About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for a Senior Product Manager to work within the Product Management Practice team here at DWP. You'll be part of a very supportive team where you will work to build capability across product at DWP, develop individuals to increase knowledge and experience and lead on the product management community.

In the Product Management Practice Team, we are responsible for leading the product community, recruiting fresh talent, building product capability for our 250 product managers through tailored training events and providing coaching and mentoring.

Our current product managers say “Working in DWP (and government) can be challenging but very rewarding. The support offered by the practice is extensive and invaluable.”

You will be part of a healthy Product Community of Practice whereby you will share what you are doing and gain valuable input from your fellow PMs.

We want to be reflective of the diversity of the UK and we have a plan to be fully representative by 2025.

We are proud to be in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2022 list and a disability confident employer.

Job description

This is a key leadership role in product that needs someone who is passionate about product and motivated to get the best out of people. The role needs someone who has the following key skills:

• User needs - Understand the needs of our product community through leading various community sessions.
• Product Management - Have a strong focus on delivering value continuously across the product manager community.
• User focussed - Act as the voice of the user during discussions.
• Data driven – Use data and evidence to iterate and make the right decisions on how to make improvements.
• Agile - Ability to work in a fast paced, evolving environment and utilise an iterative method and flexible approach.
• Line management of product people.

Person specification

The essential criteria are outlined in the selection process details.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Dani.gulam@dwp.gov.uk.

Benefits

• An employer pension contribution of up to 27% For further information please click here.
• Annual leave rising up to 30 days, (based on your working pattern).
• Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Learning and development tailored to your role this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £69,869 to £77,740.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.   

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed 

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office 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 need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. 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.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.

3. Personal statement of up to 750 words covering all six points listed within the essential criteria below. 

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

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Actively led a product community and improved engagement across a practice. (Lead Criteria)
• Experience of mentoring and coaching product people.
• Experience of user-centred design and meeting the needs of users.
• Experience of navigating constraints and ambiguity successfully.
• Experience of working with a range of specialists in multidisciplinary teams, applying an agile methodology and mindset.
• Experience of creating and communicating a vision and product roadmap, receiving, and acting upon challenge.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Criteria.  Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.

You will be asked to do a (5 minutes) presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview. 

Interviews will take place from mid to late January 2024.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the experience questions in advance of the interview, 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you follow-up questions which will not be shared in advance.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How We Recruit page

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.