Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
Product Owner - Trading Products
Location: London (Hybrid)
About the Role:
We're looking for a Product Owner to own the vision and delivery roadmap for our trading products across speciality lines including Aviation, Marine, Liability, and other classes of business. You'll lead a team of Business Analysts and configuration analysts who work on your products day-to-day, ensuring they have clear direction and priorities. You'll be responsible for driving product strategy, managing stakeholder relationships with brokers and senior underwriting leadership, and prioritising configuration work to ensure we deliver competitive, compliant products to market efficiently. As we evolve towards API-first and headless architecture, you'll champion how our products are consumed through both traditional interfaces and programmatic integrations, ensuring our products remain competitive in an increasingly digital trading environment. This role requires strong technical understanding of insurance systems, configuration capabilities, and API-driven product delivery.
Key Responsibilities:
Product Vision & Strategy:
Define and communicate product vision and strategy for assigned trading products (Aviation, Marine, Liability, etc.)
Identify market opportunities and competitive differentiators through broker and market feedback
Make strategic decisions on product investment and resource allocation
Monitor market trends, competitor product offerings, and broker requirements
Champion the transition to API-first product delivery and headless architecture
Ensure products support both traditional UI and programmatic consumption
Balance broker experience with underwriting control and operational efficiency
Product Team Leadership:
Lead and coordinate teams of Business Analysts and configuration analysts working on your products
Provide day-to-day direction and priorities to ensure team focus and productivity
Ensure BAs and config analysts have clarity on what needs to be delivered and why
Unblock teams when they encounter obstacles or need decisions
Coordinate work across multiple BAs and config analysts working on different products
Manage team capacity and workload to meet delivery commitments
Foster collaborative environment and ensure knowledge sharing across the team
Shield team from conflicting priorities and provide clear focus
Ensure team understands the business context and broker/underwriting needs behind their work
Review and approve work produced by BAs and config analysts before release
Stakeholder Management:
Build and maintain relationships with key brokers and broker networks
Manage expectations across multiple stakeholders with competing priorities
Present roadmaps and business cases to leadership and approval committees
Facilitate product governance meetings and steering committees
Communicate product updates, timelines, and delivery progress
Balance demands from brokers, underwriters, distribution, operations, and compliance teams
Gather and synthesise broker feedback to drive product improvements
Articulate the value of API-first architecture to business stakeholders
Roadmap & Prioritisation:
Own and prioritise the product backlog based on business value, broker needs, and strategic importance
Manage product delivery timelines and coordinate dependencies
Make trade-off decisions between competing product demands
Prioritise configuration work across multiple products and workstreams for your team
Understand technical constraints and configuration limitations when prioritising
Balance new product launches with enhancements to existing products
Sequence product releases to optimise time-to-market and risk
Prioritise API capabilities and headless integration features alongside UI improvements
Distinguish between what can be achieved through configuration vs custom development
Work with platform teams to ensure product needs requiring platform enhancements are addressed
Product Delivery:
Define product requirements and success criteria for new products and features
Work with Business Analysts to translate requirements into configurations and technical specifications
Lead product planning sessions and requirements workshops
Review and approve configuration work and product releases
Understand configuration capabilities and technical architecture to make informed decisions
Review API specifications, data models, and integration patterns
Coordinate product launches and go-to-market activities
Monitor product performance and adoption post-launch and drive continuous improvement
Ensure products are designed for both UI-based and API-based consumption
Validate that configurations meet broker needs and underwriting requirements
Understand technical trade-offs between speed-to-market and technical debt
Conduct sprint planning, reviews, and ensure delivery momentum
Business Case & Commercial Management:
Work with broking teams and leadership to build business cases for new product investments
Support distribution with product positioning and competitive analysis for broker presentations
Identify opportunities for product rationalisation or consolidation
Articulate commercial benefits of API-enabled distribution channels
Work with brokers to understand market pricing and product competitiveness
Essential Skills & Experience:
Must Have:
Experience leading cross-functional teams and coordinating multiple workstreams
Strong understanding of insurance products, particularly speciality lines
Experience managing stakeholder relationships with brokers and senior leadership
Demonstrated ability to prioritise and manage competing demands
Ability to provide clear direction and unblock teams effectively
Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
Excellent communication and influencing skills across all organisational levels
Experience managing product timelines and delivery roadmaps
Strong technical understanding of insurance systems and product configuration
Ability to understand and discuss API specifications, data structures, and system architecture
Experience working with technical teams and understanding configuration capabilities
Highly Desirable:
Previous product management or product owner role
Experience leading Business Analysts or configuration teams
Experience with insurance transformation or digitalisation initiatives
Knowledge of Lloyd's market operations and standards
Track record of successful product launches
Experience with agile delivery methodologies and sprint management
Understanding of insurance rating, pricing, and actuarial principles
Background in both broking and underwriting environments
Understanding of API-first product strategy and headless architecture
Familiarity with digital distribution channels and integration patterns
Experience with policy administration systems and understanding of configuration vs custom development
Strong broker relationship management experience
Technical understanding of how configurations translate to system behaviour
ACII or equivalent insurance qualification
Product Owner certification (CSPO) or product management training
Hands-on experience with insurance policy administration platforms or rating engines
Knowledge of MGA, delegated authority, or binding authority models
Understanding of reinsurance and capacity management
Experience with product analytics and MI tools
Exposure to API specifications (Swagger, OpenAPI, YAML)
Understanding of RESTful APIs, JSON data structures, and modern integration patterns
Experience reviewing technical documentation and system designs
Understanding of data modelling and database concepts
What We Offer:
Competitive salary and benefits package
Opportunity to work with cutting-edge integration technologies
Professional development and training opportunities
Collaborative team environment
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent