JOB SUMMARY

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.
We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.
Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.
Watch our video to see what we do at Defence Digital!
Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

JOB DESCRIPTION

As Lead Product Managers, you will be at the forefront of delivering the right capabilities to support the UK’s Defence strategy. You will own the life cycle of your product, ensuring it aligns with Defence priorities and delivers maximum operational value. Your responsibilities will include ensuring your team understands and executes tasks of the highest priority, optimising resources to maximise their impact, and collaborating directly with cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact solutions.
In this role, you will also mentor and coach junior Product Managers, supporting their development and building expertise across the organisation. With potential oversight of complex products or larger teams, you will play a key role in maintaining stakeholder alignment and delivering innovative, mission-critical outcomes that strengthen the UK’s Defence capabilities.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are seeking enthusiastic and motivated Lead Product Managers to enhance our Product Management team. The ideal candidates will be adaptable, perceptive, and comfortable working in a fast paced and complex environment.
It is crucial that you have the capability to mentor and guide teams in Agile and Lean practices. As a recognised expert and proponent of these methodologies, you should constantly reflect and encourage the team to innovate or adapt new practices.
The successful candidates will also be trained as service assessors to participate in both internal and cross-government service assessments.

When submitting your CV, please highlight the essential criteria listed below:

• Extensive experience working in one or more Agile frameworks.
• Experience in a mixed environment where Agile interfaces with other delivery methods (e.g. Waterfall) collaborating to arrive at pragmatic compromises.
• Have a clear understanding of the difference between product development and bespoke customisation.
• Experience in strategic planning, product ownership, and a user focused approach is essential.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• User Focus
• Establishing and using a Product Vision and Strategy

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Flexible working options- we understand the importance of adapting work to your life.
• Inclusion and diversity- our culture celebrates uniqueness and encourages collaboration of diverse thought.
• A pension scheme which secures your future.
• Generous annual leave- starting with 25 days and growing to 30 after just 5 years.
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to volunteer for military or emergency service reserve commitments.
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms
• You can read more here- Civil Service Employee Benefits , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

HYBRID WORKING

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity.  Requirements to attend other locations for official business or work in another MOD office will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).  The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.  This post is working 37 hours per week.
Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD 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/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Things you need to know

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• User Focus
• Establishing and using a Product Vision and Strategy
  In addition to the interview, you will be required to present for 5 minutes on a topic related to the role. The topic of the presentation will be sent to you at least 24 hours prior to your interview. We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews or assessments.
  The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
  If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk.
  As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
  Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
  Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

• Balancing resources between teams to ensure the overall outcomes are aligned to product vision and use of resources are optimised to deliver best value.
• Encourage and facilitate continuous improvement of the delivery team.
• Develop and execute product strategy that keeps key stakeholders informed, aligns to product vision, and ensure customer value is prioritised.
• Communicate the product vision and strategy and progress towards outcomes both internally to the team and externally to stakeholders.
• Work with the problem owner to ensure problem is fully understood and product solution meets their needs.
• Provide information needed to enable users to make the most of the products its life cycle, e.g. ensure service management has timely access to product and information so they can support it.
  Please refer to the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for more information about the skills required for this role:
  Product manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk)