Dr. Janice Turner, Product Manager in Romsey, United Kingdom
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Dr. Janice Turner

Verified Expert  in Product Management

Product Manager

Location
Romsey, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
October 16, 2020

Janice is a passionate product leader and innovative engineer whose mission is to bring ideas and products to life to delight users. She is a detail-oriented, pragmatic leader who always takes a people-first approach, whether that be understanding clients, collaborating with colleagues, or communicating with stakeholders. With more than ten years of leadership, project, and product management experience in multiple domains and technologies, Janice can flexibly adapt to any project's needs.

Project Highlights

Development and Publishing of a Tabletop Board Game and App
Took an idea for a board game from concept through product launch to retail, reading a new company along the way. Over the past two years, I have sold over 6,000 products to retailers, distributors, and consumers around the globe.
Introducing User Experience Design Through the Development of an Innovative UI
Led the creation of the first smartwatch user interface (UI) for radiation detection products, providing an intuitive and innovative UI for users while also introducing user experience design techniques to design engineers.

Expertise

Work Experience

Product Consultant

2023 - PRESENT
Stealth Startup
  • Assisted the founder in writing a proposal that secured their initial seed funding.
  • Helped define the product's shape before a development team was brought on board.
  • Led user research to ensure the right thing was built.

Chief Product Officer

2021 - PRESENT
Small Robot Company
  • Created order from chaos by analyzing existing information and research to provide company focus in the form of a roadmap I presented at an offsite event. Feedback from the staff was that it was the first time they had had such clarity and focus.
  • Led the transformation from a project-based organization to a product organization, including recommending team restructuring, changing the language to be more product-focused, and putting the right processes in place.
  • Oversaw the pricing and commercial model workshops, suggesting pricing models, leading the pricing levels, and reviewing contracts to ensure the SRC was adequately covered.
  • Managed the transition of three team members from non-product and junior product roles to product managers. Provided mentoring and assisted with their understanding of what is expected of them as product managers.

CEO | Founder

2018 - PRESENT
Wren Games
  • Shipped more than 6,000 products through 10 distributors and retailers (B2C) and internationally to 40+ countries through our eCommerce platforms (D2C).
  • Achieved the break-even in the first year of trading, with exports accounting for 55% of revenue.
  • Devised and executed the product marketing plan, which raised £40,000 through two crowdfunding campaigns.
  • Designed, priced, and launched nine new games and accessories, and a mobile app for iOS and Android.
  • Designed the best stocking filler game ranked number one by UK's largest tabletop gaming magazine.
  • Noted as a rising star in Mojo Nation 100, a listing of the most influential figures currently working in the world of toy and game design.
  • Designed one of the most accessible tabletop games as recognized by Meeple Like Us, an accessibility researcher, lecturer, and independent tabletop game reviewer.
  • Led the company to rank third on Hottest New Product Release in the Board Games category on Amazon UK at Christmas, overtaking Hasbro's Monopoly Fortnite.
  • Named Best Board Game Kickstarter by PC Gamer Magazine.

Product Manager in the Publishing Industry

2021 - 2021
James Syrow
  • Advised and demonstrated ways to raise engagement on their crowdfunding campaign, which achieved 300% funded.
  • Counseled on logistics, manufacturing, and fulfillment to ensure swift and efficient production of books.
  • Provided a review on the video streaming mobile app, suggesting improvements.

Senior Product Manager

2021 - 2021
Flux
  • Built the analytics MVP, including anonymized benchmarking, in less than three months.
  • Introduced best practices and Agile working methods into the team, creating more focus and improved clarity of communications between design, data, and engineering.
  • Improved the UI to make it more assessable and intuitive.
  • Wrote user stories and acceptance criteria, drew wireframes, and managed/prioritized the backlog.

Product Consultant

2021 - 2021
Portabl
  • Identified new opportunities to increase revenue post-MVP to open the platform to more users.
  • Designed the process to enable the platform to be scalable for international expansion, understanding how the underlying platform can be used to ensure the correct tax is charged depending on different country requirements.
  • Pulled together the roadmap to help provide the focus for the immediate and continued development of the web platform.
  • Wrote user stories and acceptance criteria, drew wireframes, and managed/prioritized the backlog.

Product Lead

2020 - 2021
Fielder One
  • Led the user interface design specification, simplifying the concept UI to reduce the burden on users to increase engagement.
  • Managed the prioritization of a roadmap to prevent the team from being distracted when creating the MVP.
  • Created the financial models for cash flow and future revenue to present to the board, secure ongoing funding, and present to investors.
  • Prepared the pitch deck and grant proposals for investors.
  • Wrote user stories and acceptance criteria, drew wireframes, and managed/prioritized the backlog.

Senior Product Manager

2016 - 2020
Symetrica Security Ltd.
  • Analyzed, evidenced, and authored technical compliance response to over 300 requirements for a $45.8 million US government tender.
  • Spearheaded capture, analysis, and prioritization of over 250 client requirements calling more than 30 external specification standards for Symetrica’s first civil nuclear installation.
  • Bid, won, and led a project to introduce qualitative and quantitative user-centered design (UX) techniques to Symetrica. These techniques are now used on other projects.
  • Transformed the project focus for a new user interface design project taking into account user feedback and creating the first React Native smartwatch-based user interface (UI).

Head of Research and Innovation

2015 - 2016
Expro Wireless Wells
  • Managed a team of engineers looking at next-generation technologies for the downhole well sensor.
  • Charged with the technology strategy plan, which included investigating technologies such as energy harvesting, next-generation battery technologies, high-temperature electronics, and unmanned maritime vehicles.
  • Identified the root cause of a major EMC issue during site installation. Designed and validated a quick and reliable in-the-field solution to enable an optimum installation, avoiding contractual penalties.
  • Designed and implemented a new soft skills competency framework and accompanying soft skills training program for over 40 engineers.
  • Turned an underperforming employee into a performing employee through my supportive approach to performance management.

Product Manager

2014 - 2015
Roke
  • Raised more than one million pounds in external contracts to develop my product, gekko, including spin-off projects.
  • Named inventor on multiple worldwide patent applications for my 2D wireless communications invention, which could be used to connect IoT sensors, and have a paper published on how it could be applied to wearables.
  • Realized the first sale of gekko, my novel 2D wireless communications and sensing invention.
  • Negotiated defense product declassification with UK's Ministry of Defense (MOD), allowing it to be sold internationally.

Project Manager | Product Manager

2010 - 2014
Roke
  • Delivered over 40 projects on time and budget across the full product lifecycle from greenfield to maintenance, covering research, software, and hardware.
  • Led a cross-functional team of 25 across multiple sites and managed 10+ subcontractors, with project values ranging up to £3.5 million.
  • Delivered a technically risky new product development to the UK MOD, cited as "the best prototype seen in-service" and held up as an example of success.
  • Specialized in project management for sensor technologies, managing and delivering a large number of sensor developments.
  • Led technical sales and business development activities for gekko, building up a network of more than 20 potential partners and clients.
  • Won the Woman of the Future Award in the Science category.
  • Received endorsement for my effective leadership, organization, and facilitation of workshops with 10+ internal, external, mid-level, and senior stakeholders.
  • Earned top marks (A or A+) in four MBA elective courses at the London Business School, studying technology strategy, change management, negotiation and bargaining, and team/organization leadership.
  • Led the procurement of manufacturing low-volume (100s) sensing products.

Senior Engineer | Junior Project Manager

2006 - 2009
Roke
  • Reduced the manufacturing cost of two radar altimeter products by 10% and reduced lead time by 15%.
  • Authored over ten international technical publications, including an article in New Scientist.
  • Named as an inventor on five global patent applications for my wireless 2D communication and sensing invention, Gekko.
  • Turned around a project that was consistently over budget and late, improving the relationship with both the customer and supplier, ultimately reducing the ongoing cost and enabling on-time delivery.

Development and Publishing of a Tabletop Board Game and App

http://www.wrengames.co.uk

Took an idea for a board game from concept through product launch to retail, reading a new company along the way. Over the past two years, I have sold over 6,000 products to retailers, distributors, and consumers around the globe.

Having had an interest in startups for a while, I started my own company in board game design and publishing a couple of years ago. After months of product development and marketing, I launched my first crowdfunding campaign.

The campaign funded almost 300% and raised over 20 thousand dollars. I then project managed the manufacture located in the UK, Germany, and China, and started preparing for the retail release.

The manufacture went without a hitch. However, our fulfillment partner informed me partway through fulfillment that all of my remaining stock, over 2,000 items, had gone missing with the fulfillment incomplete. After several months of negotiation and many searches, most of the stock was found. I negotiated the remaining missing stock reimbursement, including my time spent on sorting out this issue.

Since then, I have developed a product roadmap, launching three more tabletop games and expansions, and a digital app implementation with our latest game's app.

I have sold games to over 40 different countries with 55% of our turnover resulting from export sales. I continue to run the company as a hobby, having learned a lot about UX/UI design, social media marketing, and graphic design.

Introducing User Experience Design Through the Development of an Innovative UI

https://symetrica.com/products/verifinder-backpack/

Led the creation of the first smartwatch user interface (UI) for radiation detection products, providing an intuitive and innovative UI for users while also introducing user experience design techniques to design engineers.

I took this project from finding the opportunity and bidding on it to its delivery.

To find out what the users need, I developed relationships with a number of our potential users, including those from the fire department, police, and military. I organized and facilitated workshops to understand the operating scenarios our equipment would be used in, what they currently struggled with, and what they would like to see. The engineers were also involved in ensuring that the user perspective was considered during the design process and understanding how the products we made were used.

We specifically focused on the user interface (UI) for a body-worn sensor, but the information we gained was equally valid for our other products. We went into the first workshop thinking the solution was a UI on a mobile phone. However, after hearing the feedback, we realized this was not the right solution. The users needed both hands free at all times to do their job. We reflected and agreed that a smartwatch UI was the way forward and was also a benefit from a procurement perspective.

We refined the UI using questionnaires and demonstrations, enabling it to become a unique accessory to Symetrica's portable product portfolio.

Development of an Innovative Wireless Communication and Sensing Technology

https://www.roke.co.uk/innovations/gekko-surface-wave-sensing

Invented a 2D wireless communication and sensing technology with applicability to multiple markets. I took it from initial concept to sale to our first commercial customer, raising in excess of £1 million funding during the development.

Led the development technically and was also in charge of raising funds to continue developing the technology into a product while maintaining the product roadmap.

I also took the lead on the marketing and business development activities building up a network of over 20 potential users, partners, and customers.

To continue the development, I spearheaded the search for opportunities and bidding, resulting in several spin-off projects and bringing in additional revenue for the company. I was also the named inventor on five worldwide patent applications and authored more than ten international technical papers.

Ultimately, my work resulted in the sale of our first demonstrator kit to one of the customers I had developed a relationship with over the preceding years. They intended to include it in their next generation of products.

As a result of this project, I was nominated for and won an award in the Science category of the Woman of the Future Awards.

Development of a Handheld Military Sensor Product

https://www.roke.co.uk/products/groundhunter-wand

As a project manager, I took a low maturity product through the development cycle and then took it to the market as the product manager.

The UK Ministry of Defense needed a new sensor urgently. We had an outline design, but all the previous designers had retired, and there was no documentation. With a new technical team, we reverse engineered the design and brought it up to a robust prototype in just four months, which was cited as the best they had seen in-service. Throughout the process, we kept a close working relationship with users to understand their needs, particularly regarding the user interface.

This led to a further contract to fully develop the product to be used in service urgently. I led a team of 25+ engineers across two sites and over ten subcontractors to finalize the design, taking it through certification testing and manufacture in four months.

The device was very well received, and we had the ambition to add it to our product portfolio. However, it was considered a classified technology and could not be sold outside of the UK MOD. I led the negotiation to justify why the product itself should not be classified so highly instead of only specifics about its capabilities.

After many months of negotiation, I succeeded, and the product was downgraded, allowing us to sell it internationally to a specified set of countries.
2007 - 2013

Doctor of Engineering (EngD) in Engineering - Wireless Communications

University College London - London, UK

2001 - 2006

Master of Physics Degree (MPhys) in Physics with Space Science

University of Southampton - Southampton, UK

SEPTEMBER 2014 - PRESENT

Certified Product Manager

Product Focus, Ltd.

JANUARY 2012 - PRESENT

Chartered Physicist (CPhys)

Institute of Physics

NOVEMBER 2011 - PRESENT

IPMA® Level C: Certified Project Manager

Association for Project Management

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