About the job

Job summary

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building, and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UK’s borders.​​

Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities they’re passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes.​​ 

The Home Office has created a government-leading bespoke career framework that enables career planning, while ensuring our people can be the best they can be. The framework includes Heads of Role, who are industry specialists. They build communities, set standards for what ‘good’ looks like, and ensure we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.​​

We also have a profession management unit, which aims to provide the best professional experience to all our technical staff with a real passion for – and focus on – continuous professional development. We invest heavily in our people as part of growing our collective capability.​

You can keep up to date with our work on the Home Office DDaT blog 

Job description

This is an essential role in the Central Operations Platform product team. The Central Operation Platform hosts several Border Force products that enable and support operational and intelligence decision making.

Working within an agile team the Product Manager will help shape and influence the delivery of quality products and continuous improvement, delivering value for money whilst supporting and embedding product centric values and principles across the platform.

A Senior Product Manager will use their knowledge of user needs and business goals to frame and solve problems and set priorities for delivery teams. You will be responsible for the overall vision and quality of the product being delivered sometimes in conjunction with a Lead Product Manager or portfolio/programme director.

You will identify opportunities for improving business outcomes and enhancing benefits, looking to continuously improve the quality, capability and efficiency of your product. You will have the final say on quality and whether something is ready to be released into production. You may be asked either to be responsible for a single, complex, large product, or multiple related products.

In addition, you may line manage, coach and mentor Associate Product Managers and Product Managers, and be involved in recruitment related processes.

Due to business requirements this post is full time, flexible working is available.

Person specification

Your main day to day responsibilities will be:

• Forming the vision for the product(s) you own and engage teams and stakeholders in the development of that vision over time
• Leading the production of roadmaps, release plans and lifecycle plans for the delivery and maintenance of the product(s) from inception right the way through to retirement as well as inputting into the departmental wide approach to road mapping/lifecycle planning
• Taking a product through its lifecycle (e.g. discovery, alpha, beta, live) including service assessments
• Representing users and focus on their needs throughout the delivery process
• Leading the prioritisation process for the work that needs to be done by the development team by creating and maintaining a product backlog which balances immediate user needs with the long-term investment in development and overall business benefits
• Providing final sign off on any completed functional development prior to the deployment to a production environment for your product(s)
• Taking 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 mind-set and take a lead in promoting such evidence/data driven design across the wider department

You will also be expected to carry out the following day to day activities:

• Ensuring the overall quality of the product is in line with standards including, but not limited to, the Government Digital Service Standard, TDA standards, Technology Code of Practice and Accessibility legislation. Taking a leading role in promoting these standards across the department and government as a whole.
• Probable line management responsibilities for lower grade product managers or portfolio staff (annual leave, performance management etc.)
• Taking the lead in keeping people informed about the development of the product(s) and promoting its uptake and usage within the department/by the general public.

Essential Skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for Product with the following skills or strong experience in:

• Investigating patterns and trends identify and resolve problems
• Working in the delivery of technology-based projects
• Budgeting and financial control skills as well as commercial awareness
• Communicating using a variety of methods (written reports, verbal feedback, presentations etc.), applying the appropriate method to each scenario/audience, which at this level, will usually be large groups
• Leading in promoting the needs of the team, and of the product; understanding how these may vary between the different phases of a product lifecycle.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

You can find more information at Benefits - Home Office Careers

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, and a Statement of Suitability (Max Limit: 1000 words).

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

Please note your Statement of Suitability should concisely explain your motivation for applying for this role and offer evidence of how you meet the Essential criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

The sift will be based on the Statement of Suitability. 

The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

Candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will be technical based questions.

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will take place from 22nd February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place from 11th March 2024.

Please note interview will be carried out virtually using Microsoft Teams.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further information

Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

A location-based reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role, or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.  Applicants can discuss any specific questions with the Vacancy Holder.

This post is eligible for DDaT RRA. Successful candidates with exceptional skills and experience may apply for a Recruitment Retention Allowance. This allowance is subject to an initial review within six months of taking up the post and thereafter an annual review in line with departmental priorities and could be reduced or withdrawn at any time.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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 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 HOrecruitment.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 you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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

Security

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.