Product Development Manager

ROLE PROFILE

Internal

Role Details
Job Title: Product Development Manager
Responsible for: 1-3  Developers

Line Manager Job Title:
Head of Product

Department: Product Development
Location: Hybrid (2 days in Head Office),
Head Office, Stoneleigh
Created: February 2026
Last Updated:

Job Goal
The Product Development Manager is responsible for a defined portfolio of products, covering a mix
of  product  and  delivery  types.  The  role  has  accountability  for  managing  the  full  product  lifecycle,
including development, maintenance, review and withdrawal.

The Product Development Manager takes an active role in portfolio management, working with internal
and external stakeholders to ensure products continue to meet industry need and align with Lantra
standards and strategic objectives. This includes identifying gaps in the current offer, recommending
new  products for  development,  and  ensuring that  available funding  streams  are considered  so  that
products are positioned, where appropriate, to be eligible for funding. As part of this activity, the role is
expected  to  consider  and  embed  hybrid  and  digital  delivery  approaches  where  feasible,  to  support
accessibility, scalability and market relevance.

The role works closely with teams across the organisation to ensure that product creation, review and
withdrawal  are  managed  in  a  coordinated  way,  and  that  products  meet  agreed  quality  standards,
market requirements and regulatory obligations. The role also includes line management responsibility,
providing leadership, performance management and professional development support to members of
the product development team.

Role Responsibilities
Responsibility

Outcome and measures

Portfolio Oversight and Strategic
Planning:
Oversee the full portfolio, deciding priorities,
shaping the project schedules and ensuring
each product contributes to Lantra’s wider
goals. Interpret industry signals, customer
insight, qualification data, and funding
opportunities to guide decisions.

•  A clear, justified portfolio plan with transparent

prioritisation.

•  Early identification of gaps or declining products,

supported by evidence.

•  Recommendations for new or revised products

that reflect strategic need.

•  Clear visibility of upcoming work, risks and

resource needs.

Lifecycle Management Across
Development, Maintenance, Review and
Withdrawal:
Lead lifecycle decisions across all product
types. This includes authorising scoping
work, planning reviews, overseeing
maintenance cycles, and making
recommendations for withdrawal. Ensure
processes are followed consistently and

•  Timely updates and adherence to a structured

review cycle across the portfolio.

•  Clear audit trails that explain decisions and

demonstrate compliance.

•  Products withdrawn or replaced before they

become outdated.

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decisions are well documented for audit
purposes.
Product Design Leadership and Delivery
Approach:
Shape the approach for new products,
deciding on structure, assessment design
principles, and delivery models. Consider
hybrid and digital options early and ensure
solutions are scalable and accessible.
Provide direction to Technical
Developers/Product Developers on design
expectations and sign off key milestones.

Cross‑Organisation Coordination and
Stakeholder Alignment:
Coordinate product work across Regulatory
Compliance, Instructor Network, Industry
Partnerships, Systems & Operations,
Marketing and Customer Support. Build
agreement on scope, timelines, and
implementation. Bring insights from
customers, regulators, and industry bodies
into product decisions.
Quality, Compliance and Governance
Leadership:
Ensure products across the portfolio meet
Lantra quality standards and, where relevant,
regulatory obligations. Oversee
documentation, monitor adherence to
processes, and lead responses to audit or
compliance queries.
Funding and Commercial Positioning:
Assess whether products could or should
align with funding opportunities. Work with
colleagues to ensure products are structured,
documented and positioned in ways that
meet funding eligibility and sector
expectations.
People Leadership and Team
Development:
Provide leadership, coaching and line
management to Technical Developers and
Product Developers. Set expectations,
support capability building across product
types, and develop consistent ways of
working.

Continuous Improvement and Problem
Solving:
Identify process inefficiencies, gaps in
guidance, or recurring product issues. Work
with the Head of Product and relevant teams

Internal

•  Products with coherent design logic and clear

alignment to learning outcomes and assessment
methods.

•  Appropriate use of digital, blended, or

instructor‑led models to enhance reach and
relevance.

•  Strong first‑time quality, reducing rework.

•  Development and launch run smoothly,

supported by strong internal engagement and
well-coordinated communication across teams.

•  Shared understanding of risks, dependencies

and upcoming changes.

•  Stronger external relationships, especially with

industry bodies and subject experts.

•  High audit performance with minimal corrective

actions.

•  Consistent quality checks applied across all

product types.

•  Clear, accessible governance documentation.

•

Increased proportion of products eligible for
public or sector funding.

•  Product proposals that consider cost, viability,

delivery effort and market competition.

•  Better alignment between product strategy and

commercial growth.

•  A confident team with a strong shared

understanding of processes and quality
expectations.

•  Fair workload management and clear

development plans for each team member.
•  Ensures a consistent, standardised development
approach so all products are delivered to the
same high quality, reducing risk, improving
efficiency and enabling colleagues to work
confidently across the team.

•  More efficient development cycles with fewer

delays and clearer expectations.

•  Faster resolution of quality or delivery problems.
•  Documented improvements that reduce future

risk.

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to improve templates, workflows and
decision‑making pathways. Lead
investigations when issues arise and ensure
actions are completed.

Internal

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Internal

Number of Direct/Indirect Reports:
2-3 Direct Line Reports

Role Dimensions
Budget responsibility:
There
is  no  direct  budget  responsibility,
however,  the  post  holder  will  have  to  ensure
that Purchase Orders are diligently initiated as
required for project work that is required within
your direct or indirect purview and be skilled in
estimating project costs, tracking development
costs,  and  managing  the  project  budget  to
ensure financial objectives are met.

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Person Specification

Knowledge / Skills Required
Essential
•  Strong  project  management  skills  with
experience  delivering  multiple  products
simultaneously.

•  Understanding  of  product  development
processes  across  training,  qualifications
and/or digital learning.

•  Ability  to  interpret  market  insight  and
inform  product

feedback

to

customer
decisions.

•  Experience  applying  quality  assurance
processes and maintaining documentation
to organisational or regulatory standards.
•  Able  to  work  effectively  with  regulatory
frameworks  (e.g.,  Ofqual,  Qualifications
Wales,
Scotland
Qualifications
Accreditation) even if not a specialist.
•  Strong  communication,  collaboration  and

stakeholder-management skills.

•  Confident

leading  people,  providing
feedback,  and  supporting  professional
development.

•  Analytical

thinking  with

to
forecast  demand,  analyse  performance
data and identify improvements.

the  ability

Experience
Essential
•  A  minimum  of  1-2  year  of  experience  in
product  management,  with  a  focus  on
qualifications,
training  products  or  e-
learning.

Internal

Desirable
•  Understanding of instructional design principles or

pedagogical frameworks.

•  Familiarity  with  LMS  platforms  and  e-learning

design tools.

•  Familiarity with the needs of training providers and

industry standards for training programs.

•  Competence

in  budget  management  and

resource allocation.

•  Knowledge  and/or  understanding  of

the

industries/sectors Lantra works with.

Desirable
•  Previous  experience  working  in  an  Awarding
education-focused

similar

or

Organisation
business.

•  Experience managing external stakeholders, such

•  Proven track record in leading teams and

as training providers or instructors.

managing performance.

•  Experience  working  with  cross-functional
launch  new

to  develop  and

teams
products.

•  Demonstrable  experience  in  conducting
performance  reviews  and  managing  staff
development.

•  Experience

in

risk  management  and

resource planning in a project context.

Qualifications
Essential
•  Good secondary level of education (GCSE

English grade C or equivalent)

•  Familiarity  with  developing  products  for  varied
involving

industries,
those
professional training or certification.

particularly

•  Experience implementing  process  improvements

in a product development context.

•  Experience  working  with  industry  standards  or
regulatory bodies related to training or education.

Desirable
•  Degree in Education (or similar)

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Internal

•  A102: Introducing Assessment Practice or FAB An
Vocational

Developing

to

introduction
Qualifications (or similar).

Behaviours
Essential
Customer First

Commercially Driven

Collaborative

Camaraderie

Leadership

•  Professional Body Memberships

Desirable
•  Continually seeks improvements to customer service
•  Aims to solve customer problems quickly and in full
•  Rises to challenges to take ownership of customer issues
•  Understands  the  business  structure  and  their  role  in  achieving

business plan

•  Strives to get think commercially to achieve cost savings
•  Looks  to  streamlining  process,  costs  and  resources  to  focus  on

adding value

•  Encourages effective communication across all levels
•  Shares knowledge and information
•  Asks questions and checks understanding
•  Shares  knowledge  and
colleagues across teams.

information  with

team  members  and

Is approachable and open to the ideas of the team

•  Recognises and responds when others require help and support
•
•  Acts as a role model of the corporate values and behaviours
•  Develops  trust  by  delivering  on  promises  and  communicating  all

changes

•  Engages with others and makes suggestions or offers help when it is

needed

Personal Effectiveness

•  Take  ownership  of  a  task  they  have  been  allocated  and  follows

through

•  Plans  ahead  and  communicates  these  plans  to  those  who  need  to

know
Is more proactive than reactive in their approach
Is adaptable when the needs of their role or the organisation changes

•
•

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