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:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• 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
GOV.UK is now the established digital interface between government and the public. It’s well used - with over 28 billion page views since go-live - and is consistently among the most-visited websites in the country. It’s extremely well known according to YouGov, and the signature design and logo is instantly recognisable as the trusted source of government information and services. GOV.UK has become truly essential to living, working and studying in the UK.

Our teams are organised around delivering on our priorities, which are to:

• grow GOV.UK to reach people when and where they need government information
• make GOV.UK more proactive in helping people
• evolve to match user expectations for new technologies

We are looking for a Head of Product to lead the continued development of GOV.UK web proposition, publishing tooling and platform, while supporting the programme’s ambitious strategy for growth.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As the Head of Product for GOV.UK, you’ll be responsible for growing and leading the high performing product teams in the GOV.UK directorate. In this role, you will be responsible for delivering critical government products and services to key stakeholders: citizens and government departments. These products operate at significant scale, are impactful through supporting citizens across every interaction with government, and are built collaboratively with government department partners to ensure these interactions are as simple and efficient as possible.
Reporting to the Deputy Director - Web, Publishing, Platform & Design System, you will develop a sustainable and engaged product community, who work together towards a common goal through strategic objectives and shared community goals, sharing learning and ideas openly. You’ll also be a key member of the GOV.UK Senior Management Team, leading on initiatives taking place across the directorate.
You’ll thrive using agile methods and enjoy working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams. Above all, you’ll want to make government better, which may sometimes involve challenging the status quo.

As a Head of Product, GOV.UK you’ll:

• contribute to a clear product vision, with key focus on balancing operational and iterative product development with innovation that meets or exceeds our growth strategy
• develop and drive an everyday culture of experimentation across all product teams, balancing experimentation of innovative experiences with operational efficiencies.
• provide ongoing direction and leadership for multi-disciplinary product teams in running, supporting and continuously improving products, so that they meet user needs while working toward measurable objectives and data driven outcomes.
• lead on OKR development and product roadmaps that support both strategic development and operational delivery
• be a visible leader who takes responsibility, while supporting the wellbeing and professional development of the product community in GOV.UK
• support GOV.UK’s Deputy Directors in the implementation of strategic initiatives and delivery of operational challenges

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)
• 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

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a 90 minute interview (conducted either in person or over video conferencing) - we will assess you against the behaviours listed in the “How you’ll be assessed” section as well as your ability, strengths, experience, technical/specialist skills. Candidates invited to the interview will be asked to give a short presentation. Full details of the presentation will be made available to all shortlisted candidates at a later date

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 Head of Product role:

• Agile working
• DDaT perspective
• Financial ownership
• Lifecycle perspective
• Operational management
• Problem management
• Product ownership
• Strategic ownership
• User focus
• Working within constraint