Lead Product Owner -INTERNAL TO NHS WALES
Job summary
We're looking for a Lead Product Owner to help shape and drive innovation in some of NHS Wales' key digital products within General Medical Services (GMS). You'll be leading on products that directly support frontline healthcare and national priorities--making a real difference to patients, clinicians, and the wider health system. This role is about more than managing backlogs; it's about setting a clear vision, delivering value at pace, and embedding modern, user-centred, Agile ways of working. You'll work across multiple teams, balancing day-to-day delivery with longer-term strategy, while coaching other Product Owners and building a strong product culture. If you want to be at the heart of digital transformation in health and care, working on services used by thousands across Wales, this is your opportunity.
Main duties of the job
As Lead Product Owner, you'll be responsible for setting the vision and strategy for your product, ensuring alignment to organisational goals and bringing a strong focus to user needs. You'll work with third party service providers, manage stakeholder expectations, and drive continuous improvement. You'll coach teams in best practice, lead business case development, and ensure smooth integration of products into live services. You'll work across planning, delivery, and optimisation--balancing cost, value, and outcomes. Whether it's refining backlogs, presenting roadmaps, or resolving complex challenges, you'll be at the heart of delivering high-quality digital services that make a difference.
About us
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) is an expert national body and part of NHS Wales. We work in partnership with NHS Wales colleagues and other key stakeholders to provide national digital and data services which support the delivery of health and social care in Wales. Modern health and care services depend on good digital tools, data and information. DHCW runs or works with more than 100 services and delivers major national digital transformation programmes to support this. In addition, DHCW provides expert advice in relation to cyber security and information governance. We give frontline staff the digital tools which help them provide safer and more efficient care. We are also giving patients and the public digital tools to better manage their own health and wellbeing, empowering people to live healthier lives. We put people at the heart of what we do, working to the highest standards to deliver quality and make digital a force for good in health and care.
Working for DHCW offers lots of employee benefits, including flexible working, a competitive salary, 28 days of annual leave plus Bank Holidays and opportunities for career development. We are committed to recognising and celebrating our staff as the most valuable part of our organisation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Own the end-to-end product lifecycle for multiple digital products, ensuring they deliver value and meet user needs.
Lead Agile teams, embedding lean practices, and fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Act as a coach and mentor to other Product Owners and wider teams, growing capability across DHCW.
Engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations, facilitating difficult conversations, and ensuring alignment across services.
Drive strategic thinking, ensuring products are scalable, sustainable, and aligned to national health priorities.
Lead on business case development, budget management, supplier relationships, and governance activities.
Champion user-centred design, data-driven decision making, and modern digital practices across everything you do.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent qualification / experience
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Practitioner of Agile working with multi-disciplinary teams.
- Expert at managing multiple products that can be especially complex, high risk or sensitive
- Product ownership qualification
- Working knowledge of the NHS or the Health sector
- Understanding and knowledge of health service terminology and information requirements
- Knowledge of DHCW and how it supports the NHS.
Experience
- Significant experience of working in a digital development role
- Experience applying highly developed specialised knowledge, supported by pertinent theoretical knowledge and applicable practical experience, across a range of work methods and practices.
- Proven experience in the analysis, design development and product management of digital systems
- Proven record in the delivery and support of major digital products and services.
- Experience in coaching and mentoring staff; specifically agile and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Excellent understanding of translating business/functional requirements into specialist technical specifications and complex operational digital products and services
- Can demonstrate a track record of delivering successful products
- Proven product management ability.
Skills and Attributes
- Ability to manage and motivate staff by contributing to and identifying training needs
- Ability to learn and assess new technologies quickly, understanding their wider implications and where appropriate implementing them.
- Ability to organise own work and manage a team effectively
- Implement Change Management methodology within team environment.
- Ability to analyse and resolve complex issues.
- High quality written and verbal communication skills with excellent presentation skills.
- In depth understanding of the information and service delivery needs of NHS Wales
- Proven experience of working in product and service development.
- Ability to manage under pressure with excellent planning and organisational skills.
- Professional, and positive approach to work
- Ability to establish good working relationships.
- Welsh Language Skills are desirable level 3 or above in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer details
Employer name
Digital Health and Care Wales
Address
Hybrid working
Location to be confirmed at interview
CF11 9AD
Employer's website
https://nwis.nhs.wales/
- Company
- Digital Health and Care Wales
- Location
- Location to be confirmed at interview, United Kingdom CF11 9AD
Hybrid / WFH Options - Employment Type
- Permanent
- Salary
- £56514.00 - £63623.00 a year
- Posted
- Company
- Digital Health and Care Wales
- Location
- Location to be confirmed at interview, United Kingdom CF11 9AD
Hybrid / WFH Options - Employment Type
- Permanent
- Salary
- £56514.00 - £63623.00 a year
- Posted