Digital product owner

Digital product owners lead a team of specialists to build online products and services for customers.

In this guide

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a digital product owner, you'll:

  • work closely with your teams
  • look at user feedback to help improve the product
  • work with designers to make the product easy to use
  • develop business cases and user stories for new features
  • work with the design team to draft versions of your product or service
  • keep people informed about your product's development
  • manage relationships between teams, partners and customers

Working environment

You could work in an office or at a client's business.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could apply for a more senior jobs, such as head of product or senior product manager.

Some product managers also become self-employed consultants.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • analytical thinking skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Most relevant

  • Business - Digital product owners develop business cases for new features, manage stakeholder relationships, and make strategic decisions about what to build next. Understanding business models, market analysis, and how organisations create value is central to prioritising what matters most for customers and the company.
  • Computer Science - Digital product owners work closely with software development teams and need to understand how digital products are built, from databases and APIs to front-end interfaces. This technical understanding helps them have informed conversations with developers and make realistic decisions about what's feasible.
  • Mathematics - Digital product owners use data analysis to understand user behaviour, measure product performance, and decide which features to prioritise. Working with metrics, conversion rates, and statistical trends is a regular part of making evidence-based product decisions.
  • English Language - Digital product owners write user stories, business cases, and product updates that need to be clear and persuasive for different audiences – from developers to senior leaders. Strong communication skills are essential for keeping teams aligned and explaining the vision behind a product.

Also relevant

  • Psychology - Digital product owners rely on user research and feedback to shape what they build, which means understanding how people think, behave, and make decisions. Knowledge of psychology helps them design products that genuinely meet user needs and feel intuitive to use.
  • Design and Technology - Digital product owners work with designers to prototype and iterate on product ideas, turning concepts into usable interfaces. Understanding the design process – from identifying a problem to testing solutions – mirrors the iterative way digital products are developed.
  • Economics - Digital product owners need to understand market dynamics, customer demand, and how to allocate limited resources effectively. Economic thinking helps them weigh up trade-offs, assess the value of new features, and understand the competitive landscape their product operates in.
  • Sociology - Digital product owners need to understand the diverse groups of people who use their products, including how different communities interact with technology. This awareness helps them ensure products are inclusive and meet the needs of a wide range of users.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • specialist courses

You could do a degree or postgraduate qualification, then start on a graduate training scheme with an employer. Most subjects are acceptable, for example:

  • project management
  • business management
  • business analytics
  • marketing

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

More Information

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Digital Product Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Project Manager Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship

These can take between 2 and 4 years to complete.

After finishing your apprenticeship, you'll need to get experience working in digital delivery teams before getting a job as a product owner.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

You could start out in a junior or assistant role. Employers will set their own requirements, though an understanding of some of the following might be helpful:

  • product marketing
  • customer experience
  • user research
  • business change management
  • agile project management methods like Scrum, Kanban and Lean

If you do not have work experience, there are some things you can do, such as:

  • develop skills in data analysis
  • study online about the role of digital product management
  • take a specialist course in product management
  • join online product management communities for tips and networking opportunities

Further information

You can find out more about working in the digital industry from techskills.

This page contains original content developed by Coffee With Ltd. You may share this page as a link but you must not copy the content or use it with AI tools. All rights reserved.