Job Title: Customer Product Manager (FTC)
BUSINESS FUNCTION: Customer & Commercial
SALARY: £52,500 - £57,000 / Grade: ML2:SB1
ROLE TYPE: Fixed Term Contract (12 months)
LOCATION: York, Leeds, Manchester
HOURS: 37
People come to Northern for journeys they can rely on. Behind every smooth search, tap, click and ticket is a set of products quietly doing a lot of heavy lifting.
As part of our Commercial & Customer team, you’d be shaping the digital products that sit across the end-to-end customer journey – from how people plan their travel to how they experience it on the day. This role gives you ownership, influence and the space to think strategically, balancing what customers need with what the business needs to grow sustainably.
You’ll work closely with teams across Northern to turn insight, data and ideas into products that genuinely make travel easier. It’s a role with visibility, responsibility and realimpact on how millions of people experience rail in the North.
What you’ll be doing
· Owning the strategy, vision and roadmap for key customer products across the journey
· Turning customer insight, research and data into clear priorities and product decisions
· Managing products through their full lifecycle – from idea to launch, then continuous improvement
· Working closely with Commercial, Customer Experience, Marketing, IT, Operations and suppliers to get things delivered
· Balancing customer experience with commercial value, making sure products deliver against key performance indicators
· Managing product backlogs, writing user stories and overseeing delivery using Agile, Waterfall or hybrid approaches.
· Owning product and change budgets, building business cases and tracking value
· Managing third-party suppliers to make sure delivery, quality and value stay on track
· Line-managing an Associate Product Manager and helping build strong product capability across the business
About you
Product strategy, customer focus and clear decision-making – those are three things you’ll bring in spades.
You’ll also bring:
· Proven experience managing customer-facing products across their full lifecycle
· A customer-first mindset, with a solid understanding of user experience and how to use data to guide decisions
· Confidence working with a wide mix of stakeholders, from technical teams to senior leaders
· Experience balancing competing priorities, budgets and timelines in fast-moving environments
· A practical understanding of digital delivery, including working with tools like Jira, Confluence, Miro or similar
· People management experience, or the confidence to lead and develop others
Experience in rail is useful, but not essential. Curiosity, commercial thinking and a willingness to learn matter far more.
What’s in it for you?
At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:
Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.
Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.
Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.
Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.
Electric Car Scheme: Lease a brand new electric or plugin hybrid car.
Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.
Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.
Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.
Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.
Why Northern?
We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North - connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,500 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment.
Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, after which rail quickly spread across the globe - and this year, we’re celebrating 200 years of the modern railway. As we look back on the historic events that led us here, we also look towards the future as we move into the era of Great British Rail. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.
A place for everyone
The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board.
At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B - we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We're also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.
We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and a medical assessment.
No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.
Please note that Northern reserves the right to close recruitment for this role before the published closing date, if high volumes of applications are received.