Digital & Data Product Lead - Planning Inspectorate - G7

Manchester Digital; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK is seeking a Digital & Data Product Lead to drive performance across digital and data services. The ideal candidate will manage product lifecycle, engage stakeholders, and promote continuous improvement in a supportive environment. This role offers a competitive salary of £59,644 - £66,120, flexible working arrangements, and a chance to contribute to impactful projects in Bristol.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Excellent pension

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience managing line of business systems such as Finance, HR, or Operational delivery.
• Knowledge of the Government’s Digital strategies and codes of practice.
• Understanding of industry-standard security issues.
• Ability to write & maintain corporate guidance/policies.

Responsibilities

• Shape the strategic direction of the enterprise product suite.
• Engage with stakeholders to manage expectations and gather feedback.
• Deliver cross-cutting enterprise products.
• Provide guidance to product management function.
• Explore opportunities to enhance workflows and collaboration.
• Maintain clear communication regarding product goals.

Skills

Governance framework implementation

Stakeholder communication

Business situation analysis

Understanding of Data Protection law

Job description

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of digital and data services at the Planning Inspectorate?

As the Digital & Data Product Lead, you'll be at the heart of our transformation, driving performance across all Digital & Data services and making a real impact on the Inspectorate as a whole.

You'll be part of the Office of the Chief Digital and Information Officer (OCDIO), a team that governs and guides our Digital & Data Services. Together, we ensure that our services meet user needs, deliver value, and push forward our ambitious Digital & Data strategy.

Our Digital Services team is expanding, and we’re looking for motivated, dynamic leaders to help us deliver outstanding digital, data, and technology services. This is a high-profile opportunity to make a real difference in a supportive, high-performing environment.

If you thrive on challenge, value flexibility, and want to be part of a team driving meaningful change—this could be the role for you. We offer a competitive salary, excellent pension, and flexible working arrangements.

The Planning Inspectorate, an executive agency of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, plays a crucial role in planning decisions across England and Wales. Our work directly impacts communities, the economy, and people’s lives.

We’re in the midst of an exciting transformation—redesigning services and modernising our technology to better serve our users. With significant investment in our people, systems, and tools, we’re building a forward-thinking organisation where digital services are at the heart of everything we do.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live, and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers.

The Planning Inspectorate is looking for a strategic leader to define and drive the digital and data product vision across the Inspectorate, ensuring alignment with government-wide strategies and user needs. It requires governance of a complex service network, overseeing product lifecycle management, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement of digital services. The ideal candidate will also lead and develop high-performing teams, foster a culture of innovation and inclusivity, and ensure effective financial and resource planning across the product portfolio.

Each week involves a dynamic mix of strategic oversight, stakeholder engagement, and delivery coordination across enterprise-wide digital products and services. Key activities include:

1. Product & Service Strategy: Shaping the strategic direction of the enterprise product suite, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s service model and identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement.
2. Stakeholder Engagement: Regularly engaging with stakeholders across services to manage expectations, gather feedback, and ensure product alignment with business needs.
3. Delivery Management: Taking responsibility for delivery of cross-cutting enterprise products, ensuring smooth coordination across multiple services and teams.
4. Product Ownership & Support: Providing guidance and support to the product management function within Digital & Data, promoting best practices and helping teams develop effective product strategies in a service-oriented environment.
5. Continuous Improvement: Spotting and exploring opportunities to enhance ways of working, foster cross-service collaboration, and leverage emerging technologies to solve business challenges.
6. Communication & Coordination: Maintaining clear and consistent communication around product goals, progress, and changes, both within the team and across the wider organisation.

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to the new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. The higher of these applies.

This role is being advertised at Grade 7 with a salary range of £59,644 - £66,120.

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, with a flexible working hours policy available.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history of ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do significantly impacts people’s lives, communities, and the economy.

We aim to enable our colleagues to work more flexibly and collaboratively, exploring innovative ways to improve our services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers.

This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol, currently out of use due to refurbishment. In the interim, we have access to alternative office space near Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We support hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in-person attendance, which can be discussed during the interview process.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements listed:

• Implements the governance framework to enable governance activity (L6)
• Sets policies, standards, and guidelines for strategy development and planning (L6)
• Identifies stakeholder communication and relationship needs, translating strategies into activities (L5)
• Plans and manages business situation analysis with ambiguity and complexity (L5)
• Provides guidance on physical, procedural, and technical security controls (L4)
• Analyzes threat intelligence from various sources (L4)
• Ability to write & maintain corporate guidance/policies
• Experience managing line of business systems such as Finance, HR, or Operational delivery
• Experience working with Records Management teams for compliance
• Knowledge of the Government’s Digital strategies and codes of practice
• Understanding of industry-standard security issues, ISO27001 advantageous
• Understanding of Data Protection law and regulations
• Experience implementing demand management analysis and planning activities (L5)

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process.