Defence Digital - Lead Product Manager

Job summary

The MOD's digital teams ensure we remain among the most technologically advanced Armed Forces in the world. We develop and deliver cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity solutions to protect the UK and its interests, at home and abroad. Our mission also goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

▶ Watch to find out more about what we do.

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Work at the forefront of secure cloud and hosting, partnering directly with some of the world’s leading global technology providers to shape enterprise‑scale platforms that matter. This is a rare opportunity to influence how cutting‑edge cloud capabilities are designed, assured, and delivered in one of the most complex operating environments in Government.

You’ll play a pivotal role in delivering the capabilities that underpin the UK’s Defence strategy. You’ll take full ownership of your product’s life cycle, shaping its direction, aligning it with Defence priorities, and ensuring it delivers maximum operational value.

This role is central to maintaining and evolving a live cloud and hosting platform that support mission‑critical applications at SECRET. You’ll safeguard the platform’s stability and security while driving continuous improvement. With operational services that demand strict change control, assured performance, and confident decision‑making, your leadership will directly impact Defence operations.

Responsibilities:

• Own the end‑to‑product strategy and backlog for a complex, secure cloud and hosting portfolio, ensuring clear prioritisation of outcomes across multiple delivery teams and Planning Increments, aligned to organisational and user needs.
• Ensure products are viable, assured, and operable at scale, embedding security, resilience, and value‑for‑money considerations throughout the product lifecycle, and supporting service transition into live operations.
• Act as the primary product interface to senior stakeholders and partners, working closely with internal leaders and major technology suppliers to translate strategic intent into deliverable, assured product increments
• Work with users in the armed forces to ensure requirements are captured and enabled.

You’ll also help develop the next generation of Product Managers by mentoring and coaching junior colleagues, strengthening skills and capability across the organisation. You will provide senior product leadership to delivery teams, including line management of Crown Servants and functional leadership of Scrum Masters, setting clear direction, enabling effective Agile delivery, and driving continuous improvement.

With scope to oversee complex products or larger delivery teams, you will play a key role in keeping stakeholders aligned and delivering innovative, mission‑focused outcomes that enhance the UK’s Defence capabilities.

You can find more detailed information about a Lead Product Manager role in a Government department here: Product manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

Person specification

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to lead our Product Management team. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, perceptive, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced, complex environment. A clear understanding of the distinction between product development and bespoke customisation is essential, along with proven experience in strategic planning, product ownership, and maintaining a strong user‑focused approach.

You will have experience engaging directly with users and coordinating engagement across multiple organisations to identify a common set of needs and priorities. The ideal candidate will also bring strong cloud expertise and proven experience in Agile delivery environments.

When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) demonstrating the essential criteria listed below:

• Experience of setting product direction and managing product backlogs across multiple teams, delivering outcomes at scale in regulated or high‑assurance environments, including complex digital or cloud settings.
• Experience working in scaled Agile environments, shaping roadmaps, coordinating Planning Increments, and aligning delivery with strategic priorities.
• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams and to influence senior stakeholders and partners to achieve shared outcomes.

Are you interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Join our upcoming candidate brief, where members of the team will talk you through the role and answer your questions. We’re hosting a session on Thursday 16th April at 5pm. To reserve your place, please email ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with the CSJ Reference number, your name and email address. We’ll then send you a Microsoft Teams invite so you can join on the day.

Please note that this role is only eligible for sole UK nationals.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• User Focus

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Parental and Adoption Leave
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Please see Benefits Leaflet for more detail Discover My Benefits - All Benefits

Learning & Development

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
• Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Professional Framework Statement

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing. Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

Defence is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way it conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts are/will be subject to review and potential changes, as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout the transformation programme, Defence is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with personnel and Trade Unions.

Hybrid Working

This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. Please note that the role requires a minimum on-site presence of 3 days per week, as well as regular travel to other MOD sites, including MOD Main Building, London.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply, please upload your CV in the relevant section on the Civil Service Jobs dashboard, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. You must also submit a personal statement (maximum 1,250 words) providing evidence of how you meet these criteria.

Here is a link to a video offering helpful tips and guidance on the Civil Service Jobs application process: How to apply for Defence Digital roles on Civil Service Jobs

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Technical Skills:

• User Focus

In addition to the interview, you will be required to deliver a 5-minute presentation on a topic pertinent to the role. The topic for the presentation will be communicated to you in advance of your interview. The interviews will be held face to face at MOD Corsham, Westwells Road, Corsham, SN13 9NR. We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews or assessments.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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 developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Talent Acquisition Team
• Email : ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

DD_Campaign Pack_2026_O Opens in new window (pdf, 1889kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)