Lead Product Manager

• Job grade: Other
• Contract type: Permanent
• Business area: MAPS - Technology & Change
• Type of role: Information Technology
• Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Homeworking, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours, Part year, Shift working
• Number of jobs available: 1

Lead Product Manager

£87,000 per annum

Bedford

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Ready to make a real difference? Join us at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as our Lead Product Manager. This is your chance to play a meaningful role in helping people across the UK build stronger financial futures and to do it as part of a supportive, energetic team.

Why this role matters?

The Lead Product Manager for the National Pensions Dashboards Service (NPDS) provides strategic product leadership across the service, translating service strategy, user and industry needs, policy and regulatory requirements into a coherent product strategy and clear, prioritised outcomes. Working closely with the Service Owner & Platform Director, the Lead Product Manager sets product direction, establishes priorities and ensures investment and change deliver measurable public value while supporting the safe and sustainable operation of national pensions dashboards infrastructure.

They establish effective approaches for assessing and prioritising new demand and change, balancing value, risk, regulatory requirements, dependencies and delivery capacity. The Lead Product Manager translates priorities into clear outcomes and commissions work from internal teams, strategic partners and suppliers, working closely with Technology, Delivery, Architecture, Data and Commercial colleagues to ensure priorities are feasible, appropriately assured and delivered effectively.

The Lead Product Manager also provides professional leadership across the product management capability within NPDS, including Senior Product Managers, Product Managers and Data Product Management. They apply consistent standards for product strategy, discovery, road mapping, prioritisation, evidence-based decision-making and benefits measurement, while coaching teams and establishing clear decision rights, this uses the Product Management Standards. The role ensures product decisions are informed by user research, operational insight, service performance and data, and represents Product Management within service governance. As Pensions Dashboards transitions into live operation, the Lead Product Manager establishes a sustainable product operating model that enables continuous improvement, effective commissioning and controlled change.

The role is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework:

The role supports a national training offer delivered to a wide network of external organisations and practitioners across the UK, designed to improve their understanding, skills, and confidence

At this role level, you will:

• Manage people and manage products
• Maintain the high level roadmap
• Be involved in a range of programme management activities
• Be involved in recruiting product managers at all levels and contractors
• Provide leadership in your programmes and across the local communities of practice

• Significant experience leading the strategy, development and delivery of digital products and services within a complex organisational environment.
• Expert knowledge of Agile and Lean methodologies, with a track record of coaching teams and embedding continuous improvement and effective delivery practices.
• Strong strategic and commercial awareness, with the ability to develop long-term product visions, influence senior stakeholders and align delivery with organisational objectives.
• Extensive experience using user research, data and insight to shape product decisions, improve user outcomes and drive service improvements.
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement and leadership skills, with the ability to build consensus, manage competing priorities, and lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver successful outcomes.

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

Step 1: Submit Your Application

Open: 13/11/2026 , Deadline: 29/11/2026

To apply, please submit the following documents:

1. Your most up-to-date CV
2. A cover letter (maximum 1,000 words). Please structure your cover letter in two parts:

Part 1 – Motivation and fit. Explain why you are interested in this role and how your experience and values align with it.

Part 2 – Essential Criteria. Using the five Essential Criteria as headings, provide concise examples that demonstrate your judgement, level of responsibility and impact

Step 2: Telephone Interview

Between 12/11/2026 – 30/11/2026

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a telephone interview with one of our recruiters. This is an opportunity to:

• Discuss your experience in more detail
• Learn more about the role and our organisation
• Ask any questions you may have

Step 3: Final Stage Interview

Hosted on W/c 07/12/2026 and 14/12/2026

Successful candidates from the telephone interview will be invited to an in person interview based at the Bedford Office This stage will include:

• A structured interview with competency based questions

We follow fair, open, and merit‑based recruitment in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Job Reference: MaPS01340

Close Date: 29/11/2026

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

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.

Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)
and the

Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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• Email : sophie.rigney@reed.com

• Email : sophie.rigney@reed.com

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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)

About Us
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.

At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:

• Caring
  We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform.
• Connecting
  We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections.
• Transforming
  We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.

Our Inclusive Working Environment
By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work.”

Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.

What We Offer

• Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
• Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
• Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Life assurance scheme
• Give as you earn scheme
• Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
• Recognition Scheme
• Discounts portal to numerous retailers

Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per month. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.

Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.