Product Manager

Job summary

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The Innovation Team creates and supports a cross HMRC culture of innovation, helping the department think differently about how we deliver tax administration and customer services now and in the future. We look ahead to understand how society, technology and the wider environment are changing, and what this means for the future tax system, enabling HMRC to prepare for emerging challenges and opportunities.

We explore new and emerging technologies to understand their potential, risks and how they could support HMRC’s operations or strategic ambitions. Through early-stage discovery, experimentation and proofs of concept, we safely test ideas before major investment is made and provide evidence-based insight that supports senior leaders in shaping future Strategy, Policy and Delivery.

We collaborate across HMRC to identify opportunities, shape early ideas and turn them into structured innovation activity. Our work helps the department adapt, evolve and remain responsive to changes in society and the environment in which we operate. Our core purpose is to help HMRC understand the future and prepare for it ensuring the organisation remains forward thinking, user centred and capable of delivering value for the citizens we serve.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join HMRC’s CDIO Chief Technology & Design Office, working within the Innovation Team to shape early‑stage concepts that deliver meaningful change for HMRC and its users. As a Product Manager, you will lead a portfolio of innovation opportunities at the earliest point in the lifecycle, where problems are unframed and there is no clear roadmap. You will guide multifunctional teams including civil servants, commercial partners and specialist experts through exploration, pre‑discovery and experimentation to inform future strategic decisions.

To succeed, you will bring a T‑shaped skill set: deep product management expertise combined with the breadth to work alongside researchers, analysts, designers, engineers and technical specialists. You will shape complex issues into clear, compelling problem statements and opportunities, drawing on user insight, data, technology trends and subject‑matter expertise. Strong communication and presentation skills will enable you to develop evidence‑based recommendations that help senior leaders understand the value, potential and trade‑offs of new ideas.

You will set product direction and prioritise outcomes that deliver genuine value for HMRC and its customers, guiding teams through robust proofs of concept and proofs of value that stand up to scrutiny. Working closely with Delivery Managers and other Product Managers across the Innovation Portfolio, you will coordinate priorities, translate strategy into practical plans and adapt to changing contexts. Assignments will vary in scale and complexity, requiring you to own a portfolio, navigate ambiguity and act as a trusted, flexible leader delivering high‑quality outcomes with autonomy.

Person specification

• Define the product vision, strategic intent and scope for early-stage concepts, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, user needs and initial MVP direction.
• Shape clear problem statements and high-level options to guide direction before formal discovery, using insight from users, data, technology and business analysis.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, understanding their goals and securing alignment around vision, priorities, early road mapping and strategic choices.
• Guide and coordinate multifunctional teams, including civil servants, commercial partners, user researchers, analysts, designers, engineers and technical specialists, to explore and develop early concepts.
• Integrate user insight and performance data to refine opportunities, test assumptions and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Prioritise opportunities using evidence, impact and feasibility, shaping early product roadmaps and initial backlogs where appropriate to support exploration and learning.
• Oversee controlled proofs of concept and proofs of value to safely test ideas, validate hypotheses and inform senior decision-making.
• Assess options in collaboration with area leads, including high-level financial, technical and organisational considerations.
• Ensure early-stage outputs meet high standards of quality, clarity, usability and accessibility, in line with Government expectations for user centred design.
• Contribute to the product management community of practice and support the development of others through coaching, mentoring and sharing learning.

Candidates who are offered the role will be judged as performing successfully if:

• they provide clear product vision, strategic direction and well-reasoned recommendations that support senior decision-making.
• stakeholders feel informed, engaged and aligned around early-stage priorities, options and next steps. early-stage concepts, proofs of concept and proofs of value are delivered to a high standard, grounded in evidence and user insight.
• multifunctional teams feel supported, coordinated and able to work effectively—across civil servants, commercial partners and other specialists.
• they make a positive contribution to both their immediate teams and the wider product management community.

Successful candidates in this role often progress to roles such as Lead Product Manager, Senior Product roles across HMRC, or Service Owner positions, should they wish to continue their career development within the organisation.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable experience of strong stakeholder management and communication, including building trusted relationships and securing alignment around vision, priorities and early direction.
• Knowledge of user research, service design, interaction design or software engineering practices, and how these disciplines contribute to shaping effective, user centred concepts and products.
• Experience of leading a multifunctional team or project team across civil servants, commercial partners and specialists to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Ability to define, shape and adapt product scope based on new insights, emerging evidence and changing organisational needs.
• Experience of analysing problems in a service, product or process and developing clear, evidence-based options or recommendations to resolve them.
• Ability to prioritise work using evidence, impact and feasibility, and to secure stakeholder buying for early plans, strategic direction or road mapping activities.
• Experience of managing or contributing to early backlog and roadmap development, ensuring work is sequenced in a way that supports exploration and learning.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a range of professions such as user research, analysis, design and engineering to shape high-quality
  

Desirable Criteria

• Prior experience working on digital services or technology enabled products, ideally within complex or multistakeholder environments.
• Experience of agile or iterative ways of working, and an understanding of how flexible methods can be applied in exploratory or rediscovery contexts.
• Experience supporting, coaching or managing junior colleagues or peers to build capability and st