Lead Product Manager - Government Digital Service - G6

Location

London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

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.

The Products & Services Directorate (P&S) within GDS is responsible for the GOV.UK app, as well as common capabilities, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use:

• GOV.UK app: building a personalised and proactive relationship with users, making it easier to interact with government 
• GOV.UK AI: maximising opportunities of current technological advances to develop citizen facing AI experiences
• GOV.UK Mailbox, GOV.UK Pay, GOV.UK Notify, GOV.UK Forms and Emergency Alerts: building services once, to be used across government, local authorities and police forces

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

Job description

We are seeking a Lead Product Manager in the GDS Product and Services directorate. These are unique roles in government leading nation scale products that will be used by millions of citizens, across government departments and the wider public sector. This includes products such as GOV.UK Mailbox - our new communication platform for citizens, and GOV.UK app - which will provide a personalised experience for citizens interacting across government.

A lead product manager is responsible for a product portfolio or end-to-end service, and the delivery of product quality and value. They work with teams to identify, implement and improve strategies and tactics for their products. They are a member of the management team for their product area and provide product leadership and direction across multiple teams.

As a Lead Product Manager for GDS, you’ll:

• own and be responsible for developing and articulating a clear vision, proposition and roadmap for your product area, aligned to the wider product strategy 
• lead multidisciplinary product teams day to day in running, supporting and continuously improving products so that they meet user needs
• manage the prioritisation for your product, balancing live service needs with continual improvement
• lead teams in assessing new information about the needs of potential users of the platform, and making decisions about which to meet
• promote the platform across the public sector
• coordinate product development with other products, disciplines and teams across the GDS and the government
• maintain knowledge of the changing digital and technology landscapes, and the opportunities they provide to improve the delivery of public services in the UK
• coach and mentor other product managers in your areas, identifying learning and development opportunities for individuals and teams
• support the Head of Product with development and implementation of wider product strategy

Person specification

The Lead Product Manager role will be assessed against our GDaD Capability Framework. In addition to below, please review the skills that will be assessed here.

We’re interested in people who have experience of:

• product managing high‑volume digital products in a fast‑paced, agile environment, working with multidisciplinary teams from discovery through to delivery and continuous, data‑led improvement of live services
• owning and evolving a product’s roadmap and priorities, ensuring a balance between new delivery and reliable, effective live service operation
• developing and improving a product’s operational maturity as well as ensuring a consistent approach to user and technical operational support
• leading and directing stakeholder engagement, using strong communication skills to align on needs, priorities and delivery decisions
• contributing to the development of product and commercial strategies, helping to secure funding and ongoing support
• working in or with public sector organisations, including cross-organisational working and navigating spend control processes and procurement
• recruiting, coaching and line management of product managers, identifying learning and development opportunities for individuals and teams