Head of Product (The Mesa)

Who We Are 

I.G. Advisors (I.G.) is an award-winning strategy consultancy specialising in social and environmental change. Our mission is to build the capacity of non-profits, businesses and philanthropists to achieve impact and growth — from grassroots organisations working tirelessly in their communities through to those seeking large-scale, systemic change. Our collective intelligence, unparalleled cross-sector network and hands-on team expertise makes us the advisor, partner and employer of choice, allowing our clients to better achieve their goals. The Mesa came about through our Sector Transformation work, where we use our cross-sectoral knowledge and experience to deliver new ideas, projects and thought leadership to #FixTheFlow of resources for good. 

The Mesa is an exciting new B2B technology focused on social good that has been incubated by I.G., in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Mesa empowers philanthropic intermediaries (banks, advisors, community foundations, nonprofits and donor collectives) to build thriving, interactive and impactful online communities. With The Mesa, an intermediary now has a completely customizable, trusted and private hub where their members or clients can connect with like-minded peers, develop their philanthropic prowess and become more ethical stewards of wealth. The I.G. team is based across the UK, with global roots.  

We are a mission-driven firm, a certified B Corp and our values underpin everything we do: 

• We are Dynamic: We move fast with care and bring energy and enthusiasm to all we do. 
• We have Integrity: We have a fundamental responsibility to be honest, ethical and true to our values. 
• We are Performance Driven: We aim to deliver the best work for our clients, partners and each other. 
• We are Challenging: We won’t settle for the status quo. We constantly push our clients, and ourselves, to do better. 

With a focus on sustainability and scale, we have reliable funding through our start-up period. 

The Role 

As Head of Product you will own the entire product roadmap & strategy, improving and optimising the product for customers, identifying new markets, refining existing features and building new ones on the platform. Your focus will be on 360-degree product development enabling seamless integration between all the work streams with a focus on long-term sustainability. You will be establishing a lot of ‘firsts’ in terms of our operations for The Mesa. 

You will act as the bridge between Sales, Operations and Engineering teams, focusing both on the customer and the technology, and making sure all needs are represented and speak to each other so there is a common understanding of business goals and objectives. You will be the member of the team who understands the customer inside and out, and is accountable to the customer for the decisions we as an organisation make. At the same time, you will be the Project Lead on the Agile Team, overseeing every aspect of product development in partnership with our technology partner, Lightful. This includes defining and prioritizing the platform backlog, so it maintains technical integrity and excellence.  

This role will be working on the senior leadership team, reporting directly to the Managing Director of The Mesa.  

 Strategy & Operations  

• Help to define and articulate the vision and strategy for The Mesa, in order to establish it as a leading technology for the social impact sector.  
• Continue to evolve The Mesa’s business model by refining our pricing structure, defining the product bundles, and articulating the ROI for customers.  
• Work closely with the Managing Director in developing new systems and processes to ensure the platform and support services are becoming smoother, more sustainable and ready for scale. This includes, but is not limited to, our Help Desk and customer onboarding.  

Product & Project Management 

• Lead in the development and prioritization of the product roadmap to ensure The Mesa is creating a quality product with clear USPs.  
• Ensure the technology is adapting and improving by scoping new features and functionality, refining current technology, and prioritising most urgent needs.   
• Work closely with Lightful’s tech / UX team to establish feature acceptance criteria that ensure a seamless customer experience.  
• Participate and/or lead on client-facing calls and meetings as the product head and advocate in those discussions. 
• Take responsibility for overall opportunities and risks for The Mesa, and lead on appropriate action, in consultation with team. 
• Manage necessary contract negotiations with technology providers.  

Leadership and Team Management  

• Lead on the hiring of technical staff – specifically a Salesforce implementation / support specialist, when relevant.  
• Successfully manage the evolution of The Mesa, ensuring effective communication, consultation and implementation of refinements to standards and templates.  
• Lead with integrity, inspiring confidence and managing in a transparent and consultative way, taking responsibility for problems. 
• Foster a culture of feedback and collaboration, and implement processes that ensure all work is of a suitable standard before being sent. 
• Recommend and evaluate team objectives for the benefit of the staff and The Mesa. 
• Contribute to management discussions and strategic decision making where appropriate.  
• Be the go-to person for all things technology within The Mesa. 

Who You Are 

The role of Head of Product is dynamic, varied and constantly evolving. Our goal for The Mesa is to go above and beyond expectations, delivering innovative and tailored solutions to our customers.  

No two days are ever the same for The Mesa team: as a start-up initiative, our team wears many hats (sometimes at the same time) and with great ambition comes the need for great people. Our Head of Product will be: 

• An expert technologist with 7-10 years of related work experience in a SaaS-type business.  
• Well versed in Salesforce, specifically Lightning Web Components, with a proficient understanding of 3rd Party Apps.  
• Knowledgeable about the trends and priorities in technology, social impact, and community building. 
• A stellar communicator with clear and persuasive verbal and written communications. This includes native level fluency in English (regardless of first language). 
• A first-class relationship manager who has a proven track record of building and maintaining strong partnerships with clients and vendors.  
• Experienced with project management structure and deadlines, and knowledge of how to prioritise urgency and importance of tasks and goals. 
• A person who thrives working with a small team in a flexible and fast-paced environment, as well as being a self-starter who can manage workload and assignments independently.  
• Experienced in discretion and have an ability to handle confidentiality with high profile individuals or private philanthropic entities. 

Role Specifics  

• Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 
• Hours: Full Time, Monday – Friday   
• Location: Remote working to start, UK-based 
• Benefits: Pension, private health insurance, 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays, your birthday, and winter holiday shutdown), flexible working policy.  
• Reporting to: Managing Director