Senior Product Manager

Fixed Term, 12 months

Full Time, flexible working will be considered

Up to £62,858 per annum

Location: Chelmsford (remote initially*)

Closing Date: 17th January 2021

*This position will initially, in line with current government guidance be based from home, with an expectation of being home based for the foreseeable future. However, if / when government guidelines change the role may then revert to being office based, whilst retaining some flexible working options.

Who we are

Essex County Council (ECC) continue to make Essex a thriving county to live, work and visit. ECC is one of the county's largest employers, with over 7,500 staff. We provide many services including social, environmental, transport, education, planning and benefits.
The Service Transformation team is a new multi-disciplinary team. We're problem solvers. We find simple solutions to complex problems by:

• understanding users
• designing processes and ways of working
• building digital solutions
• building skills and knowledge

We never assume what a solution will be, but we work with teams to help them find it.
You'll find an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.
We're also a sociable bunch. We love to celebrate our successes and support each other in many ways.

Our office is just 25 minutes by train from Stratford. And, of course, there is the opportunity to work remotely part of the week. For the time being, this role is a remote-working one, and this status will be reviewed once the Covid restrictions are lifted.

Who you are

You are a skilled and experienced Product Manager leading a multidisciplinary team, supporting and continuously improving products of significant scale and complexity. You will be helping us greatly if you worked on a project where you and the team you worked with were responsible for moving a product to an open-source platform.

What you'll do

You will:

• work on essex.gov.uk as the product manager
• lead on the discovery, alpha and beta work on the replacement of essex.gov.uk with the new open-source solution, in collaboration with the supplier to be procured
• lead discussions across the organisation to make sure the right products are built/procured in the right way
• devise and iterate the product vision, roadmap and backlog, be a champion for user needs, document product knowledge, and
• communicate plans and progress through various channels including the blog, stakeholder meetings and demos
• plan and manage different phases of the product delivery lifecycle
• work closely with user research, design, service design, content design, and development to build fit-for-purpose products
• build and maintain stakeholder relationships to ensure investment decisions are taken with a product thinking view
• set high standards to make sure products meet user needs, consider future changes in technology and can operate at scale (including the Government Service Standard, accessibility regulations and Information governance principles)
• work closely with Technology Services to understand technical constraints and the existing IT estate

What's in it for you?

This is a unique opportunity to join an exceptional, high-performing team. You'll be working for an ambitious organisation seeking to improve experience by delivering first-class services.
You will help the organisation to build modern digital services so that we can help improve thousands of people's lives for years to come. You will also make great connections in public sector digital circles, including local and central government.

Next steps

For more information and to apply, please click the apply button to be taken to the full advert on the Working for Essex website.

You will be required to provide a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should present demonstrable experience of all the competencies listed under "Your Skills". Please try to use real life examples, mostly drawing from your professional life.

We are planning to hold interviews on 27-28 January.

Benefits

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please visit the Working for Essex website.

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.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.