Principal Technical Product Manager (Freelancer) New Hybrid / London

We recognise our people are the best thing about Red Badger and that a truly diverse workplace where people are free to be themselves is essential for great culture and great outcomes. If you like solving difficult problems, working with great people and making a real impact, join us and become a Badger.

At Red Badger, our purpose is to make a positive impact on the world around us. Our mission is to transform blue-chips into next generation digital product organisations.

We believe in creating opportunities for all. We benefit from diversity. That said, we're far from perfect - we want to be more diverse and representative. Join us and help make that happen.

Hybrid / London

Principal Technical Product Manager (Freelance)

Location: London (Hybrid 2 days, with on-site collaboration at client premises)

Engagement: Client-embedded, cross-functional delivery team

Product: New payment platform (completely greenfield) for a leading UK bank

Start Date: 1st September 2025. 6 month initial contract (likely to extend to 12M +). Immediate interviews. £competitive day rate outside IR35.

The Role

We are looking for a strategic and hands-on Principal Technical Product Manager to join our team and lead product thinking on our strategic client engagements. You will be responsible for shaping the development of new digital products and cloud-native tech platforms with sharp focus on business and user needs.

This role requires someone who thrives in complex environments, is fluent in digital product, platforms, and developer-first thinking, and can work closely with engineering, delivery and client leadership to deliver meaningful outcomes at speed.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and shape the technical product strategy and roadmap for digital products and platforms
• Define success metrics and ensure delivery aligns with both user needs and business value
• Represent internal user groups (e.g. developers, platform engineers, product teams) and ensure the platform delivers a world-class developer experience
• Translate high-level vision into an actionable, prioritised backlog and lead its execution through lean, iterative delivery
• Champion platform as product thinking - building not just tooling, but capability
• Act as a trusted partner to stakeholders across technology and business functions
• Navigate complex environments and build consensus on product direction
• Drive discovery, continuous validation and experimentation throughout the delivery lifecycle
• Influence and support cultural change toward product-led, platform-enabled delivery
• Share your knowledge across the Product discipline, mentoring others and strengthening our practice
• Support hiring, capability growth and thought leadership both internally and within the client team
• Contribute to evolving Red Badger's approach to platform and infrastructure product management

What You Bring

• Experience as a Product Manager in complex, technical environments - especially platforms, infrastructure or internal developer tooling
• Strong technical fluency - able to hold your own in conversations with engineers and influence architectural decisions
• Experience in regulated industries or financial services (e.g. payments, banking) is a strong plus
• Comfort working in hybrid client settings - on-site, remote and embedded within client teams
• A natural communicator, facilitator and stakeholder manager who can turn ambiguity into action
• Pragmatic and outcome-focused - biased for action, always guided by value

Diversity & Inclusion

Red Badger is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire, employ, train, promote and compensate regardless of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, creed and colour. We are fully focused on equality, and it is our fundamental belief that the fascinating characteristics that make us all different enable us to continue to do amazing work for our clients