IT Product Owner

About the Role

Base Location: Reading and Perth

Salary: £53,100 - £79,700 + performance related bonus + a range of benefits to help you and your family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available

About the Department

SSE IT underpins the technology needs of all the different businesses that make up the SSE group. From emerging technologies to data and analytics to cyber security - we power SSE's growth and enable it to generate value, while keeping it secure. As a trusted business partner that helps SSE lead in a low carbon world, we are proud of our service. Working for SSE IT is all about equipping SSE for now and the future.

What is the Role?

SSE Energy Solutions is expanding its Agile capability. This new role of IT Product Owner for the Billing and Customer Care platform in the IT Team will be responsible for IT products, IT change and maintaining system capabilities to support the business day to day activities and value streams. This is an interesting role which interfaces between Business Product Management and three platform teams comprised of IT and vendor resources.

Your key responsibilities will be:

Key activities will include ensuring the IT backlog is maintained and prioritised, that EPICs and User Stories are developed and accepted by the IT scrum teams. You will align with the Business Product Managers and the Release Manager to co-ordinate deliverables and releases to ensure an optimal outcome for the organisation at all times while ensuring the platform continues to meet day-to-day requirements. You will be expected to live agile values and principles to contribute to harmonious, effective and efficient working environment.

- Define the IT Billing & Customer Care IT products in collaboration with key stakeholders and socialise with the teams.

- Evolve the Billing & Customer Care IT product roadmap based on customer, product teams and business feedback linked to business outcomes.

- Work with portfolio governance team to define any funding and investment requirements to continue Product enhancement and growth.

- Oversee platform product priorities, resource requirements, and development stages.

- Ensure that Vendor teams are delivering to contractual obligations, and manage vendor relationships.

- Anticipating the organisation needs, managing the product backlog and prioritising needs based on value delivered.

- Remove impediments to product progress and aid with work dependencies, risks and issues.

- Determine developments to the Billing & Customer Care IT roadmap based on business strategy changes.

- Proactively share knowledge to drive technology learning, understanding and appreciation across the business.

- Ensure that IT & Business strategy, policy and standards are adhered to, thus achieving commonality and ease of maintenance.

- Apply learning from retrospectives and actively elicit relevant feedback from stakeholders.

What do I need?

You'll have experience as a Product Owner delivering platform capabilities, where you've exemplified and promoted Agile values and principles. The following skills and experience are essential:

- Experience of working in a matrix organisation and managing multiple stakeholders and their expectations.

- Relevant experience in an Energy utility and/or experience of utility billing platforms.

- Experience of managing vendors and contracts.

- Ability to provide information in a logical and consistent manner and communicate with technical and non-technical audiences.

- Ability to work in environments that are undergoing change, working in an iterative and adaptive manner.

- Ability to thrive in a challenging environment and develop new skills.

- Experience with having financial responsibilities and ability to demonstrate value from investments.

- Strong demonstrated experience of agile processes and principles.

- Experience with defining and prioritising a portfolio of work.

- Ability to negotiate requirements, timelines and other delivery metrics across product lifecycle.

- Application of the concepts of delivery risks and issues, and ability to develop counter measures and contingency plans associated with significant delivery risk.

What's in it for you?

An excellent package with 34 days holiday entitlement, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, discounted healthcare and much more, view our full benefits package on our careers site.

As an equal opportunity employer we encourage diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We actively encourage applicants from all protected characteristics and commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required during the application, assessment and upon joining SSE. Search for 'Inclusion & Diversity at SSE' to find out more.

Next Steps

All applications should be submitted online, and I'll be back in touch after the vacancy closing date to let you know the outcome.

If you would like to discuss any working differently requirements or adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment and selection process, please contact David on 01738 275846.

Before commencing employment with SSE, you'll be required to fully complete our pre-employment screening process consisting of a basic criminal records and credit check.