Sparx Learning
Product Leadership Intern
Exeter, United Kingdom
About the role
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Job Title:</strong> <strong>Product Leadership Internship </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Company:</strong> Sparx Learning </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Location:</strong> Exeter, UK (with potential future opportunities in Bristol and London)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Job Type:</strong> Full-time Internship</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Duration</strong>: 12 Months</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Salary:</strong> £50,000</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Eligibility: </strong>Graduates and students graduating in 2027</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Intake:</strong> September 2027</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>About the Product Leadership Internship</strong></span></h1>
<h1><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>You’ve spent years learning. Now start building.</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This isn’t an internship where you watch from the sidelines.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Over 12 months, you will work on real problems affecting millions of learners, build practical product skills and contribute to live work from the start.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Product will be your home throughout the year, while you build a deep understanding of how the rest of Sparx works.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You will start broad, go deep, then bring what you’ve learned back into Product. You will begin by seeing how teams across Sparx work, from education and content to AI, engineering, design and the teams working directly with schools, then spend longer periods embedded in selected teams, taking ownership of live work. Finally, you will work with our Discovery team on new innovations before returning to Product to take ownership of a meaningful piece of work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">For people who thrive during the programme, there may be an opportunity to continue into a permanent role at Sparx.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>About the role / what you will be doing </strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Product team at Sparx is responsible for understanding which problems matter most, deciding what we should build and why, and bringing different teams together to make it happen.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Our Product people work closely with Engineering, Design, Education, Data and other teams to understand users, make decisions, set priorities and turn ideas into products that improve learning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">At Sparx, product leadership isn’t about arriving with a senior title or managing a large team; it’s about judgement: understanding important problems, making good decisions, taking ownership and bringing people together to solve them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Your year will look like this:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Autumn Term - Immersion</strong><strong><br></strong>You will spend a week with each of Engineering, Design, Insights, AI & Prototyping, Modelling, Content Design, Comms, School Success and Discovery, learning how each team works and how Product connects with them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Spring Term - Rotations</strong><strong><br></strong>You will spend six weeks in each of School Success, Content Design and AI & Prototyping, taking ownership of real work on live projects.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Summer Term - Application</strong><strong><br></strong>You will spend six weeks in Discovery before returning to Product for your final two months, bringing together what you’ve learned and taking greater ownership of meaningful product problems.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Who are we looking for</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We are looking for graduates and people graduating in 2027 who love learning, work at pace and feel a pull to solve problems that matter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You don’t need a particular degree, previous Product experience or coding experience. We care much more about how you think, learn and approach problems.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Curiosity & initiative</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You show energy and interest in learning new things and exploring ideas.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>High ownership, high pace</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You take responsibility, move work forward and care deeply about quality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Action-orientated problem solver</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You notice what's broken and feel a pull to fix it, not just talk about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Comfort with ambiguity</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You can act without perfect information and adapt quickly as new data emerges.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Low ego, highly collaborative</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You are reflective, respond well to feedback and draw on others’ expertise when needed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Thoughtful communicator</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You ask great questions, listen well and create clarity from complexity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Multi-skilled</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You bring a broad skillset shaped by interests, projects or experience beyond your core studies or role.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Strong judgement</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You make clear calls, prioritise well and challenge respectfully after understanding other perspectives.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>How is this different?</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>High-impact work, properly rewarded</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This is not “nice-to-have” work. You will contribute to products used by millions of learners and be trusted with meaningful responsibility from the start. The £50,000 salary reflects that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Access to senior leaders</strong><strong><br></strong>You will learn directly from senior leaders, including our CEO and founder, with regular access to feedback, challenge and support.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Cutting-edge technology</strong><strong><br></strong>You will work extensively with AI and emerging technology, using top-quality hardware and software to build better products.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Small cohort, strong support</strong><strong><br></strong>You will join a deliberately small cohort: enough peers to share the experience with, without getting lost in a large graduate scheme.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Pace, variety and autonomy</strong><strong><br></strong>Fewer layers, quicker decisions and real responsibility mean you will learn fast, experiment and build breadth across the business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Incredible office spaces</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You will be based in our brilliant Exeter HQ throughout the programme, with future opportunities to work in one of our other UK offices.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>A clear role to aim for</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">For those who thrive at Sparx, there may be future opportunities to take the lead on a Sparx product and help shape the future of education.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Whether you build your career at Sparx or take your experience elsewhere in the future, you will leave with practical, transferable skills and evidence of the impact you can make.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>About Sparx Learning </strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sparx Learning is a B Corp with a big mission: to improve lives and the world through learning. We build education technology that reimagines how children learn at home and in school, helping students, teachers and school leaders improve educational outcomes. We support more than 2.2 million students and 75,000 teachers across 2,600 schools, so the decisions we make have real impact.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Our culture is built around learning, innovation and respect, guided by our Sparx Standards: moving fast, taking ownership and elevating the people around us.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Benefits that support you</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We want people to enjoy life in and outside work. Our benefits include:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, with the option to buy five more days</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A generous personal development budget</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Private medical and dental insurance, life assurance, a virtual GP and employee assistance programme</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Company pension and enhanced family leave and pay</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Free, locally sourced organic meals when working from our Exeter office</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sustainable travel benefits, including green travel incentives, an electric car lease scheme and Cycle to Work</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://sparx-learning.com/work-with-us">More information about our fantastic working environment and benefits </a></span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>A few things you might be wondering</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Do I need a STEM degree?</strong> No. We care much more about how you think and solve problems than what you studied.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Is this a coding role?</strong> No. You will work closely with engineers, but the role is about understanding problems, making decisions and shaping what gets built.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Do I need product experience?</strong> No. You will learn what product work looks like at Sparx, and we will help you build your product skills throughout the year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Do I need to know exactly what career I want?</strong> No. Wanting to find out is enough. The internship is designed to help you explore your strengths and build a clearer sense of where you want to go next.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Can I apply if I require visa sponsorship?</strong> Unfortunately not. Sparx does not currently hold a sponsor licence, so we cannot progress applications that require visa sponsorship.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Key dates </strong></span></h1>
<p><strong>Applications close: </strong> 15th November 2026</p>
<p>We recommend getting your application in as early as possible, as we review applications on a rolling basis and may close the role at any time</p>
<p><strong>Recruitment process:</strong> September 2026 - January 2027</p>
<p><strong>Programme starts:</strong> September 2027</p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How to apply</span> </strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We know applications take time, so we have kept the process simple and transparent.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Stage 1:</strong> A short written application with a small number of questions. No CV or cover letter needed. If you answer no to any of the first 5 questions, we can’t progress your application.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>You’ll see an “upload your resume” section. That’s a default part of our application system. Please don’t worry about it, we won’t use it as part of the assessment.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Stage 2:</strong> A brief recorded video answering a couple of follow-up questions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Stage 3:</strong> A virtual screening call to learn more about each other and give you time to ask questions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Stage 4:</strong> An in-person assessment day at our Exeter office, where you will meet our CEO and a range of Sparx team members.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Learn more and apply here <a href="https://sparx-learning.com/work-with-us/internships">https://sparx-learning.com/work-with-us/internships</a></span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>For more information</strong></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://sparx-learning.com">Website </a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparx-learning/">Linkedin</a> </span></p>