Head of Product Management

Job summary

The CPS Digital & Information Directorate (DID) is a growing team which builds and runs multiple services to support our internal users, such as lawyers, caseworkers and operational staff, and our external users such as victims of crime. This is a great opportunity for an experienced product leader to join us as the Head of Product.

The Head of Product is the head of the Product Management profession. Our team manages products ranging from casework systems and data and AI products to standalone applications and a few external-facing products. All of these are critical to delivering effective justice. The role is a pivotal role within DID’s senior leadership team and has responsibility for the delivery of high-quality digital products and services.

The Product Management profession is relatively new in the CPS, and we are growing the team. The product team, which will rise to 12 people with ongoing recruitment, is made up of lead (G7 equivalent) and senior (SEO equivalent) product managers, and will be a mix of digital, technical, AI, and data product strengths.

You will be expected to provide strong developmental team leadership in accordance with cross-government GDaD and wider CPS capability frameworks.

The Head of Product will develop, implement, and continuously improve the CPS’ product strategy, ensuring it aligns with DID and organisational strategy, and with mandatory cross-government standards such as the service standard and the Tech Code of Practice.

You will be expected to develop strong, robust working relationships with fellow heads of profession in user-centred design, delivery, AI delivery, technology, and others, to ensure that DID’s work and outputs align with organisational strategy, user needs, and cross-government standards.

You will work with a small leadership team of highly experienced deputy directors and our CDIO, who lead technology, digital, change programmes and governance. The post holder will also be expected to develop strong partnerships with Heads of Product, and other relevant colleagues and networks across government and professional bodies.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Job description

Your roles and responsibilities are:

• develop and implement an effective product road map for CPS products and the product profession.
• ensure that product decisions and strategies are always made with the end user’s needs and experiences at the forefront.
• accountability for high-quality product delivery that aligns with the organisation's overall digital transformation goals and user needs. This includes decisions on feature and backlog prioritisation, resourcing, benefits realisation and risk management.
• provides authoritative advice and guidance to colleagues on any aspect of product management
• guide, support, and mentor all product managers within the team, to develop as a diverse, inclusive, skilled team.

A copy of the full job description is attached.

Person specification

To be eligible to apply, you need to:

• be an experienced Product leader of digital, data, AI or technology products, either as Head of Product or similar role.
• be an experienced people leader, with particular focus on profession and individual development.
• have experience of development and ownership of a product strategy.
• be capable of developing and leading agile multi-disciplinary teams.
• be certified in agile product management.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Developing Self and Others
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £76,870, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £22,269 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).

Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose.

Why we work for the Crown Prosecution Service

The Crown Prosecution Service is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.

This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI+, race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.

The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.

• You can do impactful, purposeful work that is making a difference to your local communities.
• You are able to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
• We care about your wellbeing.
• We want you to feel valued, trusted and included.

We also offer the following range of benefits:

• Civil Service contributory pension of up to 28.9%
• 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
• £350 each year to spend on personal development
• lawyer training programme for all new prosecutors
• an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• flexible working including flexitime, and a family friendly approach to work
• Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings.

Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you would like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk.

We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. You must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you are doing.

The Crown Prosecution Service also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all newly appointed managers. This is a fantastic opportunity to support all our new Crown Prosecution Service managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles.

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, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment process

Interview

The recruitment process consists of an online application, interview and assessment. These are expected to take place on 6 and 7 August 2026.

Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk

You should keep this week free or notify us if you're not available. We make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.

Assessment

We ask you to complete an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role. We will provide details immediately before your interview.

Information Session

Personal Statement

We ask you to complete a personal statement of no more than 1,000 words, demonstrating the essential experience required for this role. You must:

• be an experienced Product leader of digital, data, AI or technology products, either as Head of Product or similar role.
• be an experienced people leader, with particular focus on profession and individual development.
• have experience of development and ownership of a product strategy.
• be capable of developing and leading agile multi-disciplinary teams.
• be certified in agile product management.

In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

Behaviours

You are asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each of the following behaviours, setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements:

1. Managing a Quality Service- lead behaviour
2. Leadership
3. Seeing the Bigger Picture

You also need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘managing a quality service’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

Interview and assessment

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against Grade 6 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing four behaviours at interview and assessment stage:

1. Developing Self & Others – interview only
2. Working Together - interview only
3. Making Effective Decisions – interview and assessment
4. Communicating and Influencing – interview and assessment

Strengths

Strengths are tested at interview stage – we don’t share the strengths tested the interview.

Information sessions

We are holding a information session – this is a live webchat where you can ask us any queries you may have about your application or the role. You can register here:

14 July 2026 13:00 - 13:45 - https://meetandengage.com/amrd8m7vl

Other

This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.

We don’t offer visa sponsorship. If you require visa sponsorship to work in the UK, you will not meet the eligibility criteria for this role.

Clearance

If successful, we request a Disclosure and Barring Service check, You must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, nationality and immigration questionnaire.

If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply.You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

Reserve list

If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Head of Product Management post in the Crown Prosecution Service Digital Information Directorate if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach you to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.

Fraud check

The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.

Civil Service Commission

If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 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 : Ellie Dixon
• Email : Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk

Attachments

CPS Terms and Conditions Opens in new window (docx, 255kB)NEW CPS Personal Statement Guidance 2023 Opens in new window (docx, 269kB)Level E - Head of Product Management (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 205kB)