Associate Product Manager

We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.

Job Summary

Do you have experience of managing and supporting Microsoft 365 products, including Office applications, Sharepoint, and Teams?

Do you have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with a variety of stakeholders and understand their needs?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Associate Product Manager, and we’d love to hear from you!

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.

Job Description

You will work as part of a team responsible for a portfolio of digital products and services, working alongside the delivery teams in our Openness, Data and Digital (ODD) Directorate, where you’ll support, maintain and develop products to improve outcomes for our customers.

You’ll work in partnership with stakeholders across the FSA, as well as significant involvement in building and maintaining working relationships with external suppliers.

You’ll also work collaboratively with our business and operations colleagues to drive improvements to digital services that support ODD objectives and the FSA’s strategy.

We’re looking for someone with enthusiasm and drive, strong interpersonal and strategy skills, who enjoys working in an agile environment and understands how user-centric solutions can drive down demand.

You will work as part of a team responsible for a portfolio of digital products and services, working alongside the delivery teams in our Openness, Data and Digital (ODD) Directorate, where you’ll support, maintain and develop products to improve outcomes for our customers.

You’ll work in partnership with stakeholders across the FSA, as well as significant involvement in building and maintaining working relationships with external suppliers.

You’ll also work collaboratively with our business and operations colleagues to drive improvements to digital services that support ODD objectives and the FSA’s strategy.

We’re looking for someone with enthusiasm and drive, strong interpersonal and strategy skills, who enjoys working in an agile environment and understands how user-centric solutions can drive down demand.

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
  
  

Alongside your salary of £33,481, Food Standards Agency contributes £9,699 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Selection process details

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

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack.

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Experience

Essential criteria

• Lead criteria: Experience in managing and supporting Microsoft 365 products, including Office applications, SharePoint, and Teams. Ability to troubleshoot issues, provide user support, and optimise the use of these tools to meet organisational needs.
• Experience of identifying and engaging with users or stakeholders to collate user needs evidence. Understanding and defining research that fits user needs. Using quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to quickly develop strong working relationships with stakeholders and external suppliers.
  
  

Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Experience

• Experience of managing products and services at different phases of the lifecycle, and moving between those phases, effectively consult specialists where required. You can determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation.
  
  

Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
  
  

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Experience

• Experience in managing and supporting Microsoft 365 products, including Office applications, Sharepoint, and Teams. Ability to troubleshoot issues, provide user support, and optimise the use of these tools to meet organisational needs.
  
  

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 06/04/25

Sift: Expected to take place w/c 07/04/25

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 21/04/25

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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.

Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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) (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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 : Tim Horobin
• Email : tim.horobin@food.gov.uk
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk
  
  

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.