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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Information Technology
Project Delivery
Strategy
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About the job
Job summary
Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.
We have around 1,200 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.
Find out more about DDTS:
Job description
We are looking for a Head of Product Management who is an expert practitioner, with broad industry experience and subject matter expertise in Product Lifecycle Management. You will be self-assured in defining and assuring best practice whilst influencing, leading and mentoring others. In this role you will play a critical role in supporting delivery of digital services that handle some of the most pressing issues our society faces, including climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, farming and post-Brexit trade.
You will line manage and support the development of the Lead Product Managers and Product Managers across the digital portfolio. These roles are critical to the delivery of digital services for Defra that meet the Service Standard. You will lead the Product Management Community, focussing on improving the quality of the service. You will operate at a strategic level to understand and realise the value of product centred delivery that prioritises value for users, and continue to evolve the team to be aligned to the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) framework for Digital Delivery.
Person specification
Responsibilities
- Mentoring and coaching of Product professionals. Support professional development and continuous improvement of the team.
- Lead accountability for the hiring, development, moves and exits from the community, covering civil servants, suppliers and contractors.
- Represent and promote the role within the department and work with other heads of roles to promote effective cross-functional digital delivery.
- Provide leadership and guide the communities of practice for the roles and build capability and excellence in product management.
- Set standards for Product Management quality, output and impact, including creation of templates and resources where necessary
- Work with other communities and across the organisation to represent the Product profession and build understanding and engagement with the approach.
- Be a skilled leader who is able to reliably communicate the value of the role to digital and non-digital stakeholders. Work strategically to remove blockers to the product profession.
- Line-manage Lead Product Managers, Product Manager and Lead Resource Managers for the profession. Be accountable for the recruitment of the right people to the right services.
Skills and Experience
- Life-cycle perspective. You know how to successfully lead teams through the full product life cycle. You can identify which tools and techniques should be used at each stage. You can develop sustainable support models. You can identify and deal with potential risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle. You know how to coach others. You can contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support as they move through stages of the product life cycle.
- Agile and Lean practices. You know how to coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices. You are a recognised professional that advocates these approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team. You can create or tailor new ways of working; you are always innovating.
- Communication skills. You can mediate between people and mend relationships, communicating with stakeholders at all levels. You can manage stakeholder expectations and facilitate discussions about high risk and complexity even within constrained timescales. You can speak and represent the community to large audiences inside and outside of government.
- Financial management. You know how to negotiate, influence or set budgets in complex environments. You can write or input into business cases and can communicate business-value propositions.
- Maintaining delivery momentum. You know how to optimise the delivery flow of teams. You proactively address the most complicated risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team or no clear ownership exists. You can identify innovative ways to unblock issues.
- Making a process work. You can identify and challenge organisational processes of increasing complexity and those processes that are unnecessarily complicated. You can add value and can coach the organisation to inspect and adapt processes. You know how to guide teams through the implementation of a new process.
- Planning. You know how to lead a continual planning process in a very complex environment. You can plan beyond product delivery. You can identify dependencies in plans across services and coordinate delivery. You know how to coach other teams as the central point of expertise.
- Team dynamics and collaboration. You know how to change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs. You can lead on strategy for an entire organisation, joining up business needs with innovative analysis. You can make and justify outcomes characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity. You know how to build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly autonomous and diverse stakeholders. You can solve and unblock issues within teams or departments at the highest level. You understand the psychology of a team and have proven mediation skills. You can coach an organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution.
Selection process
The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.
Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the ‘responsibilities’ and ‘skills and experience’ section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role. We would recommend using the STAR method.
For further information on STAR, you can check out our hints and tips document.
Application
As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience and will be asked to complete:
- A CV
- A 750-word personal statement: “Referring to the ‘responsibilities and ‘skills and experience’ sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.”
Sift
Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.
Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.
Interview
If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.
The following behaviours will be assessed at interview:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
The following technical skills will be assessed at interview:
- Product lifecycle methodology
- Agile delivery methodology
- Government Service Standard
Interviews dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.
Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.
For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Product lifecycle methodology
- Agile delivery methodology
- Government Service Standard
Benefits
£16,022 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- 25 days leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- A day off per year for the King’s birthday
- Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more)
- Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time
- 3 paid volunteering days per year
- Funding for professional membership of a recognised professional body
- Learning and development tailored to your role and budget for training or qualifications
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Cycle to work scheme
- Health cash plan to help you manage health costs for a reduced monthly fee
- Access to the Employee Assistance Programme open 24 hours, 7 days a week, that provides support to you during any times of stress or difficulty
- Free access to Headspace for wellbeing
- Season ticket loan for public transport
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
We celebrate and act on equality, diversity and inclusion at Defra.
We welcome and encourage candidates from all backgrounds and with a range of diverse experiences. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying, harassment, victimisation, or negative stereotyping.
We treat all employees at all grades with value and respect to create an inclusive working environment. We celebrate individual differences and aim to cater to diverse needs.
You can read more in our diversity and inclusion strategy.
Check out the video below from Jane McGeagh, Chief Operating Officer on why DDTS is a great place to work.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
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.
Location
Defra operate a blended working policy subject to business need. There is flexibility to split working week, spending a minimum of 40 to 60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply or you are an existing contractual home worker.
Please be aware that this role will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace or office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
To work from 2 Marsham Street, you will require the higher level of counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful CTC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.
Visa sponsorship statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence 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 (GRS) 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 youre 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 maybe 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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@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 applicants 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 on the Childcare Choices website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : DDTS Recruitment Hub
- Email : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DefraRecruitment.GRS@CabinetOffice.gov.uk
Further information
