- Ready to shape the future of products and services that change lives?
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Do you believe the best products start with a deep understanding of people, not just technology?
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Are you looking for the opportunity to build a newly created Executive function while helping shape the future direction of one of the UK's leading charities?
As our first Chief Product Officer (Products, Services & Innovation) you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of StepChange.
Created as part of our new Executive Operating Model, this newly created Executive role brings together product strategy, service innovation, client insight, analytics and growth under one executive leader. You'll shape how our products and services evolve, ensuring they continue to meet changing client needs while supporting sustainable growth and long-term organisational success.
This is far more than leading a Product function. As a member of our Executive Team, you'll balance enterprise leadership with executive responsibility for Products, Services & Innovation, helping shape the future direction of the charity while delivering meaningful outcomes for clients, colleagues and partners.
About the Role
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you'll lead the Products, Services & Innovation portfolio while playing a key role in the collective leadership of StepChange.
As a member of the Executive Team, you'll bring an enterprise mindset, working collaboratively with Executive colleagues to shape organisational strategy, influence major decisions and contribute to the long-term success of the charity. Alongside your executive responsibility for Product, you'll share collective accountability for organisational performance, culture, financial sustainability, governance and the successful delivery of our strategic ambitions.
You'll lead the full product and service lifecycle, balancing innovation with operational excellence to ensure our services remain relevant, accessible, insight-led and financially sustainable. From the evolution of our core debt advice service through to digital journeys, new propositions and future service models, you'll help shape how StepChange responds to changing client needs, regulation and market opportunities.
Using client insight, analytics and evidence, you'll help drive informed decision-making across the organisation, ensuring investment is focused where it delivers the greatest impact for clients, colleagues, partners and the charity. You'll work closely with Executive colleagues to align product strategy with digital delivery, operational performance, financial sustainability and organisational priorities.
What You'll Be Doing:
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Define and deliver StepChange's long-term Product and Service Strategy, ensuring our services continue to meet changing client, partner and market needs.
- Lead the full product lifecycle, from insight, discovery and proposition development through to implementation, optimisation and continuous improvement.
- Drive the development of our core debt advice services, digital journeys, innovative propositions and future service models.
- Champion a product-led, insight-driven culture, embedding client needs, experimentation and continuous improvement across the organisation.
- Establish a deep understanding of client, colleague, funder and partner needs, using insight, analytics and evidence to shape strategic decisions and improve outcomes.
- Own product performance, ensuring products and services deliver outstanding client outcomes alongside financial sustainability and long-term organisational value.
- Work collaboratively across the Executive Team to align product strategy with operational delivery, digital transformation, financial planning, governance and organisational strategy.
- Contribute as a member of the Executive Team, providing enterprise leadership, collective decision-making and strategic direction that supports the long-term success of the charity.
- Develop strategic external partnerships that support product innovation, proposition development and future growth opportunities.
Represent StepChange externally, building relationships across financial services, regulators, partners and the wider sector.
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About You
You'll be an experienced executive leader who combines strategic vision with a passion for improving products, services and customer outcomes.
You're equally comfortable shaping long-term strategy, leading organisational change and working collaboratively across complex organisations to turn ideas into meaningful outcomes.
Above all, you'll be an enterprise leader as well as a functional leader, recognising that Executive success comes through collective leadership, shared accountability and delivering organisational outcomes beyond your own portfolio.
You will bring:
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Significant executive or senior leadership experience within Product, Proposition, Customer, Service Design, Innovation or a closely related discipline.
- Experience operating as part of an Executive Leadership Team, demonstrating enterprise leadership, collective accountability and organisation-wide decision making.
- A proven track record of developing and leading complex product or service portfolios from strategy through to delivery, optimisation and measurable outcomes.
- Experience using customer insight, analytics and evidence to shape strategy, improve performance and identify opportunities for innovation and growth.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, balancing customer outcomes with organisational sustainability and long-term value.
- Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience operating at Executive, Board or Trustee level.
- Experience leading organisational change, building high-performing teams and embedding customer-centred ways of working.
An innovative, collaborative and resilient leadership style, with the ability to inspire others around a shared vision and deliver through others.
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You'll thrive in this role if you're motivated by:
Purpose - Leading products and services that improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the UK.
Enterprise Leadership - Working as part of the Executive Team, sharing collective responsibility for the long-term success, strategy and leadership of one of the UK's leading charities.
Growth - Building and leading a newly created Executive function while shaping the future direction of the organisation.
Impact - Creating products, services and customer experiences that deliver better outcomes for clients while supporting the long-term sustainability of the charity.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Belonging is central to who we are. We're committed to building a workforce that reflects the people we support and creating a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and able to be themselves.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. If you need a reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process so you can perform at your best, just let us know, we'll be happy to support you.
