Product Manager - Bristol

Product Manager - Bristol

About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
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 earlystage 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, prediscovery and experimentation to inform future strategic decisions.
To succeed, you will bring a Tshaped 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 subjectmatter expertise. Strong communication and presentation skills will enable you to develop evidencebased recommendations that help senior leaders understand the value, potential and tradeoffs 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 highquality 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 strengthen product practice.
• Certification in agile, product management or related disciplines (e.g., APM, Scrum, SAFe) is advantageous but not essential.

Further Location Information
Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.
Office Closures
For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it's important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.
These sites are:

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
• Telford Plaza, Telford - moving to Parkside Court, Telford

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.
Leeds Locations
Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits
Alongside your salary of 58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes 16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV including your job history and skills and experience.
• A 750 word Personal Statement to demonstrate Essential Criteria and Person Specification with your skills experience and achievements.
• Separate 250 word statements for each of the following Behaviours - Leadership, Communicating and Influencing.

Please complete a separate statement Max 250 words for the Desirable Criteria where applicable. This is not essential for the role but may be considered by the vacancy-holder where candidates have the same scores at interview.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on the CV.
At full sift all your Behaviour statements, CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Experience and Behaviour based questions.
You will also be requested to do a 5 minute experience based presentation. The presentation will be based on "delivering change in a large and complex organisation with competing priorities and stakeholder interests" and you will be assessed on your ability to apply product management techniques, communicate complex ideas clearly and influence stakeholders to support successful outcomes. Further information will be given prior to interview for successful candidates.
Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. Mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we may not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via: - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - (insert vacancy ref) & vacancy closing date (insert date)'.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly.
Sponsorship
We have assessed this role against both Home Office and HMRC criteria and we are unable to offer sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa. This means the vacancy is not open to applicants who require visa sponsorship.
The HMRC app can help you with your application
The HMRC app can provide you with your past 5 years' employment history, making the process of filling in your application quicker and easier.
If successful in your application, you will need your National Insurance number for the onboarding process.
Download the HMRC app now and save your National Insurance number to your digital phone wallet.
How to download the HMRC app and sign up for an account
Download the free HMRC app from the App Store or Google Play store.
If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.
You'll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.
You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via 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.
Technical Support
If you are experiencing problems that cannot be resolved by our 'help' section, then technical support is available. You will receive a reply in 2 working days.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
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.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check.
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).