Associate Product Manager

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government — we are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Details on changes to the machinery of government

Job description

The Products & Services Directorate (P&S) within GDS is responsible for the GOV.UK app, as well as common capabilities, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use:

• GOV.UK app: building a personalised and proactive relationship with users, making it easier to interact with government

• GOV.UK AI: maximising opportunities of current technological advances to develop citizen facing AI experiences

• GOV.UK Pay, GOV.UK Notify, GOV.UK Forms and Emergency Alerts: building services once, to be used across government, local authorities and police forces

This role will be based within the Emergency Alerts Service, working on our award-winning product. Since its launch in 2023, Emergency Alerts have been used to warn people of various threats to life, including storms in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, flooding in Cumbria, and an unexploded bomb in Plymouth. In the year ahead, we expect the product to continue to grow in use and prominence.

As we continue to enhance the service and improve our ability to meet user needs, you will play an important role in shaping what comes next. You will help us understand user problems, explore opportunities, and work with a multidisciplinary team to turn ideas into improvements and outcomes that make the service simpler, more effective and better able to meet the needs of those who use it.

As an Associate Product Manager you’ll:

• develop a deep understanding of the users’ needs and champion these in assignments

• work with other product managers and DDat multidisciplinary colleagues, supporting iterative and user-led design

• engage with users and stakeholders in a range of settings

• help define, explain and iterate product visions that are compelling to the service users, team and stakeholders

• support the management of product backlogs, writing user stories and making decisions about prioritisation based on evidence

• set measurable goals for product teams and reporting against these to demonstrate progress against stated benefits

• challenging and improving disproportionate organisational processes where these impact the pace of a team. Influencing and make positive changes to the organisation

Person specification

We’re interested in people who:

• advocating for a product-led approach, focused on problems and outcomes, explaining how user and business needs should be balanced to deliver value for users and government

• have experience in a digital product environment in a multi disciplinary team (not necessarily working as a Product Manager, but any relevant experience which prioritises the delivery of value to users early, and often)

• have strong verbal, written and visual communication skills that you are able to tailor to the needs of the audience

• have experience of engaging with users and identifying how their needs can and are being met by products and services

• are familiar with monitoring and reporting measurable performance targets

• have set up and managed a backlog of work, and have been responsible for setting the priority order

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service 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

Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would n