Associate Product Owner

We're seeking an Associate Product Owner to join our product and platform team, working at the intersection of insurance expertise, system configuration, and software development. You'll partner with broking and underwriting teams to translate their product requirements into practical system configurations, whilst also collaborating with software engineering teams to build the underlying platform capabilities that enable revenue generation. This role spans both the product configuration layer and the underlying platform that configurations are built upon, ensuring our systems empower users to capture market-derived income efficiently. As we transition towards API-first and headless architecture, you'll help shape how our products are consumed through both traditional UI and programmatic integrations. Key Responsibilities: Requirements Translation & Analysis:

• Work directly with brokers and underwriting teams to understand product requirements and trading appetite

• Translate insurance product specifications (wordings, coverages, clauses, endorsements) into system requirements

• Break down complex insurance products into configurable data points, fields, and attributes

• Analyse existing products and identify opportunities for standardisation and efficiency

• Document business rules, rating logic, and underwriting guidelines

• Identify where business processes can be automated or enhanced through software

• Identify when configuration limitations require platform enhancements

• Define data structures and schemas that support both UI and API consumption

• Leverage AI tools to streamline analysis, documentation, and process improvement

Platform Development Collaboration:

• Partner with software engineering teams to turn complex business processes into software solutions

• Define technical requirements for platform enhancements and new capabilities

• Bridge the gap between business needs and technical implementation

• Participate in technical design discussions and solution architecture

• Help engineers understand the insurance context and revenue drivers

• Validate that developed features enable efficient revenue generation through market-derived income

• Create user stories and acceptance criteria for platform development

• Support agile ceremonies (sprint planning, refinement, retrospectives)

• Contribute to platform roadmap by identifying common needs across products

• Balance quick configuration solutions with longer-term platform development

• Understand the technical architecture to make informed configuration decisions

• Work with API schemas, reviewing and validating Swagger/OpenAPI specifications

• Ensure business logic is accessible through both UI and headless/API channels

• Use AI-powered development tools to accelerate workflows and solution design

Product Configuration:

• Configure product parameters, fields, and data structures in our digital tranding application

• Create and configure document templates (quotes and policy documents, endorsements, certificates, covering letters etc)

• Configure rating algorithms and premium calculation logic

• Maintain configuration documentation and version control

• Leverage and optimise platform capabilities to deliver product configurations efficiently

• Ensure configurations support API-driven transactions and headless integrations

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Facilitate workshops with broking and underwriting teams to gather requirements

• Partner with configuration teams to implement product changes

• Work with Product Owners to understand roadmap priorities

• Collaborate with software engineers on platform features and technical solutions

• Work with compliance teams to ensure regulatory requirements are met

• Support distribution and broking teams with product training and documentation

• Act as liaison between business, configuration, and engineering teams

• Help stakeholders understand the shift towards API-first architecture

Testing & Quality Assurance:

• Develop test scenarios for both configurations and platform features

• Conduct UAT with brokers and underwriting teams to validate configurations

• Test premium calculations, document generation, and workflow logic

• Participate in testing of platform releases and new capabilities

• Test API endpoints and validate responses against business requirements

• Troubleshoot configuration issues and identify root causes

• Support product launches and go-live activities

Documentation & Knowledge Management:

• Document business rules, rating structures, and underwriting guidelines

• Write technical specifications for platform development

• Maintain library of product wordings and clause templates

• Develop user guides for broking and underwriting teams

• Build knowledge base for common product configurations and platform features

• Document API specifications and integration patterns, A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity - there is no one Howden type. Instead, we're looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*. If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it's the right fit for you, send us your application - if your profile fits the role's criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

• Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Do you have a valid Cert CII (Claims), Chartered Insurance Institute certification?, Do you have experience in Visio?, * Understanding of insurance products and concepts (premiums, wordings, coverage, endorsements)

• Strong analytical skills with ability to break down complex processes into logical components

• Experience working with or close to technical/development teams

• Ability to communicate effectively with both business stakeholders and engineers

• Experience gathering requirements from subject matter experts

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

• Detail-oriented with strong documentation abilities

• Strong data analysis skills and comfort working with structured data

• Ability to translate business language into technical specifications

• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to improve productivity and workflow efficiency

Highly Desirable:

• Previous work with Lloyd's, London Market, or speciality insurance products

• Understanding of product configuration or system administration

• Experience writing user stories and working in agile environments

• Background in broking, underwriting, or insurance operations

• Understanding of how insurance businesses generate revenue

• Exposure to API documentation (Swagger, OpenAPI, YAML)

• Understanding of RESTful APIs and JSON data structures

• Experience with AI coding assistants (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, etc.)

Nice to Have:

• Cert CII or working towards insurance qualifications

• Technical background or basic understanding of software development

• Understanding of APIs, data integration, or system architecture

• Knowledge of rating methodologies and actuarial principles

• Experience with JIRA, Confluence, or similar agile tools

• Familiarity with process mapping tools (BPMN, Visio)

• Experience reviewing or working with API specifications and schemas

• Understanding of headless architecture concepts

• Competitive salary and benefits package

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.