Lead Product Manager - Ministry of Justice - G6

Location

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

The Role

We’re recruiting for two Lead Product Managers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative teams in Prisons Digital and the Office of Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). 

OCTO sets technical direction across the organisation. It defines standards, shapes shared platforms and ways of working, and supports teams to build and operate systems that are secure, reliable and sustainable 

Prison Digital is working to create the tools that support the Prison Service to provide decent, safe and productive places to live and work and support prisons to protect the public & reduce reoffending. We work with our users in prisons to provide modern tools that share information and give staff focused efficiency. 

These roles align against Lead Product Manager from the Government Digital and Data Framework. 

Lead Product Managers are accountable for the success of groups of products and services, ensuring they deliver value for users and the organisation. They are responsible for the leadership, development and performance management of product managers within their area, while remaining hands-on in shaping product strategy and supporting delivery. 

Lead Product Managers define and embed product management standards, practices and ways of working. They are experienced in leading multidisciplinary teams to discover, deliver and continuously improve products and services of significant scale and complexity. 

As a Lead Product Manager, you will have a proven ability to develop product visions, strategies and roadmaps, using user insight, data and evidence to drive decision-making. This is a high-impact role where you will align teams around outcomes, manage competing priorities, and make effective trade-offs to maximise value. 

As a product leader in our organisation, you will have a proven record of working with senior leaders, stakeholders and delivery partners. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Be a visible product leader, applying your expert level product management skills by leading and supporting multidisciplinary product teams through the full product lifecycle, from discovery through to product retirement. 
• Lead strategy development for your products and teams to create an articulate vision and achievable goals. You will iterate the product strategy and roadmap for an area of the justice digital portfolio which meets customer and organisation expectations, across digital and non-digital delivery, influencing and gaining support from senior leadership/stakeholders to gain buy-in. 
• Represent your products and build strategic and collaborative win-win partnerships with stakeholders, colleagues, other government departments and policy, to design products that are aligned to organisation and government strategy. 
• Role model the civil service values and behaviours to all those that you work with, supporting and leading a thriving, vibrant professional community of product managers, working with the Head of profession to teach, coach, mentor and continually contribute to mature an engaged product network across MoJ. 
• Ensure that the deliveries within your product areas add value by advocating and championing user needs, product vision, and MoJs mission, helping us to support the future. 
• Lead difficult and complex situations, anticipate problems, work within constraints and guide teams through complex decision making.to reach reasonable and acceptable conclusions for your stakeholders. If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply! 

Person Specification  

Essential 

• Strategic Ownership. The ability to develop and communicate a compelling long-term vision, strategy and roadmap for products and services. Able to align stakeholders around shared outcomes, influence strategic decision-making and ensure product direction supports organisational priorities. Creates strategic alignment across teams and supports others to develop effective product strategies. 
• Product Management. Expert in leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver valuable outcomes for users and the organisation. Able to define product strategy, prioritise effectively, manage dependencies and risks, and balance user, business and technical needs. Experienced in coaching others, establishing effective product management practices and supporting teams to deliver quality outcomes at scale. 
• Managing Product Outcomes. Able to define, measure and communicate product outcomes, ensuring decisions are driven by evidence and value. Uses data and insight to inform prioritisation, drive continuous improvement and maximise benefits for users and the organisation. Champions outcome-focused decision-making and supports teams to measure and demonstrate success. 
• Applying User-Centred Insights. A strong advocate for user-centred design and evidence-based decision-making. Uses qualitative and quantitative insight to shape strategy, prioritisation and product direction. Coaches others in understanding and applying user needs, and promotes the continuous use of research and insight to improve services and outcomes. 
• Stakeholder Relationship Management. Able to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, operational partners, suppliers and multidisciplinary teams. Skilled at influencing, negotiating and resolving complex issues, ensuring stakeholder needs are understood while maintaining focus on user and organisational outcomes. 
• Developing Self and Others. Committed to building capability through coaching, mentoring and continuous learning. Creates opportunities for individuals and teams to develop their skills, supports colleagues in taking ownership of their development, and fosters a culture of knowledge sharing, collaboration and continuous improvement. Encourages inclusive learning environments where everyone can grow and perform at their best. 

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance