Senior Product Manager

at  Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government

JOB SUMMARY

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives.
Whether it’s through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.
We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK.
We’re looking for a high performing and self-motivated Senior Product Manager to lead our Digital Engagement and Assurance Team. Setting up new digital services is becoming commonplace in the Department, but the processes we have in place to guide and assure teams to do this are not yet mature. We are looking for a Senior Product Manager who will lead the transformation from siloed and unofficial pathways of engagement to a user-centred, high-performing, responsive service.
This role is based in the Digital directorate but will have strong connections to MHCLG’s policy and corporate teams, who are the customers of the service. It will also entail close working with the specialist teams who assure the individual pieces of work, such as Technology, Cyber and Digital Spend Controls and our external third-party suppliers.
You will have a dedicated delivery team, own your backlog and will be empowered to make your own decisions. You’ll take the role of an intelligent customer, ensuring we get the best out of our relationships and you’ll have the opportunity to work with diverse stakeholders in our policy areas and the Government Digital Service.
We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.
Find out more about what it’s like to work in a digital, data and technology role at MHCLG including our culture, ways of working, career progression and staff benefits. You can also read the MHCLG Digital blog to learn about the work we’re doing.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As a Senior Product Manager you’ll:

• develop an expert understanding of our users’ needs, including our business users, and champion these in the delivery of a high profile, complex MHCLG service
• work with subject-matter experts, develop and prioritise a product backlog, write good user stories and make decisions based on data to improve the user experience
• create, manage and own the vision, strategy and roadmap for your product, and be responsible of the alignment of these artefacts throughout the life of the product
• be tasked with engaging our end user community and stakeholders through a range of channels to encourage feedback and open dialogue
• be expected to define and then set measurable KPIs for your products, which can be reported against to demonstrate progress against stated benefits
• lead and direct a multidisciplinary delivery team to ensure the right things are delivered and that the department knows when to expect them
• liaise with all other MHCLG services on our shared platform to share ideas about platform improvements
• define, explain and iterate a product vision that is compelling to your users, team and stakeholders

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)

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.

• Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service. This role is based at MHCLG and we will be joined on the campus by:
• HM Treasury
• Department for International Trade
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Office for National Statistics
• Department for Educatio