About the job

Job summary

The Government Property Agency is changing the way the Civil Service works and is at the forefront of the Government's transformation agenda; reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work. The Agency is central to the delivery of key Government policies including moving 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030 and tackling climate change by contributing to the Net Zero agenda. To do this we are delivering a major change programme across the UK and consolidating our portfolio in order to save £1.4 Bn over 10 years. 

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Job description

GPA has moved from “start up to scale up” stage and is reaching the end of its first wave of digital transformation. We have implemented the best in class systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Planon IWMS and will be implementing other systems like JIRA, Confluence, Ardoq and Microsoft 365. The GPA has delivered all of its major digital & data implementation and now requires a period of stabilisation, embedding & consolidation over the next 18 months to drive efficiencies before embarking on the next phase of innovation. 

We are seeking an experienced and strategic-thinking Senior Product Manager with a focus on Planon IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management System) and ServiceNow CSM (Customer Service Management) platforms development and management. As a key member of our team, you will lead the product lifecycle for our IWMS and CSM platform, ensuring the successful development, delivery, and testing of innovative solutions that enhance workplace efficiency and user experience.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop and communicate a clear product strategy for the IWMS and CSM platforms aligning with overall workplace management objectives.
• Manage the entire product life-cycle, from ideation and concept through development, launch, and ongoing optimisation.
• Create and maintain a detailed IWMS / CSM platform roadmaps, outlining key milestones and deliverables to enhance workplace efficiency.
• Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle for IWMS and CSM platforms, focusing on systems architecture and design tailored for workplace management covering property, asset, space, facilities and project management.
• Implement comprehensive testing strategies for the IWMS and CSM platform, ensuring the quality and reliability of all features and functionalities. 
• Collaborate with the QA teams to conduct rigorous testing, including functional testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define IWMS and CSM platform requirements, ensuring alignment with business goals and the unique needs of integrated workplace management. 
• Conduct specialised user research within the context of integrated workplace management to understand user behaviour, needs, and preference to ensure user and product centric development.
• Collaborate with design teams to translate IWMS and CSM user insights into user experience strategies and features, ensuring a seamless and efficient workplace environment.  
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless collaboration throughout the IWMS and CSM platform development and testing process

Person specification

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued.

Experience & technical skills

• Proven experience as a Product Manager, with a focus on IWMS and CSM platform development, workplace management. Qualifications such as Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or IIBA Certified Product Ownership Analysis (CPOA).
• Experience championing user-centric and product centric design principles, conducting user research, and translating insights into product features that enhance the user experience. 
• Strong background in user research, user experience, software configuration, and testing within the context of IWMS and CSM systems.
• Experience in creating and managing product roadmaps, prioritising features, and communicating product plans to internal stakeholders. 
• Strong strategic thinking and the ability to align product initiatives with overall business goals, market trends, and customer needs.
• Demonstrated success in collaborating with cross-functional teams including data, integration, development, and project delivery, to achieve product objectives.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,700, Government Property Agency contributes £13,959 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Sift

The sift is due to take place week commencing 11th June 2024.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 1000 word personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Interview

Applicants successful at sift will be invited to interviews, which are due to take place week commencing 17th June 2024 in a GPA office. This is subject to change dependent upon where most successful candidates are based. You must be willing to travel to any of the GPA locations for your interview. If you are unable to attend a face to face interview due to extenuating circumstances, we advise that you reach out to the recruitment admin team to find out if alternative means can be arranged prior to submitting your application.   

At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Working Together, Seeing The Big Picture, Changing & Improving and Communicating & Influencing.

Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions.

Further Information

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

Any move to GPA 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

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

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: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

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 via gparecruitment.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.

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.