Associate Director, Product Innovation

S&P Global, Inc.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global financial services firm based in Greater London is seeking a Product Innovation Leader to shape the strategic direction of their core credit ratings business. The ideal candidate will have at least 7 years of experience in product management and a deep understanding of the credit ratings ecosystem. This role focuses on driving product innovation and enhancing market positioning through high-impact projects. Candidates should excel in collaborative environments and possess strong analytical skills and methodologies knowledge. Expect competitive compensation and opportunities for growth within a market-leading organization.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of experience in product management or related roles.
• Proven success in leading product launches and strategic initiatives.
• Ability to operate in a highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-impact projects across product development and operational efficiency.
• Shape product strategy to enhance business growth.
• Analyze product performance and implement customer-driven improvements.

Skills

Customer-centric approach

Data-driven decision making

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Innovation methodologies expertise

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher qualification

Job description

About the Role

Grade Level (for internal use): 11

The Team / The Business: This role is in the Product Innovation team within the S&P Global Ratings Commercial department. The team engages with Issuers, Intermediaries, and Investors to understand emerging risk-related products and services and to develop new product opportunities, including extensions to the existing product suite and enhancements to the Ratings360® platform. Ratings360® provides Issuers with workflow capabilities and a holistic view of their credit story through access to premium content and data.

The Impact: This role shapes the strategic direction of the core credit ratings business by translating market insights into innovative solutions and enhancements for the product portfolio. By leading high-impact initiatives and managing the innovation pipeline, the role ensures our credit ratings offerings remain competitive, relevant, and aligned with evolving customer needs. The work directly influences organizational growth and strengthens our position as a market leader in providing credit ratings.

What’s in it for you: You will collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, gaining exposure to strategic decision-making and high-impact projects. The role offers opportunities to work with colleagues globally to shape the future of credit ratings products and drive innovation within a market-leading organization. Your contributions will be recognized as essential to the company’s growth and industry leadership.

Characteristics of an ideal candidate: The ideal candidate is customer-centric and data-driven, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability. The candidate needs to have a deep understanding of the credit ratings or capital markets ecosystem and can lead and influence in a highly collaborative environment with global colleagues. The candidate should be adept at operating in a highly regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead high-impact projects across product development, innovation, and operational efficiency.
• Shape product strategy to drive business growth and strengthen market leadership.
• Analyze product performance and implement improvements for greater customer value.
• Prioritize and develop business cases for new ideas to accelerate product development.
• Mentor and develop team members to foster a culture of innovation and high performance.
• Capture customer insights to inform product enhancements and strategic decisions.
• Design market engagement plans to strengthen product positioning.
• Maintain project plans and status updates to ensure alignment and transparency.
• Support the commercial product organization in achieving team OKRs.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards to protect business integrity.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher qualification.
• An S&P Global employee at this level would typically have 7 years of experience in product management, innovation, project management, strategy, or consulting roles.
• Proven success leading company-wide initiatives, especially product launches.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to define requirements for new product development.
• High energy and adaptability in fast-paced environments, demonstrating curiosity and an innovative mindset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English, particularly in translating requirements into stories/deliverables and communicating progress of development with senior executives.
• Expertise in innovation and product development methodologies (e.g., Pragmatic Institute, Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework).

Notes to applicants:

• All employees are required to work from the office a minimum of 2 days per week
• We require all candidates who reach the final stage of our interview process to attend at least one in-person interview, ordinarily at the nearest S&P Global Ratings office. This must be completed before we can proceed to an offer

About S&P Global Ratings This division provides analyst-driven credit ratings, research, and sustainable finance opinions to translate complexity into clarity for market participants. S&P Global Ratings is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI).

We are committed to fostering a connected and engaged workplace where all individuals have access to opportunities based on skills, experience, and contributions. Our hiring practices emphasize fairness, transparency, and merit.

Equal Opportunity Employer

S&P Global is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, military veteran status, unemployment status, or any other status protected by law. Only electronic job submissions will be considered for employment. If you need an accommodation during the application process due to a disability, please email [e-mail].

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