Commercial Product Development Manager
Reports to: / Director of Customer Services
Department/Location: / Customer Services
Salary: / £48,751 - £61,750 per annum / Grade:12
Duration: / Permanent
Closing Date: / Monday 14 August 2017
Interview Date: / Wednesday 23 or Thursday 24 August 2017
Job Purpose
Oversee all elements of the product lifecycle to develop innovative, attractive and commercially viable retail products, services, schemes that are underpinned by effective business processes fully utilising available technologies and delivery channels. Lead commercial negotiations and agreements with stakeholders, operators and external service providers.
Organisational Chart
Dimensions
Oversee the development of innovative, attractive and commercially viable retail products, packages, schemes and agreements including utilisation of available technologies to improve the customer offer, support demand growth and income generation.
Staff:The Concessions & Ticketing Products team consists of 5 staff (2 direct reports).
Budget:SYPTE’s Ticketing Scheme supports the travel needs of approximately 350,000 people and has a budget of over £32m per annum.
Interface:More than 500,000 multi-operator pre-paid ticketing products (TravelMaster) are sold in South Yorkshire every year. Revenue for 2017/18 is expected to be £23.4m
Responsible for managing and leading the provision of a central advice, support and product and business process development service to all customers, stakeholders and partners that use the organisation’s ticketing schemes, ticketing products and associated services and channels, influencing public transport providers to improve their ticketing offer
General Responsibilities
  • SYPTE’s aim is to provide the best Public Transport system possible. The objective is the pursuit of excellence in meeting the needs of all potential passengers.
  • SYPTE is fully committed to the active promotion of equal opportunities in its capacity as an employer. It is the individual responsibility of every employee to seek to ensure the practical application of this policy.
  • Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, all employees are required both to take care of their own health and safety and that of other employees and to co-operate with their employers in complying with their statutory duties.
  • All Line Managers must ensure that SYPTE’s Health and Safety Policy is implemented effectively along with ensuring safe working practices and conditions are in place within the areas under their control.
  • SYPTE and its Managers are fully committed to the learning and development of employees.

Responsibilities/Key Accountabilities
  1. Lead, motivate and develop the team responsible for the delivery of a retail and product offers to all customers and stakeholders that is underpinned by effective processes and services which positively influence the use of public transport.
  1. Lead all elements of the product development and implementation lifecycle and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive’s (SYPTE’s) Ticketing Strategy & Policy to develop innovative, attractive and commercially viable or politically expedient retail products, channels, services and schemes which are transparent and simple to use for all our customers.
  1. Continually review and monitor our product portfolio, maintaining knowledge of comparative products and technologies, to develop new products or enhance existing ones maximising use of available technologies and minimise SYPTE, TravelMaster (TMP – the independent Multi Operator ticketing company assisted by SYPTE) and Partners’ operating costs.
  1. Oversee and lead market appraisal and needs assessment activities to identify opportunities for new target market products and services and implement specific products, schemes and services for various market segments, based around evidenced customer need(s) and robust business cases to ensure each product has a viable customer base.
  1. Act as the primary SYPTE stakeholder to the TravelMaster Panel (TMP) supporting the independent Multi Operation Ticketing Company to assist in the development and delivery of TMP objectives ensuring that TMP products complement the range of products available through SYPTE
  1. Lead negotiations and all commercial agreements with external partners and stakeholders (e.g Transport for the North) in relation to all products, schemes, and systems ensuring any changes or technical developments are focussed on the delivery of an efficient and attractive and simplified ticketing customer proposition.
  1. Lead work with our Marketing Team to promote all products, services and schemes through effective campaigns to ensure these are attractive to our customers, maximise take-up and promote growth of income generation.
  1. Oversee and lead the management on concessionary travel schemes and reimbursement with agencies and retail channels for ticket sales in order to expand the organisation’s retail channel network and drive sustainable patronage growth.
  1. Ensure that all products, services, systems and transactions comply with all Financial Regulations and that financial control, management and payment systems are consistent with statutory requirements.
  1. Manage the effective utilisation of the Team’s budget to ensure cost effective delivery of responsibilities outlined above.
  1. Any other duties commensurate with the post as directed by the Director of Customer Services

Planning and Organisation:
  • Establish clear measurable section objectives that contribute to the delivery of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and Sheffield City RegionCombined Authority (SCR CA) objectives and targets and positively support TravelMaster Panel (TMP) in the delivery of its Business Plan.
  • Organise section development activities and implement improvements to processes/services in order to meet SYPTE/SCR CA and TravelMaster Panel (TMP) “Client” objectives and targets.
  • Oversee the production of, and also produce and maintain reports and reporting processes to inform internal and external partners of the team outputs and carry out this activity on both a routine and ad hoc basis.
  • Pro-actively analyse and act on new and changing requirements, including new funding opportunities, wider public policy and legislation.
  • Arrange, organise and attend internal and external meetings as necessary both during and outside normal office hours, both individual projects and at a partnership level.
  • Identify ways of improving team and organisational efficiency through the effective use of resources.

Decision Making and Use of Judgement
  • Make day-to-day decisions on operational matters to aid the efficient functioning of the section.
  • Use and interpret information from the SCR Combined Authority/Transport Committee/ Executive Board/ Management Board, TMP, Senior Managers and external sources on partnerships, DfT and other funders to prioritise and allocate staff and financial resources effectively to meet joint priorities.
  • Actively lead and participate in organisational decision making through membership of informal and formal groups, committees and project teams.
  • Determine the best ways of securing services and ensuring best value for SYPTE.

Essential Internal and External Relationships
  • Ensure that the key responsibilities assigned are delivered to target by:
i)Forming, developing and maintaining relationships with Partners, Operators/ Local Authorities/ Funding Bodies etc.
ii)Develop and maintain effective relationships with all internal and external clients and Departments.
iii)Managing multi discipline Project Teams including in-house staff, Partnerships and Professional Advisors and contractors.
  • Work collaboratively with other team members and other employees within SYPTE and with TravelMaster Panel (TMP) and its partners/consultants.
  • Deal professionally with internal and external customers, clients, suppliers, contractors and external service providers, respecting the various needs for confidentiality.
  • Negotiate and liaise with suppliers, contractors and external service providers to ensure best value/level of service for SYPTE and our customers.

Person Specification – essential (E) & desirable (D)
(How identified – application form (A) & interview (I)
Knowledge / E/D / A/I
Degree, or equivalent professional attainment in a relevant subject / E / A
Extensive knowledge of product development processes and requirements / E / A/I
Professional sector knowledge – Experienced practitioner and makes policy - / E / I
Knowledge of the current and emerging best practice in ticketing product and service development / D / A/I
Skills:
Administration skills – Reviews and progresses action plans / E / I
Analytical and numeric skills – Interprets data to formulate plans / E / I
Computer literacy skills – Uses computer technology to support performance and provide business analysis and interpretations / E / I
Financial and commercial awareness – Makes informed decisions based on financial and commercial considerations / E / A/I
Literacy skills – Presents written information persuasively to sustain an argument / E / A
Managerial skills – Takes action to balance the pros and cons of distinct courses of action / E / I
Project management skills – Ensures projects are delivered within scheduled commitments / E / I
Influencing Skills – Be able to make persuasive arguments which positively influence the organisation and partners delivery decisions / E / I
Behavioural Competencies:
Living our Values:
Customer & Stakeholder Driven – Uses a long-term focus to address issues/ concerns / E / I
Team Working – Works to build team commitment / E / A/I
Integrity & Respect – Takes personal risks to do the right thing / E / I
Achieving & Challenging – Adds value by calculating risk and requirements / E / I
Leading our People:
Engaging the Team – Builds commitment to a compelling vision / E / I
Delegation and Empowerment – Gives full authority / E / I
Managing performance – Takes appropriate action in response to performance and contribution / E / I
Delivering with and Through Others:
Building & Managing Relationships – Manages key relationships / E / I
Influencing & Persuasion – Builds engagement / E / I
Flexible & Adaptable – Re-assesses objectives where appropriate / E / I
Delivering our Objectives:
Embracing Change – Embeds change for organisational success / E / I
Developing Self & Others – Provides long term opportunities / E / A/I
Research with External Focus – Commissions/carries out research / E / I
Determining our Agenda:
Initiative – Takes action to release service improvements in the medium-term / E / I
Strategic Focus & Critical Reflection – Relates what we are doing now to our broader strategic purpose / E / I
Decision Making – Makes strategic business decisions / E / I
Experience / E/D / A/I
Extensive relevant experience in a similar senior level commercial product development and stakeholder management role / E / A/I
Extensive experience in development, negotiation and agreement of complex commercial agreements and arrangements with stakeholders and partners / E / I
Extensive experience of managing external “Clients” and mobilising pan-organisation internal resources / E / I
Extensive experience in leading and managing activities across all aspects of the product life cycle in a relevant or similar environment / E / A/I
Experience in the analysis of complex data sets in a practical environment / E / I
Experience of using analytical tools for cost analysis and reimbursement allocations / E / I
Experience of PRINCE2 (or equivalent) project management processes / D / I
Post Holder / Line Manager
Agreed by: / Agreed by:
Signature: / Signature:
Date: / Date: