About the job

Job summary

The UK REACH service went live on 1 Jan 2021 as the UK’s primary means to ensure safe and responsible use of manufactured or imported chemicals across the UK chemical market – a market which is worth £13.3 billion of the UK economy, employs 95,000 people, and supports manufacturing sectors such as aerospace and pharmaceuticals. The service was also developed to support the transition of the UK chemicals market from an EU based system to UK regulation.

The service is delivered in partnership with other government delivery agencies and is made up of several different service functions including a customer facing IT service, helpdesks and issue resolver groups, regulatory/enforcement operations, scientific evaluation, and policy/communication programmes.

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced Product Manager to act to as the strategic product lead for the development of the UK REACH service from public beta to live, in line with Government Digital Standards.

It is a key leadership role for someone with a successful track record of working and leading cross-organisational teams, who is confident communicating and building relationships with the ability to oversee the development of solutions to solve complex issues.

Job description

You will be responsible for the product roadmap for a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring that priorities are mapped to service goals. You will be responsible for strategic and tactical product decisions, using data combined with your knowledge of user needs and business goals to frame problems and set priorities for the delivery team. You will also be actively involved in developing the product strategy and managing the product roadmap. 

This is a senior role within the Chemicals, Pesticides and Hazardous Waste division.

In this role you will: 

• Set and own the vision for the product, working with stakeholders to ensure strategic fit and engaging the development team to maintain alignment and buy in
• Ensure the service meets users’ needs, meets government service standards and achieves the programme’s policy objectives. Develop the product strategy and manage the product roadmap as well as prioritising the product backlog through a range of techniques to maximise value and return on investment
• Engage stakeholders and users around the development of our services. Identify and communicate user needs and stakeholder requirements to the development and delivery team
• Represent users throughout the design and delivery process and use their feedback to inform continuous improvement
• Define product goals and metrics, monitoring performance against outcomes
• Manage, influence and negotiate stakeholder relationships and communicate progress and achievements, championing the product within the department
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams, providing expert advice and guidance on product
• Leading, coaching and supporting the digital team across the programme

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Evidence of applying product ownership across a complex series of products to provide a joined-up, consistent user journey
• Ability to develop and deliver an effective product strategy covering multiple products, legacy and new
• Evidence of digital product delivery, supporting teams to design products or services throughout their lifecycle

The ability to lead, influence and motivate colleagues in the delivery of digital services with a clear focus on user needs The ability to communicate effectively across organisational, technical and political boundaries, understanding the context and

• Successfully reacting and responding to challenge
• Experience delivering government digital services

Technical Skills 

Product ownership (Essential)

• Experienced in applying product ownership across a complex series of products to provide a joined-up, consistent user journey
• Adept at using product tools, terms and concepts in a variety of ways
• You will be experienced in leading, training, coaching and supporting product owners to do so (including people new to product ownership roles)
• Leads the community of product owners to be flexible, championing new ways of working and leading adaption to change. 

Strategic ownership (Essential)

• Able to get buy-in from the organisation
• Ability to develop and deliver an effective product strategy covering multiple products, legacy and new. You can develop a long-term vision and objectives. You are discerning and disciplined in focusing on what is important and most relevant

Agile working (Desirable)

• Experience of leading the development and implementation of agile ways of working across multiple product and service teams, including for people new to agile working and product design and delivery. 
• Ability to identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes. Able to help teams to manage and visualise outcomes and prioritise work accordingly. 

User focus (Desirable)

Able to collaborate with user researchers and represent users internally. Understands the difference between user needs and desires of the user. Able to champion user research to focus on all users. Can prioritise and defines approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. 

Problem ownership (Desirable)

Ensures that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems. Leads the team to investigate problems and implement solutions and preventative measures. 

 Lifecycle perspective (Desirable)

Recognises how and when to move a product from one stage of a product lifecycle to another. Ensures the team is working towards the appropriate service standards for the relevant phase.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 750-word personal statement covering how you meet the essential criteria, including essential skills, for the role. 250-word behaviour statements will also be required for two behaviours:

• Leadership
• Making effective decisions

The CV will ask for your Job History, Qualifications and Past Skills and Experience. Your CV will be assessed as part of the sift.

In your Personal Statement you should explain how your skills and experience make you suitable for the role. Please refer to the essential criteria and the essential technical skill requirements, as detailed in the job advert.

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, (Leadership) and the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift is likely to take place in w/c 19th February, with interviews expected to take place on w/c 26th February.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours, Experience and Technical Skills . A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. 

Please note that all interviews will be conducted remotely via video call. Further information will be provided to candidates in advance of interviews.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Reserve List

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

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 License sponsor 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 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 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. 

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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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 counter-terrorist 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.