Lead Product Manager (Payments Platform)
Description
Lead the live operation, strategy and future evolution of Scotland’s national payments platform and help shape how public services successfully deliver secure, reliable financial transactions at scale.
Join the Scottish Government’s Cloud and Digital Services Division as the Lead Product Manager for ScotPayments, the Scottish Government’s national payment platform. ScotPayments underpins public service reform by providing a modern, secure and reusable payments capability that supports organisations across the public sector. Responsible for the secure and reliable processing of billions of pounds of public funds each year, the platform operates within a highly regulated environment and must meet banking industry standards, financial controls, security requirements and audit obligations.
This is a hands-on leadership role with responsibility for product strategy, prioritisation, delivery and continuous improvement of a nationally significant payments service. You will lead product direction, stakeholder engagement, operational governance and continuous improvement, ensuring the platform remains resilient, secure and aligned with industry standards while delivering new capabilities and payment functionality that create value for users across Scotland.
Working with multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders across government, you will balance user needs, regulatory requirements and strategic priorities to ensure ScotPayments continues to deliver trusted payment services while supporting the safe stewardship of public funds.
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to apply your expertise to challenges that matter. In return, we offer the chance to work on meaningful national programmes alongside experienced digital professionals, supported by flexible hybrid working, a 35-hour working week, strong pension provision and a healthy work-life balance. See below for further details.
Responsibilities
- Develop a long-term vision and objectives.
- Apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user.
- Realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use.
- 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.
- Act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team.
- Develop sustainable support models.
- Act as the escalation point for major operational issues and champion operational management across the community.
- Integrate a product with other services.
- Keep abreast of industry best practice and can cascade ways of working.
- Demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels.
- Anticipate how constraints might change and know where to challenge or remove constraints.
- Lead the design, implementation and management of regulated payment services at scale, ensuring solutions meet the needs of users, stakeholders and relevant regulatory requirements.
Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.
Experience:
You should have experience defining and calculating product benefits and be able to explain and promote the value proposition to others.
You should have experience working alongside operational teams and being the main contact for issues they identify.
You should be a recognised expert in problem solving techniques and coach others in the practices whilst staying up to speed with technology advances and changing market conditions.
You should have experience gathering user needs using a variety of methods including working with others who are experts in user centred design.
Experience is assessed at sift, along with a more in-depth assessment at interview.
Behaviours:
- Changing and Improving (Level 4)
- Managing a Quality Service (Level 4)
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here.
Behaviours are assessed at interview. Full details will be shared in advance with all candidates invited to this stage.
Technical Skills:
This role is aligned to the Lead Product Manager job role within the Product and Delivery Job Family.
Applying user-centred insights | Expert |
Financial Ownership | Expert |
Leading Performance and Benefits | Expert |
Stakeholder Relationship Management | Expert |
Strategic Ownership | Expert |
Operational Management | Expert |
You can find out more about the skills required, here: Product manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.
How to Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet each of the 4 Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above.
Vacancy closes at 23:59 on Monday 9 November.
Candidates will have their applications assessed against all Experience criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and GDD Technical assessment where the behaviours, experiences and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.
The sift is scheduled for w/c 9th November.
Interviews and Technical assessments schedule w/c 1st December.
Skilled Worker Sponsorship Not Being Offered
Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
About Us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
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, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles must work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact Digitalcareers@gov.scot
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).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Government, Digital and Data Profession
The Government Digital and Data (GDD) Profession is a UK-wide group of over 24,000 civil servants dedicated to driving digital transformation in government through more efficient, data-driven public services. This community oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including architects, data scientists, engineers, and content designers, across different, multidisciplinary teams.
The profession, sponsored by the Government Digital Service (GDS), offers the frameworks, skills, and development routes necessary for these individuals to thrive and produce improved outcomes for the public.
Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further Information
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.
Apply before: 09/11/2026 (23:59). This role is open to internal candidates and common citizenship organisations only.
Contact Name: Lesley Allen
Contact e-Mail: Digitalcareers@gov.scot