About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1,200 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn 

Defra Jobs 

Job description

Are you looking for a Product Manager role where your work can make a real difference? If so, join us here at Defra and you can play a critical role in supporting delivery of digital services that handle some of the most pressing issues our society faces, including climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, farming and post-Brexit trade.

As a Product Manager, you will be responsible for the quality of products and will use your knowledge of user needs and business goals to frame problems and set priorities for delivery teams. 

Take a look at the video below where a member of our product management community tells you a bit more about what we do and why she enjoys working at Defra. And if you think you would enjoy working for us too, please do apply and we will look forward to receiving your application.

 

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Manage a product through discovery, alpha, beta and live states
• Own the vision for the product(s) you own and engage teams and stakeholders in the development of that vision over time
• Represent users and focus on their needs throughout the delivery process
• Lead the prioritisation process for the work that needs to be done, by creating and maintaining a product backlog
• Coordinate User Research, Design and Quality Assurance together with development work to align to roadmap priorities
• Provide final sign off on any completed functional development prior to the deployment to a production environment for your product(s)
• Take the lead in using product or service usage data, and user feedback to devise new ideas for functionality or new ways of working with a continuous improvement mindset and take a lead in promoting the evidence across the wider department       

Skills and Experience

• You know about agile methodology and can apply an agile mindset to all aspects of your work.  You understand the different phases of product delivery and can contribute to, plan or run these
• You can work in a fast-paced, evolving environment and use an iterative method and flexible approach to enable rapid delivery
• You are unafraid to take risks, willing to learn from mistakes and appreciate the importance of agile project delivery for digital projects in government
• You can demonstrate an understanding of user-centered design, technology and data perspectives. You understand users and can identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence, and you can translate user stories and propose design services to meet these needs. You put users first and can manage competing priorities
• You can understand and identify problems, analysing and helping to identify the appropriate solution. You can classify and prioritise problems, document their causes and implement remedies
• The ability to work flexibly and at pace, planning and prioritising to meet tight deadlines Matrix management in a pressurised delivery environment

Selection process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to follow the instructions under 'application' below. You may find it useful to use the STAR method. 

For further information on STAR, you can check out our hints and tips document.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience and will be asked to complete:

• A CV
• A 250-word Personal Statement answering the following: Can you describe a time when you have delivered a digital service across different stages of the product lifecycle, in order to meet a pressing deadline?

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed below.

As part of the interview, you will be asked to do a presentation, and details of this will be sent prior to the interview.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.

Behaviours

Experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,120, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £14,072 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 and Experience.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.

Defra continues to support a blended working model and candidates are currently expected to attend their office base  for 40-60% of the week.

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve list

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

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists 

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa sponsorship statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence and are unable to sponsor any individuals for skilled worker sponsorship.

Reasonable adjustment

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 (GRS) via defrarecruitment.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.

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another government department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal fraud database check

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.

Higher Security Clearance

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility on the Childcare Choices website.

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.