Product Manager

Job summary

We are MHCLG

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we're all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there's never been a more exciting time. We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Digital Planning Programme within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Our mission is to modernise the planning system through digital transformation, making it more transparent, accessible, and efficient for everyone. We are delivering tangible improvements to support communities across the UK, creating great places to live and work.

This role provides a unique opportunity to influence the use of the Planning Data platform, the data. development software and open digital planning. The Product Manager will work with high-performing agile teams across the Planning Data, PropTech, Planning Software, Open Digital Planning and broader Digital Planning Programme, shaping product roadmaps and delivering value for users. You will be responsible for supporting the vision, product strategy, prioritisation, and tactical direction of products and services that form part of the digital strands of the planning transformation. This involves new and complex digital products and services delivered by multiple teams across a distributed local government and private sector environment, with high technical or political risk.

Find out more about what it's like to work in a digital, data and technology role at MHCLG including our culture, ways of working, career progression and staff benefits. You can also read the MHCLG Digital blog to learn about the work we're doing.

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description

As a Product Manager, you'll:

• Support and motivate multi-disciplinary teams, helping them organise, plan, and prioritise their work, ensuring they deliver products and services that meet user needs
• Provide data to report on the programme to the portfolio and senior management team to help solve issues and unblock problems
• Actively participate in the Product Manager community, learning, sharing, and applying skills and knowledge to improve
• Develop a working level understanding of user needs, including technical users, and champion these in the delivery of high-profile MHCLG services
• Define and set measurable KPIs for your service, demonstrating progress against stated benefits
• Direct a multidisciplinary delivery team to ensure the right things are prioritised and that stakeholders are informed and engaged under the guidance of Service Owner
• Develop the vision, product strategy, and backlog of your product or service, linking with other products and services in Digital Planning and across MHCLG to identify join-ups, dependencies, and opportunities
• Contribute to creating a positive environment within the team that fosters collaboration, learning, and mutual support

Person specification

As a Product Manager, you'll have:

• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of using agile methodologies and practices to deliver digital products, services, or projects
• Successful track record as a Product Management professional
• Experience using an iterative and flexible approach to deliver solutions and outcomes that meet user needs
• Experience delivering products and services to meet issues and problems that arise from day-to-day operations and through product delivery
• The ability to motivate a team to collectively own an ambitious vision, roadmap, and set of deliverables through leadership and communication
• Experience of working within the UK planning system or digital planning
• Experience owning finances and budget allocation, experience of the process of securing funding through delivering pitches
• Experience of working within the development management software or digital planning or land and property technology sector

You will assessed against the technical skills as listed in the Government Digital and Data Framework.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,004, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £12,747 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Strengths , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience: In your CV and covering letter, please include:
a. why you are interested in the role;
b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead sift question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.

Lead sift question (Technical): “Describe a time when you worked on a digital product with technical complexity or dependencies. Please explain:

• the technical context at a high level

• how you worked with technical specialists

• how you ensured the product continued to make progress and maintain quality”

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: "Working Together", "Managing A Quality Service"
• Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.*
• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

*Candidates will be asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 20th April 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 11th May 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

How We Recruit

Find out everything you need to know before applying here..

• Applying
• Sifting
• Interview
• Interview Results & Feedback
• Reserve List
• Near Miss
• Civil Service Grades
• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

What you need to know before applying.

• Security Clearance Requirements
• Civil Service Nationality Requirements
• Right to Work
• Artificial Intelligence
• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
• CV Declaration
• Sponsorships
• Salary and Grade
• Existing Civil Servants
• Conflict of Interest
• Location and Flexible Working
• Fixed Term Contracts
• Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register
• Appeals and Complaints
• Conflict of Interest

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

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

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 : Digital Data Jobs
• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk