Members, Customers, and Thatcham Research. You'll be responsible for defining the strategy, maintaining the backlog, and developing the roadmap for automotive product delivery.

You'll play a crucial role in projects that shape international regulations, influence vehicle manufacturers, and impact consumers. Your work will also support insurers and the automotive repair sector in staying ahead of the rapid and exciting changes transforming the industry.

Join us and be part of a team that is shaping the future of automotive safety and technology!

As the Principal Product Manager, you’ll be responsible for:

• Roadmap Development: You will create and maintain a detailed roadmap that outlines the future direction of our automotive products, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Market Research: Conduct thorough market analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and competitive threats, using this data to inform product decisions.
• Customer Focus: Ensure that our products are designed with the customer in mind, addressing their needs and pain points effectively.
• Execution: Manage the product development process, coordinating with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth execution and delivery.
• Analytics: Utilise data analytics to measure product performance, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions.

Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role:

• Extensive experience in cradle-to-grave product lifecycle management.
• Experience in Agile Product Roadmap Management.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proven ability to facilitate focus groups and present product portfolios to customers.
• Metric-minded with the ability to define and measure commercial product success criteria.
• Experience in B2B software or automotive product management.
• Automotive industry experience, particularly working with Vehicle Manufacturers would be a distinct advantage
• Results and process-oriented mindset, with demonstrable experience coordinating disparate stakeholders to deliver results
• Ability to run Product Go To Market and drive critical mass adoption.

Ready to Drive Innovation? If you're ready to take on this exciting challenge and contribute to the future of automotive products, apply now and join our team!

Did you know...

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist! If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Perks & Benefits

Salary - Circa £72,700 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 3 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 2 years’ service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work & tech scheme)
• Moneyhealth’s Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
• Reward & Recognition Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• Subsidised on-site restaurant
• Free on-site parking

When we work

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 (Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)

How we work

We understand the benefits of remote and in-person collaboration, and therefore have a hybrid working model – you’ll be expected to work from our office in Thatcham at least two days per week.

What we do

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our active safety track site is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies.

Our Values

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our membership in the Automotive 30% Club, we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process

We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process?

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

We’re committed to removing invisible barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.