Product Owner

Company Description

Te Tākinatanga | Our Story

At Contact, we believe home is the most important place in the world. That belief shapes everything we do, from leading the energy transition to how we power Aotearoa and care for our people and communities. 

We’re a power, broadband, and mobile company, but we’re also investing boldly in renewable energy and smarter, more connected ways of working (mahi). Our ambition is simple: to leave Aotearoa better than we found it. 

Guided by our tikanga, we’re a team who care deeply about the work we do, how we support one another, and the impact we have. Simply put, we touch lives to make life better. 

Our Digital Products team is at the heart of this transformation. We’re a passionate bunch, working across the business to deliver seamless, smart, and scalable digital experiences. We’re now looking for a Product Owner to join us and help shape the future of our digital and data products.

Job Description

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The Opportunity

As our new Product Owner, you will be the voice of the customer and the champion of our digital and data product vision. Reporting to the Domain Lead Platforms, you’ll work closely with Technology, Data, and Business teams to bring ideas to life - from concept to delivery.

You will own and refine the product backlog, prioritise features that deliver real value, and ensure our digital experiences are seamless, data‑driven, and impactful. You will also identify opportunities to improve performance, unlock insights, and drive commercial outcomes through smarter use of data and AI.

You’ll also:

• Translate business needs into clear user stories, data requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Motivate and guide development and data engineering teams to deliver fit‑for‑purpose solutions.
• Balance cost vs reward to define MVPs, sprint goals, and iterative delivery plans.
• Work closely with enterprise data teams to ensure products leverage trusted, scalable data assets.
• Partner with stakeholders across the business - from Finance to Legal to Marketing
• Identify opportunities to embed automation, analytics, and AI into product workflows.
• Report on product performance, insights, and outcomes to wider groups.

You’ll be joining a team that’s collaborative, future‑focused, and passionate about delivering digital and data solutions that make a real difference. Our Domain Lead Platforms leadership style is empowering and people‑centred - he’s all about enabling his team to take ownership, challenge the status quo, and grow in their roles.

Qualifications

Ko wai koe | About You

You’re a natural storyteller, a strategic thinker, and someone who knows how to bring people on the journey. You listen, ask the right questions, and translate complexity into clarity. You’re just as comfortable talking to developers and data engineers as you are to execs, and you know how to get the best out of a cross‑functional team.

Here’s what we’re ideally looking for:

• Deep knowledge of digital, data, and AI technologies and their business applications.
• Proven experience working across enterprise‑scale data environments (e.g., cloud data platforms, data governance, analytics, ML/AI).
• Experience leading cross‑functional squads through complex digital and data transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of digital product development and Agile/Lean methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to support teams through agile transformation and organisational change.
• Strong grasp of human‑centred design, user experience, and human‑computer interaction.
• Excellent communication, listening, and stakeholder engagement skills - you build trust quickly.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem‑solving and prioritisation capability.
• Commercially savvy and outcomes‑driven.

Bonus points if you have:

• Familiarity with architecture, data modelling, and digital software ecosystems.
• Experience in B2B/B2C, energy sector, AI & data platforms, or building developer experience products.
• Exposure to automation, machine learning, or operational AI use cases.

We know no one ticks every box, so if you’re excited about this role and think you’ve got the right attitude, technical expertise, and a solid foundation of Product Owner skills we’d love to hear from you!

Additional Information

We’re working in partnership with JOYN to support recruitment for this role. JOYN acts on Contact’s behalf as part of the hiring process. All candidate information is collected and managed by Contact and will be used solely for the purposes of your application, in line with our privacy obligations.

We support flexible working where it works for the individual, the team and the business. Our main hubs are in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga, and this role is best suited to someone who can work flexibly from one of these locations. We also have smaller sites across other major centres of Aotearoa and are open to applications from across Aotearoa (mōtu) where candidates can work flexibly from those centres. 

This ad will close on Wednesday 3rd June but we’re considering applications as they come in, so hop to it if you're keen!

Contact is not a place you’ll stagnate. We are growing and offer superb learning and development opportunities along with a bunch of other perks like free health insurance cover, boosted KiwiSaver, access to Contact Shares, a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing, a trail-blazing parental leave policy, twice yearly payments towards our products if you’re a Contact customer, and more!

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.

The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.

We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing – including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.

At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box. We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.

Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) does not accept any CVs received from recruitment agencies where a formal engagement has not been confirmed and agreed to with our Talent team. In the event that unsolicited CVs are submitted by recruitment agencies, Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current/future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency in question. This will also apply to any CVs sent directly to line managers.