About the job

Job summary

Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure that every household and business in the UK can rely on a safe energy supply. We are playing a vital part in accelerating the transition to Net Zero and a carbon neutral energy system - a goal that everyone wants to achieve. Whatever your role, you’ll be playing your part in creating new energy solutions that are great for customers, and for the environment.

Our Delivery & Schemes Directorate is our delivery arm and manages a number of high-profile environmental programmes. It’s a fast-paced and dynamic place and you can expect to be involved in ground-breaking work. Our flexible working career opportunities are incredibly varied, so we are committed to recruiting talented people from a diverse range of professional and personal backgrounds – bringing different perspectives and experiences to our work.

This is a brilliant move for someone who wants to develop their career as a Product Manager. You could be a recent IT graduate, or someone with previous experience in the software development lifecycle who wants to pursue a more specialist Product Manager career. You’ll work as part of a highly capable team, including experienced Product Managers, to support the delivery of Ofgem’s environmental and social schemes. We use Agile working methodologies to deliver great project outcomes in a fast-paced and highly adaptable working environment. You’ll help to prioritise different products, work closely with stakeholders to clearly define their requirements and plan and manage user acceptance testing (UAT) activities. It’s an ideal environment to develop your professional skills and quickly expand your expertise.

We expect that you’ll already have a good understanding of product testing (UAT, QA, or similar); as well as a good understanding of how to interpret user stories into precise product specifications. You’ll need proven organisational skills so that you can take the initiative in planning and scheduling tasks. It’s important that you work well within your team and beyond, establishing positive working relationships with others and that you can bring technical issues to life for different audiences. Good numerical and analytical skills and a keen eye for detail will all be valuable attributes.

Ofgem is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of open and fair competition, merit and business need.

Job description

Ofgem’s Delivery & Schemes division is responsible for the administration of various government renewable energy and energy efficiency support schemes, including the Renewable Heat Incentive, Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariff, and Energy Company Obligation. Delivery & Schemes has a focus on efficiency, assurance, and ensuring value for money for UK consumers. With staff based across both Ofgem’s London, Glasgow and Cardiff offices, this is a dynamic environment with an interesting programme of work scheduled for the coming years.

The post is in the Delivery & Schemes Product Management team and will work alongside Product Managers, Delivery Managers and Business Analysts, delivering strategic change initiatives and continuous improvement to a range of existing and new products.

This is an exciting opportunity for an Associate Product Manager to become part of a wider team which is responsible for the suite of products used to deliver the government’s support schemes. Using Agile methodologies in a fast-moving environment, the ability to work at pace is essential. You will support Product Managers in prioritising backlogs, liaise with stakeholders on requirements, and plan and manage user acceptance testing (UAT) activities.

The team fosters a friendly, dynamic, collaborative and supportive environment. We use a flexible resourcing model, working across products in response to highest priority items. As a Associate Product Manager the post holder is expected to be fully immersed in the work of the team. There will be scope for further development, and the role will be involved in activities across multiple products.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing, planning and managing UAT and ensuring thorough system testing
• Accurately capturing new IT development requests
• Contributing to requirements gathering and reviewing user stories to ensure they meet business needs
• Point of contact for the business to discuss and triage live issues and defects on IT systems, both during testing and on an ad hoc basis
• Supporting Product Managers in updating product visions and product roadmaps
• Supporting Product Managers in the management and prioritisation of the product backlogs
• Ad hoc internal user support and troubleshooting
• Working flexibly across a suite of products to assist on highest priority items within a wider team of Product Managers

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Prepare test material and testing plans for UAT with fully documented testing scenarios, and where necessary assist in UAT by completing testing
• Ensure the resolution of live issues and defects through ongoing liaison with the business and Agile development teams
• Communicate system developments to stakeholders
• Help ensure outputs delivered by the Product Management Team meet the business needs
• Help ensure that the products continue to deliver from a functional, legislative, technical and security perspective and are fit for purpose
• Provide information for reporting to senior management
• Update system user guides for internal and external users in response to functionality changes
• Work on ad-hoc projects as requested

 

Person specification

• Knowledge of product testing (UAT, QA, or other), including an understanding of planning, managing and executing tests (LEAD)
• Understanding of user stories with the ability to interpret stakeholder requirements to ensure systems are fit for purpose
• Interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work well within and across teams
• Ability to communicate complex information to individuals with varying levels of technical knowledge
• Proven organisational skills, with the ability to proactively prioritise, plan and schedule tasks

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,450, OFGEM contributes £6,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to answer 3 Technical Questions evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within these answers how you meet each of the essential and desirable skills and capabilities.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.