At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead product teams to shape services that support millions in Scotland.
- Company: Join Social Security Scotland, a key player in public service delivery.
- Benefits: Flexible working, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with a focus on collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by enhancing vital services for users across Scotland.
- Qualifications: Experience in product management and agile methodologies is essential.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Join Social Security Scotland and help shape the products and services that support millions of pounds of benefit delivery across Scotland. Working with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, you'll lead product priorities, drive continuous improvement and ensure services deliver value for users, operations and the organisation.
You’ll join a team delivering and enhancing business-critical products and services that support key operational and organisational priorities. Working across digital, data, policy and operations, you’ll help ensure services remain effective, user-focused and aligned to legislative and business requirements. Areas of work may include fraud and error prevention, service assurance, debt management and recovery, and the delivery of wider products and services.
A Product Owner is the lead for the product team in their programme or service.
At This Role Level, You Will
- be as interested in managing people as managing products
- work closely with the head of product (where they exist as a separate role) to provide leadership and direction to all products in a programme or a local product community
- maintain the high level roadmap
- be involved in a range of programme management activities in support of the service owner or programme lead
- be involved in hiring associate product managers, product managers, senior product managers and contractors
- provide leadership in your programmes and across the local community
Responsibilities
- Agile Leadership and Ways of Working
- Coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, implementing effective ways of working by adapting your approach throughout the product lifecycle and applying internal insight and external best practice to drive impactful outcomes.
- Act as a recognised advocate for Agile ways of working, driving continuous improvement, challenging thinking, introducing innovative approaches, and fostering organisational Agile maturity through collaboration across teams and wider digital and data communities to achieve better outcomes.
- Act as an escalation point for major operational issues.
- Maintain awareness of the wider digital economy, emerging technologies, and cross-sector practices, applying relevant insights to improve delivery.
- Product Strategy, Vision and Value
- Set clear long-term vision and strategic objectives for your product portfolio, maintaining focus on priorities that deliver the greatest value and ensure products and services meet the evolving needs of the users across multiple channels.
- Understand the marketplace and user needs, building compelling business cases and clearly articulating the value of products to gain stakeholder buy-in.
- Ensure products are effectively adopted and deliver measurable benefits by aligning delivery to business cases and integrating products with wider services.
- Delivery and Product Lifecycle Management
- Lead multidisciplinary teams across the full product lifecycle, selecting appropriate tools and techniques at each stage to optimise delivery and using experience to guide teams in delivering high-quality, user-centred outcomes.
- Identify, manage and mitigate risks across all stages of the lifecycle, while developing sustainable support models.
- Problem Solving and Continuous Improvement
- Anticipate and define problems within a wider organisational context, clearly articulating issues and enabling others to develop strong problem-solving capabilities.
- Anticipate constraints, understanding when to challenge or remove barriers to enable delivery.
- Leadership, Collaboration and Capability Building
- Influence, challenge and support stakeholders at all levels to drive timely and effective decision-making.
- Coach and develop others, contributing to the growth and assessment of teams and supporting their progression.
- Build capability across teams, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each.
Experience
- Product Discovery and Delivery Approach Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams to research and develop user-centred products and service blueprints, aligned with organisational strategy and the wider context. This includes adapting innovative and established approaches to achieve product or service outcomes.
- Benefits Realisation and Value Proposition Experience defining, measuring and tracking product benefits, with the ability to clearly articulate and promote the product value proposition to a range of stakeholders. Understanding of how benefits and value align with Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) principles where relevant.
Behaviours
- Leadership - Level 4
- Communicating and Influencing - Level 4
Technical / Professional Skills
This role is aligned to Lead Product Manager within the Government Digital and Data Profession. These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage.
Reserve List
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.
About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee.
Security Checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
Please note that depending on which business area the successful candidate is appointed to, there may be a requirement to obtain additional National Security Vetting clearance (Security Check) before an appointment and start date can be confirmed.
Equality Statement
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post.
If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.
Right to Work in the UK
Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change.
Further Information
Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot in the first instance.
The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.
Product Owner in Glasgow employer: Social Security Scotland
Social Security Scotland is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment that values diversity and innovation. As part of the UK Civil Service, employees benefit from competitive pay, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth while contributing to meaningful public services that impact lives across Scotland. With a focus on collaboration and continuous improvement, this role provides a unique chance to shape cloud-native solutions in a dynamic team setting located in either Glasgow or Dundee.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Owner in Glasgow
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like Social Security Scotland!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at Social Security Scotland would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at Social Security Scotland through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Product Owner in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Product Owner, let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Product Owner position at Social Security Scotland. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at Social Security Scotland
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
