Product Development Manager

Job Description

We're looking for an experienced Product Development Manager to lead and develop a Product Development team working across multiple digital feature teams at AJ Bell.

This is a key leadership role focused on helping our teams turn product strategy and customer needs into well defined, high quality digital products and experiences. You'll provide clarity and direction to the team, establish effective product development practices and ensure work is ready for successful delivery.

Working at the centre of Product, UX and Technology, you'll bring teams together, resolve ambiguity and help navigate competing customer, commercial, technical and regulatory priorities.

What you'll be doing:

You'll lead, coach and support a Product Development team working across multiple agile feature teams, creating clear ownership and helping colleagues develop the capability and ways of working they need to perform at their best.

You'll also:

• Set and maintain high standards for product definition, requirements, acceptance criteria, refinement and Definition of Ready.
• Ensure work is clearly understood before entering development, with customer, business, technical, regulatory and operational considerations identified early.
• Support teams in resolving ambiguity, managing dependencies and unblocking decisions.
• Work closely with Product Managers to translate product strategy, customer needs and business objectives into clear, deliverable outcomes.
• Partner with UX and Technology to ensure customer insight, design, technical constraints, APIs, architecture and dependencies inform product decisions from the outset.
• Facilitate constructive challenge and decision making across multidisciplinary teams.
• Build strong relationships across Product Development and the wider business, influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Ensure priorities, decisions and outcomes are clearly communicated and understood across affected teams.
• Work closely with Project Management to align product development activity with wider programme plans, dependencies and delivery commitments.

What we're looking for:

You'll have significant experience within product development, product ownership, digital delivery or a related discipline, with a strong understanding of how successful digital products move from strategy and customer need through definition, refinement and delivery.

You'll also bring:

• Experience leading or working across multiple agile feature teams.
• Strong experience working across Product, UX and Technology in a multidisciplinary digital environment.
• A track record of defining, refining and delivering requirements for digital products.
• Experience coaching or leading Product Owners, Business Analysts, Product Development Analysts or similar roles.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to bring together different perspectives and drive decisions.
• The ability to operate comfortably at both a strategic level and in the detail when needed.
• A collaborative leadership style, with the confidence to challenge constructively and create clarity in complex environments.

Experience delivering consumer facing digital products or applications would be particularly valuable. Experience within financial services or another regulated environment, or working with APIs, digital channels, complex technology ecosystems, transformation or platform programmes, would also be beneficial.

About AJ Bell

At AJ Bell, we believe investing should feel good. Whether you're looking for an ISA, pension or dealing account, whether you want to invest with the help of a financial adviser or do it yourself, we have easy-to-use solutions to suit people from all walks of life.

We're one of the UK's fastest-growing investment platform businesses, trusted by everyone from professional financial advisers to first-time investors.

Today, over 762,000 customers trust us to manage more than £121.5 billion of assets. By continually striving to make investing simpler and more accessible, we're helping more people take control of their financial futures.

We're proud to be recognised as one of the UK's Best 100 Companies to Work For for six consecutive years, and a Great Place to Work in 2025 and 2026, a reflection of our supportive and collaborative culture.

What we offer

• 27 days holiday, increasing with service + buy/sell scheme + bank holidays
• 8% Pension with matched contributions
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Share schemes (including free shares and BAYE)
• Health Cash Plan and discounted private healthcare
• Free gym
• Enhanced family leave (subject to qualifying criteria)
• Travel and bike loan schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme

Life at AJ Bell

• Regular social events including summer and Christmas parties
• Learning and development opportunities tailored to you
• Casual dress code
• Friendly, supportive team environment

Our ways of working

We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 50% of your working time per month spent in the office.

For new starters, there is an initial period of full-time office working to help you settle in and build relationships.

Inclusion & diversity

We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to be themselves at work.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential.

Additional Information