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Product manager

Find out what a product manager in government does and the skills you need to do the job at each level.

Last updated 1 December 2023 — See all updates

What a product manager does

A product manager is responsible for the quality of their products. In this role, you will be expected to use your knowledge of user needs and business goals to frame problems and set priorities for your delivery teams.

Product manager role levels

There are 5 product manager role levels, from associate product manager to head of product.

The typical responsibilities and skills for each role level are described in the sections below. You can use this to identify the skills you need to progress in your career, or simply to learn more about each role in the Government Digital and Data profession.

1. Associate product manager

Associate product managers manage subsets of features or components of a product in either its prototype state or once it is live and being incrementally improved. This can be an entry-level role for civil servants who may be looking to progress to product manager or those on emerging talent schemes.

At this level, because you will be learning basic product management techniques, you will report to a more senior product manager.

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Agile working

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of Agile methodology and the ways to apply the principles in practice
  • take an open-minded approach
  • explain why iteration is important
  • iterate quickly

Financial ownership

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • handle numbers confidently
  • collate information ensuring the accuracy of financial and performance data

Government Digital and Data perspective

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • demonstrate a basic understanding of design, technology and data principles
  • understand the range of available technology choices

Life cycle perspective

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand how the needs of the team and the product vary across the stages of the product life cycle

Operational management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the operational processes of running and maintaining a product or service

Problem management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems
  • effectively consult specialists where required
  • determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation
  • determine preventative measures

Product ownership

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the tools, terms and concepts used to deliver a product

Strategic ownership

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • effectively get buy-in from the team

User focus

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify and engage with users or stakeholders to collate user needs evidence
  • understand and define research that fits user needs
  • use quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes

Working within constraints

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the value of policy, legislative, regulatory and operational constraints and can find the simplest, shortest and fastest solution for users

2. Product manager

A product manager defines, owns and solves problems.

At this role level, you will:

  • manage a product through discovery, alpha, beta and live states
  • support lead and senior product managers
  • potentially line manage associate product managers and support their professional development
  • be developing expert skills in and knowledge of product management techniques
  • potentially be involved in recruitment

This can be an entry-level role for new product managers who have been working in other digital roles, or civil servants with sufficient experience across other competencies.

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
  • G7 (Grade 7)
Skill Description

Agile working

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes
  • help the team to decide the best approach
  • help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and adhere to agreed minimum viable product (MVP), priorities and scope

Financial ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the marketplace
  • realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use
  • integrate a product with other services
  • ensure that products get used
  • realise benefits by linking work in progress back to the business case
  • build business cases based on user needs

Government Digital and Data perspective

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • demonstrate a working understanding of design, technology and data principles
  • understand the variety and complexity of users’ digital needs, and how the product will meet those needs
  • show an awareness of assisted digital support and can explain why it’s important
  • design services and make decisions to meet user needs

Life cycle perspective

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • recognise when to move from one stage of a product life cycle to another
  • ensure the team is working towards the appropriate service standards for the relevant phase
  • manage the delivery of products and services at different phases

Operational management

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • design operational processes for the running and maintenance of products or services throughout their product life cycle
  • redesign operational processes, amend existing processes, and plan and put into operation the stages of a new product or service development
  • act as the escalation point for operational issues and can fix complex operational issues
  • overcome operational constraints to deliver a successful product or service
  • work closely with operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data

Problem management

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • ensure that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems
  • co-ordinate the team to investigate problems, implement solutions and take preventive measures

Product ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • apply tools, terms and concepts in a variety of ways
  • be flexible, consider new ways of working and adapt to change

Strategic ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • effectively get buy-in from the organisation
  • work with scant information and explain it in abstract terms
  • develop a strategy

User focus

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally
  • explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user
  • champion user research to focus on all users
  • prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so
  • offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use

Working within constraints

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify, communicate and work within constraints
  • challenge the validity of constraints
  • ensure standards are being met

3. Senior product manager

Senior product managers manage multiple products or a single product that is especially complex, high risk or sensitive.

At this role level, you will:

  • line manage associate product managers and product managers
  • have expert product management skills
  • potentially be involved in elements of programme management activity
  • be involved in hiring associates, product managers and contractors

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G7 (Grade 7)
Skill Description

Agile working

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this through the life of a project
  • think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes
  • act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team

Financial ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the marketplace
  • realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use
  • integrate a product with other services
  • ensure that products get used
  • realise benefits by linking work in progress back to the business case
  • build business cases based on user needs

Government Digital and Data perspective

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • demonstrate an advanced understanding of design, technology and data principles
  • identify and implement solutions for assisted digital
  • apply knowledge to work with other roles and groups in Government Digital and Data

Life cycle perspective

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle
  • recognise when it is right to move forward and when it is right to stop
  • recognise the appropriate deliverables and the right people to meet them
  • work with other Agile delivery operations throughout the product life cycle
  • plan and engage with the appropriate stakeholders at a particular stage in the project

Operational management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • keep abreast of industry best practice and can cascade ways of working
  • make operations efficient
  • act as the escalation point for major operational issues and champion operational management across the community
  • work closely with leaders of operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data

Problem management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time
  • understand how the problem fits into the larger picture
  • articulate the problem and help others to do so
  • build problem-solving capabilities in others

Product ownership

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • start to define and create approaches
  • coach others
  • implement new ways of working
  • show an awareness of what other sectors are doing
  • understand what is most important and applicable

Strategic ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • effectively get buy-in from the organisation
  • work with scant information and explain it in abstract terms
  • develop a strategy

User focus

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • give direction on which tools or methods to use
  • demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels
  • bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business
  • apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user

Working within constraints

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • work with and challenge senior stakeholders
  • prioritise and mitigate constraints, and turn them into an advantage
  • adapt the approach depending on the constraints

4. Lead product manager

A lead product manager 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

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G7 (Grade 7)
  • G6 (Grade 6)
Skill Description

Agile working

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this through the life of a project
  • think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes
  • act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team

Financial ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the marketplace
  • realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use
  • integrate a product with other services
  • ensure that products get used
  • realise benefits by linking work in progress back to the business case
  • build business cases based on user needs

Government Digital and Data perspective

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show knowledge of the wider digital economy and advances in technology
  • understand Agile working at an organisational level
  • create the environment for success
  • initiate and support working with other roles and groups in Government Digital and Data

Life cycle perspective

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • successfully lead teams through the full product life cycle
  • identify which tools and techniques should be used at each stage
  • develop sustainable support models
  • identify and deal with potential risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle
  • coach others
  • contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support as they move through stages of the product life cycle

Operational management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • keep abreast of industry best practice and can cascade ways of working
  • make operations efficient
  • act as the escalation point for major operational issues and champion operational management across the community
  • work closely with leaders of operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data

Problem management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time
  • understand how the problem fits into the larger picture
  • articulate the problem and help others to do so
  • build problem-solving capabilities in others

Product ownership

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • start to define and create approaches
  • coach others
  • implement new ways of working
  • show an awareness of what other sectors are doing
  • understand what is most important and applicable

Strategic ownership

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • develop a long-term vision and objectives
  • take a discerning and disciplined approach to focusing on what is important and most relevant
  • develop the capability of others

User focus

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • give direction on which tools or methods to use
  • demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels
  • bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business
  • apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user

Working within constraints

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • influence, challenge and coach
  • anticipate how constraints might change and know where to challenge or remove constraints

5. Head of product

A head of product management provides support to all product managers in the organisation.

At this role level, you will:

  • have expert product management skills
  • coach others to increase professionalism
  • work with other communities and organisation management to represent community interests
  • oversee every member of the community, their role, their assignments, development, pay and performance
  • manage hiring, development, moves and exits from the community, covering civil servants and contractors
  • line manage senior and lead product managers

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G6 (Grade 6)
Skill Description

Agile working

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this through the life of a project
  • think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes
  • act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team

Financial ownership

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the marketplace
  • realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use
  • integrate a product with other services
  • ensure that products get used
  • realise benefits by linking work in progress back to the business case
  • build business cases based on user needs

Government Digital and Data perspective

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show knowledge of the wider digital economy and advances in technology
  • understand Agile working at an organisational level
  • create the environment for success
  • initiate and support working with other roles and groups in Government Digital and Data

Life cycle perspective

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • successfully lead teams through the full product life cycle
  • identify which tools and techniques should be used at each stage
  • develop sustainable support models
  • identify and deal with potential risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle
  • coach others
  • contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support as they move through stages of the product life cycle

Operational management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • keep abreast of industry best practice and can cascade ways of working
  • make operations efficient
  • act as the escalation point for major operational issues and champion operational management across the community
  • work closely with leaders of operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data

Problem management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time
  • understand how the problem fits into the larger picture
  • articulate the problem and help others to do so
  • build problem-solving capabilities in others

Product ownership

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • start to define and create approaches
  • coach others
  • implement new ways of working
  • show an awareness of what other sectors are doing
  • understand what is most important and applicable

Strategic ownership

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • develop a long-term vision and objectives
  • take a discerning and disciplined approach to focusing on what is important and most relevant
  • develop the capability of others

User focus

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • give direction on which tools or methods to use
  • demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels
  • bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business
  • apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user

Working within constraints

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • influence, challenge and coach
  • anticipate how constraints might change and know where to challenge or remove constraints
Role Shared skills
Service owner

Agile working

Financial ownership

Government Digital and Data perspective

Life cycle perspective

Operational management

Problem management

Product ownership

Strategic ownership

User focus

Graphic designer

Agile working

User focus

Working within constraints

Interaction designer

Agile working

User focus

Working within constraints

Service designer

Agile working

User focus

Working within constraints

Application operations engineer

Problem management

User focus

Updates

Published 7 January 2020

Last updated 1 December 2023

1 December 2023

  • The 'DDaT perspective' skill was renamed 'Government Digital and Data perspective' across the framework. This follows the launch of the new Government Digital and Data brand that replaces DDaT.

30 August 2022

  • The ‘life cycle perspective’ skill has been changed to practitioner level for senior product manager, and to expert level for lead product manager. The ‘problem ownership’ skill has been renamed ‘problem management’ to ensure consistency across the DDaT Profession Capability Framework.

7 January 2020

  • First published.