Lead Product Manager

As Lead Product Manager, you join a growing team within the Crown Prosecution Service Digital and Information Directorate (DID). Our team builds and runs multiple services to support our internal users, such as lawyers, caseworkers and operational staff, and our external users including victims of crime.

You are joining DID at an incredibly exciting time as we look to replace the existing legacy case management system and move to a new solution as part of the 2030 digital strategy.

We are looking to expand the team to focus on new areas of capability in the artificial intelligence (AI), digital and technical space. We have already implemented a new front end using Government Digital Service standards for the Make a Charging Decision Process. Our recent work includes using Government Digital Service standards to implement a new front end, to support our prosecutors when making charging decisions. We are expanding this work to include a new platform for CPS cases, new AI features to support staff with decision making and improving the digital solution to include the full end-to-end user journey for prosecutors, advocates, investigating agency partners and Operational Delivery colleagues.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Your responsibilities will include:

• leading a product family within the digital, technical or AI space
• managing a multidisciplinary team of CPS permanent and supplier staff to develop your product family using agile
• managing the product backlog and working on the prioritisation with the RCMS Programme according to the business’ strategic priorities and Product Roadmap
• presenting to senior stakeholders and the wider business on your product development and service

A copy of the full job description is attached.

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process consists of an online application, interview and assessment. These are expected to take place on week beginning 12 October 2026.

Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact Ellie.Dixon@cps.gov.uk.

You should keep this week free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.

Assessment

We ask you to complete an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role. We will provide details on the assessment once you are successfully invited to interview.

Personal statement

We ask you to complete a personal statement of no more than 750 words. You need to demonstrate the following experience required for this role:

• experience in Product Management (either in digital, technical, data or AI) and in leading the development of product out to users along with managing a team to build out epics and features along with a product roadmap.
• be comfortable with presenting your product and its development to a wide range of stakeholders
• have an interest in working in the Criminal Justice System
• hold a Product Management qualification such as or similar to SaFE, Agile and/ or Scrum is required.
• have working knowledge of product management tools such as Jira or Trello

In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

Behaviours

You are asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each of the following behaviours, setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements:

• Communicating and influencing – lead behaviour
• Making effective decisions

In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour 'communicating and influencing’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

Interview

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against Grade 7 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing 5 behaviours at interview stage:

• Communicating and influencing – lead behaviour
• Making effective decisions
• Managing a quality service
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Delivering at pace

Essential Experience/Technical Skills - assessed at interview and assessment.

CV

You’re not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section’. You are required to provide information about your employment and/or academic history for the past three years. The CV section will be assessed.

It’s your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post.

If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes.

Strengths

Strengths are tested at interview stage - the strengths tested are not shared before the interview.

Other

This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.

Please note that the CPS is unable to offer visa sponsorship. Therefore, if you require visa sponsorship to work in the UK, you will not meet the eligibility criteria for this role.

Clearance

If successful, we will request a Disclosure and Barring Service check, for which you must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, and nationality and immigration questionnaire.

If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

Reserve list

If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Lead Product Manager post in the CPS if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.

Fraud check

The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.

Civil Service Commission

If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

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