HEO Operational Service Management - Product / Problem Manager

• Details
• Reference number
• 475890
• Salary
• £35,645
• £35,645 to £43,985 (National) - £39,214 to £48,056 (London - available only for Internal candidates)

Candidates are advised to address any questions on rates of pay prior to applying for the post.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• Higher Executive Officer
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• Insolvency - Change and Technology Services - Corporate and Operational Services (COS)
• Type of role
• Digital
• Information Technology
• Operational Delivery
• Working pattern
• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
• Number of jobs available
• 3
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. (Croydon and Stratford will only be available to existing employees of the Insolvency Service).

About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

The Operational Service Management (OSM) team supports and continually improves a range of business-critical digital services used across the Agency. Working closely with operational colleagues, digital teams, suppliers and service providers, we help ensure systems remain reliable, secure and meet the needs of users.

We are recruiting for HEOs to join the team. Successful candidates may initially be aligned to either our Product Management or Problem Management workstream, depending on business need. Both workstreams play a vital role in supporting service delivery, driving continuous improvement and ensuring users receive effective and efficient services.

Product Management focuses on understanding user needs, managing enhancement requests, supporting system improvements and helping maximise the value delivered by our digital products. Problem Management focuses on investigating issues, maintaining service stability, coordinating incident resolution and identifying opportunities to prevent future problems.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, through our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!

Job description

If successful you will support the delivery, maintenance and continuous improvement of business-critical digital services.

Working across Product and Problem Management disciplines, you will engage with users, stakeholders, suppliers and technical teams to ensure services remain effective, reliable and aligned to business objectives. You will contribute to service improvements, help resolve issues, support governance activities and use data and insight to inform decision-making.

Responsibilties

As a HEO Operational Service Management - Product/Problem Manager you will:

• support the management and improvement of digital services and business systems
• build effective relationships with users, stakeholders, suppliers and service providers
• investigate issues, identify root causes and support resolution activities
• work with users to understand requirements and identify opportunities for improvement
• monitor service performance and use data to identify trends and inform decisions
• support testing, implementation and continuous improvement activities
• ensure governance, security and compliance requirements are met
• produce reports, communications and management information for stakeholders
• collaborate across Product and Problem Management workstreams to improve service outcomes
• Support and develop colleagues through knowledge sharing and collaborative working, with potential line management responsibilities.

Person specification

We're looking for individuals who:

• have experience of delivering services, projects, products, operational activities or business improvement initiatives in a complex environment
• can analyse information and use evidence to identify issues, risks and opportunities
• build effective working relationships and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders
• communicate clearly and confidently with both technical and non-technical audiences
• can organise and prioritise work to deliver high-quality outcomes
• demonstrate ownership, initiative and a commitment to continuous improvement
• are adaptable, curious and willing to learn new skills and ways of working
• enjoy working as part of a collaborative and supportive team
• willing to work towards relevant professional development and capability-building activities appropriate to the role, which may include:
• ITIL 4 Foundation
• Agile Project Management Foundation
• Other role-relevant professional development, certifications or training courses as required to support business needs and individual development.

There is a possibility of undertaking line management responsibilities for Problem Analysts on the team therefore experience of managing others workloads or coaching others is essential.

Further Information

This role is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession.

Further information on the associated capability frameworks can be found at:

Associate Product Manager - https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/associate-product-manager

Problem Manager - https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/problem-manager

Successful candidates may initially be assigned to either the Product Management or Problem Management workstream. Our operating model encourages collaboration, cross-skilling and professional development across both disciplines, providing opportunities to build a broad range of Operational Service Management skills and experience.

Occasional travel to other Insolvency Service locations will be required. This includes attending meetings, workshops, engagement events and visiting colleagues based at other offices where line management responsibilities apply.

Please note: This vacancy is advertised across 11 locations; however, Stratford and Croydon are only available to current Insolvency Service Staff. The advertised salary includes London weighting, which is only applicable to internal candidates.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Problem Management
• Service Improvement
• User Focus
• Evidence-based Decision Making

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,645, Insolvency Service contributes £10,326 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Technical skills.

As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:

Online Tests

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 26th August 2026. I f you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Online Test Maintenance

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4pm to 7pm on 23rd August 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Behaviours

• Behaviour 1 – Managing a Quality Service
• Behaviour 2 - Changing and Improving
• Behaviour 3 - Delivering at Pace
• Behaviour 4 - Communicating and Influencing

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour - Managing a Quality Service, assessing candidates against the person specification. Only those who meet the person specification at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Where high volumes of strong applications are expected or received, we may raise the ‘benchmark’ minimum score required at the sift stage. If a high volume of candidates meet the benchmark score, we may further raise the score required for interview selection. Scores will be applied fairly and consistently. Applicants eligible under a recruitment scheme may, where appropriate, continue to be considered against the agreed ‘benchmark’ score, to support the purpose of the scheme.

If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:

Technical Skills

• Technical Skill 1 - Problem Management - Demonstrates the ability to investigate service issues, analyse evidence, identify root causes, manage risks and implement actions that improve service stability and prevent recurrence.
• Technical Skill 2 - Service Improvement - Identifies opportunities to improve services, processes or systems by using evidence, stakeholder insight and continuous improvement techniques to deliver measurable business benefits.
• Technical Skill 3 - User Focus - Understands user needs through engagement and feedback, balancing operational and business priorities to ensure services meet user requirements and deliver value.
• Technical Skill 4 - Evidence-based Decision Making - Uses data, management information and insight to identify trends, assess risks, make informed recommendations and support effective service and product decisions

Presentation - The topic will be provided in advance of the interview to allow the candidate to prepare.

• Expected timeline
• Sift – to be confirmed
• Interview – to be confirmed
• Location - MS Teams

Your interview will be conducted by video. You will be notified of this if you are selected for interview.

Visa Applicants

To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Queries and Support

When contacting us or the Government Recruitment Service (GRS) using the contact details at the bottom of this advert, please include the 6-digit Vacancy ID, job title, your full name and, where applicable, your 8-digit Applicant ID in the email subject line. This will help us process your enquiry more efficiently.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

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

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Jaswinder Lippett or Zoe Drew (zoe.drew@insolvency.gov.uk)
• Email : jaswinder.lippett@insolvency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process or that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact hr.recruitment@insolvency.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.