Platform Owner in Manchester

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Do you have experience of leading in a Platform and Product environment? Are you passionate about technical execution on a Cloud Platform? Do you have experience in defining a Product direction across multiple teams and platforms? Can you excel in a Product and Platform organisation, and play a key role in delivering the vision and direction of the AWS Platforms in HMRC?

About the Role: Within HMRC’s Chief Digital & Information Group (CDIO), specifically in the Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) team, we are redefining our offerings and growing a team of outstanding people to improve the Cloud Centre of Excellence. We are already a diverse team of 90+ technologists, creating a dynamic and inclusive working environment whose skills cover architecture, platform development, service design, platform operations, and governance. Travel to Telford is required as part of this role, and 60% of your working time will need to be office based.

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Platform Product Owner to lead the vision, roadmap, and delivery of the AWS cloud platforms. This pivotal role bridges business strategy with technical execution, ensuring cloud platform capabilities align with organisational goals and customer needs. You will drive a product mentality to the platform and be able to demonstrate high empathy and understanding of user needs and translating that into value. You will be an evangelist for the platform, using measurable value to constantly ensure we are not only doing the right thing but promoting and celebrating success. You will define and manage the product direction across multiple teams, orchestrating platform evolution, and enable collaborative delivery across Data, Integration, and Networking domains. Operating within established governance frameworks, you will empower autonomous teams while driving innovation and operational excellence across our cloud ecosystem.

Responsibilities:

• Multi-Platform Leadership Strategy and Vision: Define and communicate the product vision and strategy for cloud-based platform services, aligning with business objectives and customer insights. Lead product discovery, research, and roadmap development to support scalability, security, and integration across platforms.
• Cross-Platform Performance Optimisation: Own and manage complex product backlogs, prioritising features based on business value and technical feasibility. Oversee platform performance and scalability, driving improvements and fostering collaboration across teams. Act as a trusted technical advisor, supporting agile delivery and introducing new technologies to enhance platform capabilities. Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture and seamless integration of new tools and processes.
• Risk, Security & Compliance Management: Oversee risk management and implement security best practices to ensure compliance with governance and regulatory standards. Monitor platform performance and adoption, optimising usage and maintaining secure operations. Align platform strategies with organisational priorities and manage relationships with stakeholders and external vendors. Coordinate with DevOps, Security, and FinOps teams to ensure seamless operations and effective communication.
• Drive Product Capability across Cloud Platform Teams: Set the standard for product management within the Cloud Platform space and mentor other roles to improve product approaches.
• Technical Expertise: Lengthy experience in cloud platform leadership, with a heavy focus on AWS. Strong experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation), CI/CD, and AWS security/compliance frameworks. Knowledge of multi-account AWS architectures, networking, hybrid cloud, and hands-on with containers, serverless, and microservices. Proven product/platform ownership in enterprise tech, with ability to create/manage technical roadmaps and align stakeholders. Skilled in Agile, backlog management, and translating technical requirements into platform capabilities. Experience leading federated/distributed teams and managing stakeholders across business and technical domains.
• Business & Communication Skills: Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. Collaborative leadership style, strong written/verbal communication, and ability to influence without direct authority. Understanding of FinOps, cloud cost optimisation, project management for large-scale initiatives, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) or equivalent.
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or AWS Solutions Architect – Associate.
• Previous experience in financial services, healthcare, or other highly regulated industries – assessed in a tie-break situation only.

Additional Security Information: This role requires the successful candidate to hold or be willing to hold Security Check (SC) clearance.

Benefits: Alongside your salary of £71,725, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £20,778 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. HMRC operates Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs. We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days. Pension – we make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary. Family-friendly policies. Personal support. Coaching and development.

How to Apply: As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following: A name-blind CV including your job history, qualifications and previous experiences. Your CV should be limited to your last 3 roles and no more than 200 words per role. A 1000-word personal statement. Your personal statement should show how you meet the person specification and essential criteria. A separate statement (max 250 words) for the desirable criteria where applicable.

Sift and Interview: At full sift your CV and your personal statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview. We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications. Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Other Information: Seniority level: Director. Employment type: Full-time. Job function: Design and Information Technology. Industries: Government Administration and Technology, Information and Media.