Lead Product Manager

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need

We are looking for a Lead Product Manager in our Service Transformation directorate. We support service teams across central and local government to deliver a digital-first operating model and great services that everyone can access.

A blueprint for modern digital government is our guiding vision.

Job description

This is your opportunity to contribute to products of national significance, enabling the join-up of public sector services that improve the lives of citizens and support economic growth. 

Our Products include: the Service Manual and Service Standard, kickstarter initiatives supporting the government’s goal to Get Britain Working, service health and impact data, and digital inclusion initiatives.

Lead Product Managers are responsible for leading product development in the Service Transformation team.  You will need to:

• own and be responsible for developing and articulating a clear vision, strategy, proposition and roadmap, building relationships with other government departments and working collaboratively at every stage of delivery
• provide direction and leadership for multidisciplinary product teams in running, supporting and continuously improving products so that they meet user needs
• lead teams in assessing new information about business and user needs, and making decisions about which to meet and why
• coordinate product development with teams across service transformation, taking a lead when required and developing shared goals to build alignment.
• effectively prioritise - delivering incremental value
• be able to take unrefined ideas and develop them into clear product requirements, balancing operation and iterative product development with innovation
• maintain knowledge of the changing automation and AI-enabled landscape and the opportunities to improve the delivery of public services.
• coach and mentor other members of the product community, identifying learning and development opportunities for individuals and teams
• support the Deputy Director Service Transformation with development and implementation of the wider Digital Service transformation strategy

Learn more about what Lead Product Managers do in government.

Person specification

We’re looking for someone who has a track record of leading successful product development teams in a digital services environment. You’ll be guided by the fundamental principles of putting user needs first, focusing on delivery of outcomes over process, and being open and collaborative. You’ll be someone who wants to make a difference, by delivering simpler, clearer and faster public services that meet user needs.

We’re interested in people who have:

• strong product management experience in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to pivot and run with new ideas, working with both policy and digital professionals
• experience setting and iterating the product strategy, championing the vision and mission to win stakeholder support
• a track record of data-led monitoring of outcomes and continuous improvement of products
• strong communication and presentation skills that enable you to gain commitment and manage vendors, stakeholders and senior leaders (often from across multiple departments) including Ministers. Able to engage people in a variety of ways, to identify a common set of priorities, and explain what you are doing in clear and compelling ways
• experience of both public procurement and legislative process.
• experience navigating an ambiguous environment where complex risks are at play, taking steps to manage and mitigate as required.

If you meet most of these criteria but think that you might not meet every last one then don’t let that stop you from submitting an application.

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and for you to answer 2 application questions.
• a 60 minute video interview, including a 5 minute presentation on a topic set in advance. Details around the presentation task will be provided to shortlisted candidates

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is:

• Describe how you have led a product portfolio or end-to-end service and maintained product quality and value.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Communicating and Influencing 

• Making Effective Decisions

• Leadership

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Lead Product Manager role:

• Product Ownership
• Lifecycle Perspective
• Stakeholder Relationship Management
• Applying User-Centred Insights

Recruitment Timeline

Sift completion: Friday 24th October 2025

Panel interviews: starting week commencing Monday 3rd November 2025

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.

Sponsorship

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.