Senior Product Development Lead - Maternity Cover

 

Senior Product Development Lead - Maternity Cover

Salary: Senior Lead Band, Spine point 5, £45,748.00 plus £312 pa working from home allowance (see below for more details on remuneration)  

Contract: Fulltime, 12 months (maternity cover), remote first/home-based. 

Location: Remote, but with the expectation of flexibility to travel regularly to London and occasionally to other locations in the UK. (Applicants residing outside mainland UK will not be considered.)

About Voice 21 

Oracy is our ability to articulate our ideas, develop understanding, and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication. Like reading, writing and maths, oracy is fundamental for learning and life. Every child should be taught how to use their voice to thrive in education and beyond. Voice 21 is the national charity on a mission to secure high quality oracy education for every child. We know that teaching oracy skills improves children’s confidence, wellbeing, engagement and attainment. We support teachers and school leaders to weave oracy into everyday teaching and whole-school culture, to transform learning and outcomes for their pupils. We focus where we can make the most difference, in state schools that serve economically disadvantaged pupils. We also work to influence national policy and champion oracy across the education system. Follow the links to find out more about why oracy is so vital and the impact Voice 21 has. 

About this role 

We are developing our training and professional development offer for teachers that has the potential to reach new audiences, meet needs identified in the education system and widen our impact. To do this well, we need someone who can bring together all the moving parts including content, delivery, marketing, tech and evaluation and drive the work forward with focus and pace.

Right now, responsibility for this sits across several teams, so this role will have collaboration at its core, giving us the dedicated capacity and coordination we need to get this right.

Main responsibilities 

The Senior Product Development Lead will take over responsibility for the new product, from early development through to pilot and national launch. They will:

• Lead the planning, timelines and decision‑making
• Coordinate input from Product, Delivery, Communications, Technology and Learning & Insight
• Ensure the product is well‑designed, well‑tested and ready for scale
• Keep the work moving, remove blockers and maintain clear reporting
• Shape the commercial model and roll‑out plan
• Use pilot insight to refine the product and strengthen its value

This role will sit with the Director of Programmes to ensure strong alignment with delivery, implementation and organisational priorities.

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Strong project management experience
• Experience developing or launching new products or programmes
• Understanding of commercial models and routes to market, especially in the education sector
• Confidence working across multiple teams and disciplines
• Ability to turn ideas into clear plans and deliver them
• Comfort with ambiguity and a focus on getting things done

What success looks like after 12 months

• A high‑quality training product developed and tested
• A clear, evidence‑based recommendation for national roll‑out
• A well‑designed pilot with strong insight
• A commercial and operational plan ready for launch
• Clear ownership and processes for long‑term delivery
• Strong collaboration across Product, Delivery, Comms, Tech and Insight

Who you’ll work with: This post sits within the Programme Directorate. The line manager for this post is the Director of Programmes, Tim Judge.

Further details 

Start date: End of February 2027

Terms: 12 months linked to maternity cover and subject to successful probation review.

Contract: FTE contract

Location: Home-based with frequent national travel, including overnight stays, to work with schools and attend meetings. Applicants must hold a valid UK driving licence and have access to a car they can use for work. 

Application details 

To apply: 

Please submit your most recent CV and a document answering the questions below:

• Tell us why you want to work at Voice 21. What is it about us and our mission that excites you? (Max. 400 words)
• Making direct reference to the job description, please tell us the three main reasons why you would make an excellent Senior Product Development Lead (Max. 400 words).
• Tell us about something you have achieved recently that you are proud of? (Max 200 words)

Closing date: Tuesday 8th December 2026, mid-night

Interview date: Interviews are likely to take place during the week commencing 14th December 2026.

Questions: If you have any questions before applying for the role, please contact Tim Judge at [email protected] 

Valuing every voice

Voice 21 believes that every voice should be heard and valued. We are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Voice 21.