Head of Product
Job summary
This is an opportunity for an experienced product leader to join an established programme bringing data-driven products to bear on some of the most important and complex challenges facing the NHS. These include improving the use of data across the health and care system, driving productivity improvements, and supporting the return to constitutional standards.This is a business-critical role that supports the delivery of the FDP Core 6, which underpins NHS Board, Ministerial and 10 Year Health Plan commitments to improve how data is used across the NHS, providing productivity improvements and supporting the return to constitutional standards.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be Head of Product for the Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme, leading product strategy and delivery across their workstream and ensuring key stakeholder alignment throughout. You will work with senior stakeholders across NHS England, DHSC, trusts and integrated care systems to understand needs, identify priorities, and translate them into practical, deliverable products that improve outcomes for patients, clinicians, managers and care staff.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, and person specification in the attached Job Description. Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Educated to master's level, or equivalent relevant working experience/qualifications, supported by evidence of continued professional development and demonstrable proficiency in product or IT project and programme management. Evidence sought: Stated qualification level or equivalent experience; CPD record; relevant product/programme management certification or equivalent.
Knowledge
- Expert knowledge of digital and IT programme and project management, with extensive practical understanding of agile and other structured project/programme management methodologies, and significant experience of user-centred service design for both public-facing and internal services.
Skills
- Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with proven ability to influence credibly at senior and executive levels, negotiate beneficial outcomes across diverse groups, and act as an ambassador delivering key messages to large, varied and influential audiences -- directly relevant to leading stakeholder alignment across the FDP workstream
Experience
- Extensive product delivery experience, including leading multidisciplinary teams using agile methodologies, defining product vision, strategy and roadmaps, and tracking delivery performance (risks, issues, dependencies and KPIs) within complex programmes -- ideally in the public sector, NHS or other health/care settings.
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.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Any NHSE Office
National
SE1 8UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/