Product Strategist

Job Specification – Product Lead (AI and Market Specialist)

Job Summary

We are seeking a Product Strategist to identify, shape, and validate high-value AI opportunities within the UK home-buying and mortgage ecosystem.

This role sits at the front end of the Innovation Unit: discovering problems, forming hypotheses, conducting rapid experiments, and generating evidence that informs whether an idea should be stopped, partnered, or scaled.

You will combine market knowledge, creativity, analytical rigour, and strong commercial thinking to turn ambiguous opportunities into clear, testable concepts. Working closely with engineers, data specialists, compliance, and the broader business, you will design and deliver rapid PoCs that help LMS make informed strategic decisions.

This role is not responsible for long-term product delivery. Instead, it focuses on identifying the right opportunities and proving (or disproving) them quickly, before handing validated concepts into delivery teams.

It is a high-impact strategic role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, works fast, and enjoys shaping what comes next.

Key Responsibilities

1) Opportunity Discovery & Problem Framing

a) Identify opportunities across internal workflows, customer journeys, partner touchpoints, and ecosystem pain points.

b) Conduct lightweight research (interviews, observations, desk research) to validate the problem space.

c) Convert problems into clear hypotheses that can be tested via PoCs.

d) Prioritise opportunities by value, feasibility, impact, and alignment with regulatory constraints.

2) Hypothesis Development & Experiment Design

a) Translate opportunities into testable PoC briefs with clear success criteria.

b) Define what needs to be built, what data is required, and the scope of each experiment.

c) Partner with data and engineering to validate feasibility upfront.

d) Balance desirability, viability, feasibility, and regulatory safety in experiment design.

3) Rapid PoC Definition & Execution

a) Work with full-stack engineers, data engineers, and designers to deliver quick prototypes and PoCs.

b) Make fast decisions on scope, assumptions, and constraints to accelerate learning.

c) Ensure PoCs generate the evidence needed to inform build/stop/scale decisions.

d) Validate PoC outputs with internal SMEs, clients, or external partners where appropriate.

4) Buy vs Build & Ecosystem Assessment

a) Identify when partnering with vendors or integrating external AI tools is more effective than building in-house.

b) Conduct structured evaluations of third-party AI technologies and PropTech propositions.

c) Provide recommendations that balance cost, risk, speed, and long-term value.

d) Work with engineering and compliance to assess technical and regulatory fit.

5) Business Case & Scaling Recommendations

a) Produce concise evidence-based recommendations following PoC outcomes.

b) Build clear value cases outlining expected ROI, efficiency gains, risk reduction, or customer impact.

c) Separate viable strategic opportunities from ideas that should be dropped quickly.

d) Support handover to Product Leads and Delivery Managers when a PoC graduates into a scalable solution.

6) Stakeholder and Ecosystem Engagement

a) Partner with internal business teams to validate problem statements and test outputs.

b) Engage lenders, conveyancers, partners, and industry bodies to inform hypotheses.

c) Communicate progress, learnings, and decisions clearly across the organisation.

d) Advocate for responsible, safe, compliant adoption of AI.

7) Research, Trends, and Thought Leadership

a) Monitor AI market developments, emerging tools, and industry shifts.

b) Scan the wider PropTech, LegalTech, and FS ecosystems for inspiration and partnership potential.

c) Bring new thinking into the organisation and stimulate strategic direction.

Key Skills and Qualifications

• Strong problem-framing and opportunity analysis skills.
• Excellent ability to turn ambiguous ideas into testable hypotheses.
• Familiarity with AI technologies such as LLMs, NLP, document intelligence, and ML-powered automation.
• Strong understanding of the UK property, mortgage, and conveyancing market.
• Comfortable working with data, experimenting, and making fast evidence-driven decisions.
• Ability to evaluate third-party AI tools, APIs, and technology propositions.
• Confident working with engineers and data teams to shape PoCs.
• Strong communication skills to influence non-technical and senior stakeholders.
• A pragmatic, experimental mindset with high tolerance for ambiguity.
• Understanding of compliance implications (FCA, PRA, GDPR, EU AI Act) and responsible AI practices.

Qualifications and Experience

• Strong problem-framing and opportunity analysis skills.
• Excellent ability to turn ambiguous ideas into testable hypotheses.
• Familiarity with AI technologies such as LLMs, NLP, document intelligence, and ML-powered automation.
• Strong understanding of the UK property, mortgage, and conveyancing market.
• Comfortable working with data, experimenting, and making fast evidence-driven decisions.
• Ability to evaluate third-party AI tools, APIs, and technology propositions.
• Confident working with engineers and data teams to shape PoCs.
• Strong communication skills to influence non-technical and senior stakeholders.
• A pragmatic, experimental mindset with high tolerance for ambiguity.
• Understanding of compliance implications (FCA, PRA, GDPR, EU AI Act) and responsible AI practices.

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract

Contract length: 6 months

Pay: £350.00-£450.00 per day

Benefits:

• Work from home

Work Location: In person