Principal Product Manager (Central Government)

Location: United Kingdom, within reasonable travelling distance of an office in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, London, or Bristol; must be open to working at a company or client site at least 2 days per week and travelling as required.

Company

Digital services partner delivering data-informed, human-centred design and software engineering for public sector clients and modern organisations.

What you will do

• Lead the strategic direction, vision, roadmaps, business models, and objectives for Central Government product portfolios.
• Represent the product function at executive level, influence government policy, and present evidence-based business cases to senior civil servants.
• Define delivery, risk management, data, AI, and innovation strategies while ensuring ethical technology use and compliance with central government standards.
• Establish portfolio metrics, review performance against citizen value, and initiate data-driven strategic pivots.
• Improve organisational standards for user research and ensure citizen needs guide public sector product work.
• Mentor and coach Senior Product Managers and leaders, building capability and institutional learning across the product profession.

Requirements

• Strong strategic GDS experience and proven portfolio-level experience across major Central Government departments, such as DWP, MoJ, DfE, MoD, and ONS.
• Ability to translate complex public policy, external context, and emerging technology trends, including public sector AI adoption, into strategic decisions and product investment areas.
• Experience architecting and leading change strategies aligned with long-term departmental goals, including processes, tools, and organisational culture.
• Experience building portfolio-level strategies, establishing metrics frameworks, and using data-driven insights to guide strategic pivots.
• Ability to define and influence organisational structures, processes, and culture for cross-departmental collaboration and psychological safety.
• Ability to anticipate long-term threats and opportunities and influence policy and investment to embed resilience and security.
• Experience leading collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and senior stakeholders, including presenting evidence-based business cases to senior civil servants.
• Authoritative knowledge of the GDS Service Standard and experience overseeing product portfolios through Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Live service assessments.
• Specific certificates are not required.

Culture & Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme with 6% company and 2% employee contributions.
• 25 days of holiday plus UK public holidays, with optional additional holidays.
• Private health and dental cover, critical illness cover, and life assurance with death-in-service cover.
• Perkbox discounts, volunteer days, cycle-to-work scheme, electric vehicle salary sacrifice, and season ticket loans.
• Financial and general wellbeing sessions, wellbeing contribution, charity contributions, and tree planting options.
• Diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace with reasonable adjustments and support for underrepresented groups.

Hiring process

• The recruitment process is designed to be inclusive and accessible, with reasonable adjustments available.