Lead Product Owner

Job summary

We are looking for a Lead Product Owner to join the Connecting Care Programme within the Primary, Community and Mental Health Directorate at Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).

This is a strategic opportunity to contribute to the discovery phase of the Integrated Care Record, a key initiative to explore and document the best way to codesign and create a shared digital care record in Wales that improves care by making patient/citizen information available both across and within health and social care.

As Lead Product Owner, you will define and drive the product vision, strategy and roadmap for the Integrated Care Record, ensuring alignment with national priorities and user needs. You will work closely with clinical, technical and policy stakeholders to deliver user centred services that improve outcomes for patients and streamline workflows for health and care professionals. Your leadership will be key to ensuring the Integrated Care Record is scalable, sustainable and continuously improved.

*This post is fixed term/secondment for 5 months due to Funding

*If you are interested in applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

Main duties of the job

What you will do:

  • Organise and plan complex programmes and activities, adapting strategies as needed.
  • Build and maintain product backlogs, roadmaps, and performance reports using robust information systems.
  • Facilitate workshops, discussions, and presentations to communicate product vision, benefits, and progress.
  • Integrate products with other services, ensuring adoption and realisation of business case benefits.
  • Lead on operational management, process design, and implementation of new ways of working.
  • Anticipate and mitigate risks, acting as the escalation point for major operational issues.
  • Analyse technical requirements, user insights, and performance metrics to inform decision-making.
  • Manage budgets, contracts, and supplier relationships, reporting on financial delivery in collaboration with the service owner.

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view in Trac

About us

Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) is part of the NHS Wales family and has an important role in changing the way health and care services are delivered through technology and data. The organisation supports frontline staff with modern systems and access to important information about their patients, while empowering the people of Wales to manage their own health through digital NHS Wales services.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.

Join our game changing, life-saving team and start making a real difference to health and care services in Wales.

Job description

Job responsibilities

What you will be accountable for:

  • Lead the development, deployment, and management of multiple complex, high-risk, or sensitive products within the Integrated Care Record discovery phase.
  • Set product vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and user needs.
  • Own the product lifecycle, from ideation through delivery and continuous improvement.
  • Manage stakeholder engagement, securing buy-in and balancing competing priorities.
  • Coach, and mentor team members, fostering Agile and Lean practices.
  • Oversee financial and contractual aspects, ensuring value for money and effective supplier relationships.
  • Champion user-centred design, ensuring products deliver measurable benefits and meet evolving user needs.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential
  • 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
Desirable
  • 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

Essential
  • 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

Essential
  • 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.
Desirable
  • Welsh Language Skills are desirable level 1 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 Ty Glan Yr Afon

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
Secondment
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
Secondment
Salary
£56514.00 - £63623.00 a year
Posted