Senior Product Manager
Department for Business and Trade
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 29th September 2024
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About the job
Job summary
About OPSS
Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!
We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade. We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow.
Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence
Further information can be found on our website here.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are Inclusive
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Job description
About the team
We are the OPSS Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team, and we build digital services focused on product safety and regulation. Our digital services are ultimately responsible for protecting people and places from product related harm.
Our team is a mixture of civil servants and contractors that collaborate in agile service teams working on user centred designs.
We have an exciting portfolio of services that have internal and external users with further services in our pipeline for future development.
This is an exciting time to be at OPSS DDaT. As a fast-growing area of the Department for Business and Trade, we’re raising compliance standards across the board and making a real-world impact on millions of lives nationwide.
This is a senior leadership role for experienced product managers who will have the opportunity to develop and grow in the profession.
OPSS has sites in Birmingham, London and Teddington. This role can be based in either our Birmingham or London office. There will be a need to travel to our other sites on occasions.
About the role
As a product manager for OPSS DDaT, you will help define, explain and iterate a product vision that is compelling to your users, team and stakeholders. You will plan the work for multidisciplinary teams, helping to build out and deliver an exciting product roadmap.
This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your product ownership skills and experience. You will provide product manager mentoring and support a range of product management techniques across the team. You will have the opportunity to experience digital services at different stages of the product development lifecycle. As a senior product manager you will take responsibility for managing a product backlog, being a champion for user needs and making data driven decisions.
At OPSS DDaT, you will be part of a rapidly growing community of senior product managers working on a range of digital products and services. Along with the rest of the team, you’ll be helping lead OPSS colleagues through the service development lifecycle.
We'll also help to further develop you by providing training and experience of working on services throughout the product lifecycle. You'll learn skills and techniques that will help you to lead large and complex service teams and deliver results.
Our flexible working policy ensures a healthy work-life balance. We also nurture talent and offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities that will help you flourish in your role.
We work hard to maintain a positive working culture and are committed to helping you fulfil your potential. We value diversity and provide an open, inclusive and supportive environment to help you do your best work.
Key Responsibilities:
As a Senior Product Manager at OPSS, you will
- Lead a multidisciplinary team whilst taking digital products through the service development life cycle (discovery, alpha, beta and live)
- Have a detailed understanding of digital and Agile ways of working and coach a multidisciplinary team in applying Agile practices
- Be a champion for user needs to support the iterative delivery of your product
- Develop and iterate a product vision that is compelling to your users, team and stakeholders and provide strategic ownership of this vision throughout the product lifecycle
- Develop and maintain a high-level roadmap that helps users and stakeholders understand the direction and priorities of the service
- Make sure that users are heard throughout the delivery process and use their feedback to drive continuous improvement
- Set measurable goals for your product and report against these to demonstrate progress against stated benefits
- Represent the service to meet governance commitments
- Build an inclusive and collaborative working culture that listens to different views
- Play an active role in the OPSS DDaT community of practice as well as the cross-government product manager community
You can find out more about what we expect from a Product Manager here: https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/product-manager.
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
We would love to hear from you if you meet the following criteria:
- Agile working: is aware of agile methodology and how to apply the agile mindset to all aspects of their work and coach their team in its application
- Lifecycle perspective: understands the different phases of product delivery and can contribute to, plan or run these in line with realising the benefits of the product
- Operational management: able to manage the operational process of designing and running a product or service throughout its entire life cycle. Understands the various roles across the digital community and can leverage these relationships
- Problem management: understands and identifies problems, analysing and helping to identify the appropriate solution and builds problem solving capability in others
- Product ownership: captures and translates user needs into deliverables by working across varied and complex business and user areas
- Strategic ownership: focuses on outcomes, not solutions. Is bold and develops ambitious visions and strategies. Enables the organisation and team to buy-in
- User focus: understands users and can identify who they are and what their needs are based on evidence. Clearly demonstrates progress in meeting these needs through a variety of channels
- DDaT perspective: knowledge of digital standards and an ability to implement solutions that are accessible for all
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Product ownership
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
- A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.
It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.
Further Information:
- A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
- Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
- The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
- New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
- Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
- A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
- Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
- Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
- This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Erin Kehoe
- Email : OPSS.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
