About the job

Job summary

The team:

The Product Delivery and Development Team sits within GCG (Government Commercial and Grants) Services, providing digital expertise to the cross-government Commercial and Grants Functions. The team serves both functions in improving and iterating existing digital services as well as enabling operational change through building new tools and solutions. Working to drive efficiency across government at both a central and local level, the team owns, manages and develops a tool called Spotlight to provide automated due diligence checks to grant makers and contract givers, ensuring funding is given to the right people to deliver the best outcomes for citizens and communities. 

The role:

We are looking for a Grade 7 who can work on a cross-government due diligence tool to provide product ownership, roadmap development and ensuring user needs are at the heart of our continued development. They will also be responsible for effective requirements provision, ensuring that epics are appropriately detailed and providing high level requirements and vision to the delivery team. Working to the Head of Product Development and Delivery, they will provide strategic ownership of the product and provide expert advice to external delivery partners to ensure that what is built meets the users’ expectations. The Product Manager will also support in resource management across the product, ensuring that financial and business requirements are balanced while continuing to deliver at pace. Working with stakeholders within both the Grants and Commercial Functions, as well as beyond, the Product Manager will be able to prioritise their time and effort depending on business need and project status. 

The product:

Spotlight, the cross-government due diligence tool, brings together numerous data sources and layers over the top bespoke risk indicators to provide grant makers and contract givers a thorough understanding of the risk profile of applicant organisations, enabling users to make informed decisions to spend government funding most appropriately. Using new technologies such as generative AI, Spotlight is at the forefront of government digital delivery and acts as the vanguard of efficiency-savings across government through reducing fraud and error in government payments.

Spotlight is a continuously changing tool which aims to provide best-in-class service to its users, ensuring that government funds are spent in the best way to deliver the greatest outcomes to citizens and communities. This transformative product has revolutionised the due diligence processes within grants and commercial, enabling over £1bn in government savings.

Job description

Key deliverables and responsibilities:

You will have the opportunity to work on the continued development of a BAU due diligence tool to improve functionality and usability. You will also have the opportunity to:

• Work with the Head of Product Development and Delivery to identify key growth areas to improve due diligence processing.
• Identify key business areas within departments, arms-length bodies and local authorities to target to increase the user base and improve cross-government due diligence capability.
• Support GCG Services colleagues in digital upskilling and provide clear product leadership for the delivery team and wider stakeholders.

Person specification

We’re looking for someone with strong communication skills and the ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical, with experience of working across the different phases of product delivery. You will have experience working in a fast paced environment and the ability to make informed product decisions to deliver a quality service to end users.

Essential criteria

*    Experience of product management and/or product development, with creativity and passion for creating great digital products via agile

•   Experience of leading a multi-disciplinary team spread across multiple locations, encompassing in-house staff and 3rd party contractors.
•   Experience of creating, updating and prioritising product plans to direct the work of a delivery team.
•   Experience of engaging with users and turning user research into product improvements and requirements.
•   Familiarity with setting, monitoring and prioritising a product catalogue. 
•   Experienced in engaging and influencing stakeholders on the product vision.
•   Experience producing short- and medium-term road maps for product development.

Desirable Skills and Experience

Although not necessary, it would be ideal if you:

• Have worked in a Government digital team.

What we value:

Respect, collaboration and trust are at the core of our culture. We trust each other to do our best work. We believe in our mission and work for the whole population. We can only do that by being an inclusive and diverse organisation.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the personal statement.

Selection process
At interview there will be some strength based questions and candidates will be assessed on the following behaviours:  

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – w/c 8th April
Expected interview date/s – w/c 15th April
Interview location - Google Meet (video) 

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to  Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

 New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Please note that this role requires BPSS, with a willingness to undergo SC clearance. SC clearance would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.