Job Description
Product Manager Salary: Up to £50,910 per annum - pay award pending Location: Chelmsford/remote Req ID: 10454 Closing date: 15 March 2023. This is an opportunity for a Product Manager to use their skills to transform public services and be part of establishing the product management profession at ECC. Now is an exciting time to join the Council’s Service Transformation team. We have a clear vision to develop modern services that meet the needs of residents, employees, and businesses in Essex. This Product has a strong focus on adding value to our digital employee experience. We’re making things better by building accessible and adaptable services that are simple to use. Our work is guided by best practice principles of what makes a good service. We have a comprehensive programme to consolidate and redesign ECC websites, making them clearer and more accessible. This will be the foundations from which we continue our work in rethinking end-to-end services and delivering the huge ambition in Everyone’s Essex. The role As a Product Manager you will: Build and maintain close working relationships with stakeholders to understand their business goals and how technology and digital capabilities can help them achieve these goals Lead project teams using Agile practices Share skills, knowledge and working practices Contribute to the growing user-centred design community across ECC Lead the ideation, technical development, release and iteration of innovative local government products Drive product vision & roadmap development with teams of designers, user researchers and technical developers Integrate user research, data analysis and customer feedback into product requirements Continuously strive for optimal user centred design Identify and track key performance metrics that define product success Work on a diverse scope of problems that require creative evidence-based solutions Manage a large & diverse group of stakeholders with varying interests. Day-to-day you will: Work on product management of a new employee Intranet platform as well as other wider digital capabilities Develop a deep understanding of users’ needs and champion these in the delivery of your products Help define, explain, and iterate a product vision that is compelling to your users, delivery team and stakeholders Plan and manage the different phases of the product delivery lifecycle ensuring products are built effectively on time and to budget Lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver a product and continuously improve it through several iterations Set measurable goals for your product and demonstrate progress against stated benefits Meet high standards to make sure products meet user needs, consider future changes in technology, and can operate at scale (including the Government Service Standards, accessibility regulations and Information governance principles) Help support the vision, roadmaps, and delivery of other products in your programme and at ECC. Skills and experience: Confident working with and challenging stakeholders at all levels, and communicating clearly to manage their expectations Have experience coaching and leading teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach to take and evaluating this through the life of a project Have experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team; involving design, development, and research professionals, to deliver digital services and/or products Know how to set up and manage a backlog of work, and have been responsible for setting the priority order Can identify, communicate, and deal with both risks and constraints across the product life cycle Have experience engaging with users and identifying how their needs can and are being met by products and services Have a working understanding of design, technology and data principles and the importance of assisted digital support in designing services that meet user needs have strong verbal, written and visual communication skills that you can tailor to the needs of the audience, including the delivery of technical presentations Experienced in demonstrating and making evidence-based decisions Work well within cross functional teams Able to work alone with initiative or collaborate within a team Experience as or working with the Product Management discipline and with an Intranet, ERP or learning platform is highly beneficial. Benefits of working for us This is a great role in a vibrant and growing team. You’ll find an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued. We’re also a sociable bunch. We regularly get together for team lunches and to celebrate our successes. You can find out more about us and the work we do on Service Transformation blog. The Council has developed a package of benefits that we hope resonates with you. You can find out more about our pay and reward offer on our Working for Essex website. It’s important to us that we represent the communities that we serve, and we want a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. You can find out more about our commitment to equality and diversity on our Equality and Diversity page Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here. Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. What you should do next If you would like an informal chat about the role, we would love to hear from you! Please contact Jordan.Holdsworth@Essex.gov.uk Please ensure that you include a supporting statement as part of your application. This should demonstrate capability for all the bullet points listed under “skills and experience”. Please try to use real examples and tell us what the situation was, what you did and what the result was. If your application is shortlisted, you’ll be invited to attend an interview on 16 or 17 March 2023. Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk