SC Cleared Product Owner (Cloud Hosting) in Reading, Berkshire

SC Cleared Product Owner - Cloud Hosting
6 Months
£88 per hour (Inside IR35)
Hybrid working - 2-3 Days per week in Reading

My client are looking for an experienced Product Owner with a strong background in Cloud Hosting to join a major programme within the Defence and Aerospace sector. This role requires active Security Clearance and experience working within highly regulated, secure environments.

The successful candidate will be responsible for defining the vision, strategy, roadmap, and delivery of enterprise cloud hosting services, working closely with business stakeholders, architects, engineering teams, and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the Cloud Hosting product vision, strategy, and roadmap.
• Engage with business and technical stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into product features, epics, and user stories.
• Manage and prioritise the product backlog based on business value, dependencies, risk, and delivery capacity.
• Lead delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient cloud hosting solutions.
• Act as the primary liaison between business stakeholders and technical delivery teams.
• Ensure cloud platform services meet security, compliance, governance, and operational requirements.
• Monitor and improve product performance through appropriate KPIs and metrics.
• Champion customer experience, self-service capabilities, and continuous improvement.
• Support architects and engineering teams in shaping integrated cloud platform solutions.
• Manage risks, issues, and escalations relating to cloud hosting services.
• Align product delivery with wider technology and portfolio objectives.
• Stay informed of emerging cloud technologies and industry best practices, advising stakeholders accordingly.

Key Objectives

• Establish and mature the Cloud Hosting product function, including vision, strategy, governance, and backlog management.
• Deliver regular product increments and measurable business value.
• Ensure all product activities align with organisational standards, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive adoption of cloud hosting capabilities across the wider business.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience delivering IT products and services from requirements through to release.
• Proven Product Owner experience within enterprise-scale cloud environments.
• Strong understanding of Agile delivery methodologies, including Scrum.
• Experience managing product backlogs, roadmaps, and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of cloud hosting technologies and cloud operating models.
• Understanding of cloud integration concepts and enterprise architecture principles.
• Experience working within secure, regulated, or mission-critical environments.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrable experience working with senior business and technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of cloud security, governance, compliance, and risk management.

Desirable Experience

• Defence, aerospace, government, or other highly regulated industry experience.
• Experience with hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Knowledge of cloud financial management (FinOps).
• Understanding of service catalogues and cloud governance frameworks.
• Familiarity with SQL, Python, or related technologies.
• Previous line management or leadership experience.