Lead Product Manager

www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk - Jobboard; England; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK public service organization is looking for a Lead Product Manager to oversee a product portfolio in Bedford. This role involves providing product leadership, managing a team of product managers, and collaborating with technology stakeholders to enhance product delivery. Offering a hybrid working model and competitive benefits package including generous annual leave and a strong focus on career development. Join to make a positive societal impact.

Benefits

Generous Annual Leave - 30 days plus Bank Holidays

Pension scheme - contributions matched 2 to 1

Interest-free loan for season tickets

Cycle to work Scheme

Employee assistance programme (EAP)

Qualifications

• Several years’ experience in Product Manager roles, including recent Senior/Lead level role.
• Strong level of Agile experience.
• Very high level of stakeholder management required.

Responsibilities

• Lead product teams to develop and manage product roadmaps.
• Collaborate with technology stakeholders to improve products and services.
• Ensure alignment with strategic objectives across the organization.

Skills

Agile methodologies

Product management

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

User-centered design

Education

Basic Product Manager certification

Tools

CRM systems

Power Apps

Website CMS

Contact Centre Platforms

Job description

Lead Product Manager

c. £85,000 per annum

Bedford Based

Hybrid Working

Permanent

Join us at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as a lead product manager where you will be responsible for a product portfolio or end-to-end service, and the delivery of product quality and value. You will work with teams to identify, implement and improve strategies and tactics for their products. You will be a member of the management team for their product area and provide product leadership and direction across multiple teams.

The role holder will be responsible for the product managers & portfolio of roadmaps that illustrate features and outcomes of our technology platforms, system and application (Components) roadmaps. Working directly with Technology & Digital stakeholders, users of the systems and platforms, and of course syncing with the Product Community and enabling Feature teams and the Components used.

The role is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework: https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/product-manager#lead-product-manager

Specific elements of the role are listed below:

Enablement of MaPS Product Professionals

• Learning and Development: Develop and implement a ‘Product Management Playbook’ to support MaPS Product Professionals in adopting a product management methodologies to improve our services
• Solving Insight Challenges: Assist MaPS Product professionals in addressing stakeholder challenges with consistent data-led prioritisation value scoring
• Digital Leadership Development: Collaborate with senior leads for other Communities of Practice within and outside of the Technology Directorate to drive best practice

Development of Technology Products

• Iterative Development: Lead the product teams to ensure there are value-led roadmaps illustrate incremental improvements, and medium to longer term direction
• Product Lifecycle Management: Working with other Lead Product Managers, Lead BA and Lead Delivery Managers to ensure the Product Lifecycle is managed in an optimal way to meet overall objectives and aligned with Standards. (including MaPS Standards and GDS Standards)

Stakeholders and Operating Models

• Continuous dialogue with key stakeholders: Ensuring engagement with CDIO, CTO, Head of Data, Head of Guidance Delivery and Head of Operational Improvement, is aligned, and underpins fluid quarterly planning and wider business planning
• Operating Model: Working with Lead BA and Business Architects to ensure Team set-up and formats are optimised to meet objectives and achieve efficiencies

Key Responsibilities:

Agile and Lean practices

You can:

• coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean good practices
• create and tailor the right approach for a team, challenging, evaluating and iterating the approach through the life cycle
• experiment with new and innovative ways of working to improve delivery across the organisation
• act as a recognised expert and advocate for Agile and Lean approaches

Applying user-centred insights

You can:

• advocate for a range of effective research approaches across the organisation
• coach others in making decisions that meet user needs across a range of channels
• advocate for continuous use of user insights in teams
• use user insights to make strategic decisions to provide the best user experience

Creating value for money

You can:

• advocate for user needs, ensuring user value is balanced against cost and value for the organisation
• determine the benefit of a product and persuade others it's the right product to use
• write or contribute to business cases
• communicate business-value propositions
• help others make value-based decisions, influencing the direction of development

Life cycle management

You can:

• lead and coach teams through different phases of the life cycle
• ensure effective support for the product or service and its users
• predict, prevent, mitigate and manage potential risks at different phases of the life cycle
• contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support

Managing product outcomes

You can:

• lead product teams to create effective methods for measuring product outcomes
• advocate for data-driven decision making
• help others prioritise to make better choices
• use data to drive continuous improvement, increasing quality and user experience
• identify opportunities to share and connect product data

Product leadership

You can:

• seek opportunities for reuse and learning across your organisation
• represent product management in your area in conversations with senior stakeholders
• protect teams, for example, from unnecessary distractions and requests to change direction
• coach and manage others in product management
• lead some product management community activities and participate in cross-government communities


Product management

You can:

• set the strategy and vision for your products, collaborating with others
• create a prioritised roadmap for your products and use it to discuss product strategy at all levels
• plan prioritised work across multiple teams, minimising dependencies and risks
• support multiple teams in delivering quality outcomes in the right way
• coach and mentor others in product management


Stakeholder relationship management

You can:

• direct the stakeholder relationship strategy for your teams
• ensure stakeholder's objectives are set and support teams to meet them
• influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress


Strategic ownership

You can:

• support and coach others in creating and implementing a successful long-term strategy and tactical approach that others agree with
• influence and persuade stakeholders to support delivery of the strategy
• support with strategic decision making
• ensure strategic alignment across the organisation



You will need to demonstrate the following skills and experience;

• Several years’ experience in Product Manager roles including recent Senior/Lead level role experience.
• Comfortable managing a product community practice.
• Technology experience – enterprise platforms and systems that enable Maps to operate and serve customers.
• Experience with CRM’s, website CMS’s, Contact Centre Platforms, and Power Apps.
• Scrum experience.
• Must have basic Product Manager certification - Professional Scrum Product Owner certification or equivalent.
• Must have dealt with ambiguity and who can build teams working with various colleagues.
• Must have managed teams for several years.
• Strong level of Agile experience.
• Very high level of stakeholder management required including comfortable presenting to stakeholders.


About Us
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.

At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other.

We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:
• Caring
We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform.
• Connecting
We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections.
• Transforming
We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.


Our Inclusive Working Environment
By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work.”

Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.


What We Offer:

This role will offer the opportunity to develop your career in a Cloud only environment with a high level of technical freedom, working with other highly technical and skilled engineers as well as benefits below:
• Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
• Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
• Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Life assurance scheme
• Give as you earn scheme
• Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
• Recognition Scheme
• Discounts portal to numerous retailers

Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.

Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.

Application Process
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

Job Reference: MaPS00940
Close Date: 21/08/2025