Lead Product Manager – HR & Finance applications – G7

ID 3424

The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate’s name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Vacancy details

Lead Product Manager – HR & Finance applications – G7 

13/02/2026, 16:00 

Permanent
A non-negotiable starting salary of £61,098 will be offered to the successful candidate
Grade 7 £61,098 to £73,057
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Corporate Services and Inspectorates
DDaT & KAS
IT Services
Pan Wales

‘Pan Wales’ means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs.

A list of the Welsh Government’s offices can be found on www.gov.wales/welsh-government-offices. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

The post holder’s travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their ‘ordinary commute’ and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Welsh Government

The Welsh Government delivers digital services to people and business across Wales. Led by our Chief Digital Officer, the Welsh Government is increasingly delivering more services online and has a vision (outlined in the Digital Strategy for Wales) of improving the lives of everyone through collaboration, innovation and better public services. 

To achieve this vision, the Welsh Government needs specialist digital, data and technology skills across all departments in the organisation to improve the services and policies we develop for Welsh citizens. 

For more information about the benefits of making a difference with us,  please see the Employee Benefits Pack.

Team/Division Overview


The successful candidate will report to the Head of IT Services, Operations and Engineering.  You will be responsible for the ongoing management, support and delivery of core corporate applications including HR and Finance.

Job Role:

This post is mapped to Lead Product Manager in the DDaT Profession Capability Framework. Follow the link to understand the role and the required skills.

The Lead Product Manager for HR and Finance systems will lead the functional application teams responsible for delivering secure, compliant, and high-performing systems that support critical business processes. This role combines strategic product ownership with operational leadership, ensuring systems meet business needs, adhere to governance standards, and deliver value through continuous improvement.

We are looking for people who are: 

  • Strong leaders with experience of managing functional teams
  • Have Knowledge of ITIL principles and governance frameworks
  • Experienced communicators with the ability to engage with both internal and external stakeholders

At this role level, you will:

  • help others make value-based decisions, influencing the direction of development
  • influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress

Your main day to day responsibilities will include: 

  • Lead on defining and maintaining the product vision and roadmap for HR and Finance systems aligned with organisational objectives.
  • Ensure application development lifecycle principles are applied and followed.
  • Advise and influence stakeholders at management level regarding delivery, costs, availability, and functionality of systems.
  • Set the overall direction for the functional team, ensuring adherence to ITIL standards and best practice guidelines.
  • Ensure systems are secure, compliant, and licensed in line with corporate policy and contractual agreements.
  • Lead on stakeholder management, ensuring effective communication with key customers and managing expectations around application functionality and service availability.
  • Develop effective partnerships with business stakeholders to ensure systems meet operational needs.
  • Act as key contact for 3rd party suppliers, ensuring arrangements deliver the highest value through proactive engagement and management of deliverables under the contracts as appropriate, taking overall responsibility for service delivery and contract management.
  • Ensure system incidents and development requests are managed, prioritised, and delivered in line with agreed SLAs.
  • Ensure team members operate within specified governance and control structures.
  • Day-to-day management and leadership of application functional teams.
  • Manage and monitor performance of direct reports in line with agreed objectives.
  • Lead recruitment activity and workforce planning for the team.

As a member of the Digital, Data and Technology profession in Welsh Government you will have access to a range of learning and development opportunities. 

You will have the opportunity to work on various projects and engage with colleagues at all levels from within the profession and business areas across the organisation. 

Welsh Government is supportive of your learning and development and has a range of training and opportunities available including a suite of online training, coaching and mentoring and short-term experience placements which you will be able to take advantage of depending on your learning and development needs and discussions with your line manager. 

  • This advertisement confirms the overall criteria being assessed throughout this recruitment exercise. For further details on the criteria and evidence required at the application stage, you will need to press apply and review the application form.
  • When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role
  • A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months. 
  • In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Experience 2 - Excellent knowledge of both HR and Finance business processes and how they support business activities. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

  • In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has agreed the following criteria will determine merit order: 

    1. Experience - Excellent knowledge of both HR and Finance business processes and how they support business activities
    2. Experience - Excellent operational knowledge of HR or Finance Systems e.g. Oracle, SAP or equivalent.
    3. Behaviour - Leadership - Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work
    4. DDaT Skill – Product Management – Create a prioritised roadmap for your products and use it to discuss strategy at all levels

  • Candidates who successfully demonstrate that they meet the minimum Experience Criteria will be invited to interview. Interviews will be scheduled for week commencing w/c 9th March. You will receive a technical scenario for you to prepare a response to ready for your interview. The technical scenario and instructions will be emailed to you 5 days before your interview.

  • This is a hybrid role where the post holder will be expected to attend their local Welsh Government office in line with organisation expectations and to meet business needs.

SC - Candidates applying for a role that requires SC clearance must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of the last 5 years
1
ictservicecontrol@gov.wales

Welsh language requirements

3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this post, they are however desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.
0 - No skills
0 - No skills
0 - No skills
0 - No skills

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our AI candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection Process and Stages

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage process
Stage 1Application Form
Stage 2Interview

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these Behaviour criteria during the selection process.

Leadership

Leadership - Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work.
This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Experience

We'll assess you against the following Experience criteria during the assessment process.
Experience questions

Experience of working with and managing 3rd party support partners to meet the needs of your customers.

This will be tested at Stage 1: Application Form
This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Excellent knowledge of both HR and Finance business processes and how they support business activities.

This will be tested at stage 1: Application Form
This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Excellent operational knowledge of HR or Finance Systems e.g. Oracle, SAP or equivalent.

This will be tested at stage 1: Application Form
This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Technical

We'll assess the following Technical skills during the selection process.

Product Management – Create a prioritised roadmap for your products and use it to discuss strategy at all levels.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Eligibility

You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.

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) 
• 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

Social Model of Disability

Welsh Government has adopted the social model of disability, which recognises that barriers in society act to disable people who have impairments, or health conditions, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language.

We are committed to removing barriers in the recruitment process so that all (or potential new) staff can perform at their best.

Recruitment adjustments can be made at any part of the recruitment process for candidates with an impairment or health condition, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language. 

Please get in touch with DiversityInRecruitment@gov.wales to discuss adjustments for any part of the process.

Inclusive Interview Schemes

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and offer interviews to eligible candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role through the following schemes:

Disability Confident

The Welsh Government is a Disability Confident Leader. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any candidate with an impairment, health condition, who is neurodivergent or who uses British Sign Language if they meet the minimum criteria for the post.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The Welsh Government operates the Great Place to Work for Veterans Initiative. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any eligible candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the post.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service employers can offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of civil servants who are at risk of redundancy and who meet the minimum criteria for the post
By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean that candidates must provide us with evidence in their application (and/or test) that they meet the minimum level of competence for the role - usually defined as a minimum score of 4 per criterion.

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
• PCS
• Prospect
• FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
• Pay
• Terms and conditions
• HR Strategy, policies and procedures
• Health, safety and well-being
• Organisational change

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. We encourage you to learn more about our trade unions, partnership working and to get involved in their work.

Benefits

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

  • Civil Service Pension Scheme
  • 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
  • training and development opportunities
  • Cycle2Work Scheme
  • Smart Working flexible working arrangement
  • Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

Recruitment principles and complaints

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.

All applications for this vacancy must be made using our online application system.

Unless stated otherwise in the 'Other vacancy-related information for advert', the Welsh Government cannot offer Visa sponsorship. Welsh Government holds a Visa sponsorship licence, but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Applications are welcomed from people with a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation which represents the diverse communities we serve. There are a number of Diversity networks that staff can participate in, which include the Disability Awareness and Support Staff Network; Minority Ethnic Staff Network; Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (LGBTI+), Women Together and the Neurodivergence Network.

If you have an impairment which prevents you from applying online, please email our recruitment team.You can:

  • request an application pack in an alternative format
  • request a recruitment adjustment to help you submit your application

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application.  Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there. 

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page.  We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here.

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes: When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.

This opportunity is closed to applications.