Lead Product Owner – Active SC Clearance Required
Location: Reading
Sector: Defence / Aerospace / MOD Programmes
Clearance: Active SC Clearance (Mandatory)
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Lead Product Owner with a strong background in MOD, Defence, or Aerospace environments to lead the evolution of product ownership practices across complex digital programmes.
This role is critical in shaping product strategy, governance, and delivery standards across sensitive Defence and Aerospace initiatives. You will ensure strong alignment between Product Owners, Business Analysts, and delivery teams, enabling clear prioritisation, effective decision-making, and consistently high-quality, value-driven outcomes.
You will provide hands-on leadership to embed best practice product management across large-scale programmes, strengthening cross-functional delivery and driving continuous improvement across digital products and services.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead product ownership across complex, high-value digital programmes within Defence, Aerospace, or other regulated environments
- Define and evolve product ownership frameworks, governance models, and delivery standards at scale
- Ensure clear prioritisation and alignment across Product Owners, Business Analysts, and engineering/delivery teams
- Drive value-based decision making, ensuring product roadmaps align with strategic and operational objectives
- Provide leadership across multidisciplinary teams and suppliers, ensuring accountability, performance, and delivery excellence
- Coach and develop Product Owners and wider delivery teams, embedding strong product culture and continuous improvement
- Collaborate with senior stakeholders to shape product strategy and influence digital direction across programmes
- Support agile delivery practices and ensure effective backlog management and prioritisation discipline
Essential Requirements
- Active SC Clearance (mandatory)
- Proven experience as a Lead Product Owner or senior product leadership role in MOD, Defence, or Aerospace environments
- Demonstrable experience delivering complex digital products in regulated, high-security environments
- Strong background leading product ownership across multiple large-scale programmes
- Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and third-party suppliers with strong delivery outcomes
- Deep understanding of Agile and Lean product management methodologies
- Strong backlog management and prioritisation skills with a value-driven approach
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leadership
- Ability to translate technical concepts across infrastructure, platforms, security, and architecture into clear product decisions
- Proven ability to define and implement product governance frameworks and standards
Desirable Experience
- Experience working across international or multi-programme environments
- Background in Defence Digital, MOD transformation programmes, or complex aerospace engineering environments
- Experience building and scaling product operating models within organisations
- Strong coaching and mentoring capability across product teams
- Experience operating in highly regulated, secure-by-design digital environment