Product Director

Location: London

Permanent/Full Time

Department: Product

Reports to: Managing Director

Salary: £130,000 - £160,000 per annum 

Closing Date: 6th June 2025

About Us 

Part of the AKQA network (WPP), AKQA Leap is a digital product specialist with studios in London and Bristol. We find the shortest path to value for businesses that need high-quality digital products. For over a decade, we've partnered with brands like Google, HSBC, PSG, Nestle, GripAble & Vodafone to design, develop, and launch impactful digital solutions. Learn more at https://www.akqa.com/leap/  

About the Role

As a visionary Product Director and key member of our senior leadership team, you will shape AKQA Leap's strategy, proposition and contribute directly to the company's objectives and financial success. This pivotal role requires a leader who can elevate our product thinking, drive significant client value and cultivate a culture of excellence. You will define product vision, build our talented product management team, inspire and engage our studio talent with new ways of thinking and working, and support the successful delivery of impactful digital products.

Accountabilities

• Proposition Evolution: Collaborate with senior leadership to define and drive the next evolution of our service offering, working with Design, Engineering, Delivery, and Growth to embed this capability within the agency.
• Business Growth Contribution: Partner with the Growth team to develop compelling proposals and pitches, showcasing our product leadership and securing new business.
• Trusted Client Partner: Serve as a strategic advisor to clients, building strong relationships and effectively communicating product strategies and progress. Champion a customer-centric approach, ensuring product decisions are driven by user insights, business value, research, and market trends.
• Innovation & Industry Influence: Stay at the forefront of product management trends and technologies, contributing to AKQA Leap's thought leadership through various channels.
• Strategic Product Leadership: Oversee product strategy for key client accounts, ensuring alignment with client objectives and end-user needs. Ensure we are analysing market trends and customer feedback to develop innovative long-term product strategies and roadmaps that deliver competitive advantage.
• Team Cultivation & Growth: Build our team of Product Managers, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and data-informed product culture focused on continuous learning.
• Driving Delivery Excellence: Optimise the agency's product development lifecycle, ensuring adherence to best practices. Evaluate and implement tools and technologies to enhance our product capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborate effectively with Delivery, Design, Engineering, and Growth teams to ensure seamless integration and successful product outcomes.
• Performance & Impact Measurement: Define and track key product metrics to measure success, identify areas for improvement, and report progress to stakeholders.

About You

• Extensive product management experience with enterprise clients, including significant leadership roles within a digital agency or consultancy.
• Demonstrated success in pre-sales activities and contributing directly to business development wins.
• Proven ability to grow client accounts through strong client relationships and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills to translate business goals and user needs into clear product visions and roadmaps.
• Successful track record of defining, launching, and scaling impactful digital products across diverse platforms and industries (web, mobile, SaaS, etc.).
• Deep understanding of agile and lean product development principles.
• Experience contributing to and executing departmental strategies aligned with overall business objectives.
• Skilled in tracking team performance against key metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent leadership skills with a passion for developing product talent.
• Experience using user research and data analysis to inform product decisions.  
• Solid understanding of design thinking and collaborative design processes.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including impactful presentation abilities.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.

Ideally Also

• Strong entrepreneurial spirit and comfort with ambiguity.
• High emotional intelligence, empathy, and leadership capability.
• Humility, straightforwardness, and strong collaboration skills.
• Commitment to excellence, attention to detail, self-motivation, and the ability to motivate others.

What We Offer

We're committed to being a great employer where our people are proud to work, recently recognised as a Top 100 Best Small Company to Work For. You'll find a stimulating and collaborative environment with opportunities to shape impactful projects and the agency's future direction.

Our benefits include:

• Flexi leave (within reason) + Birthday Off
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Pay  
• Paid Parental Bereavement Leave
• Volunteering Days
• Flexible benefits package (cash sum per month)
• Private medical and dental insurance
• Enhanced competitive pension scheme
• Annual learning budget
• Financial contribution to tech purchases
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
• Employee Assistance Programmes
• Occupational Sick Pay
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection Insurance

What Happens Next

If you're excited about this opportunity at AKQA Leap, please apply, and our People Team will be in touch.

Inclusivity

We want to make our hiring as inclusive as possible; this job description has been reviewed by a range of employees and has passed a neutral language check. We have also reviewed our hiring process to make sure it offers flexibility to candidates who need it.

We welcome you to inform us confidentially at peopleteam@akqaleap.com if you require any accommodations to be able to fully participate in our recruitment process. 

We're trying to do better and would love your feedback. If you think there's anything we could improve or places you think we should advertise, then please let us know.