New hire on GOV.UK Pay service set to expand work on card transactions and “be a champion for user needs”

GDS promises a “fantastic opportunity to demonstrate and develop your product ownership skills and experience” Credit – CSW

The Government Digital Service is offering up to £52,000-a-year for a new product manager to bolster the team working on its flagship GOV.UK Pay service.
 
GOV.UK Pay forms a key part of the GDS ‘Government as a Platform’ strategy, which aims to put in place common systems for transactions between the citizen and state right across government.
 
In the case of Pay, the team is looking to build integrations with payment service providers to create a straightforward and secure way for the public to pay for government services online. The aim of the product is to cut duplication in Whitehall and provide a common way for citizens to pay government regardless of the service they happen to be using. 

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GOV.UK is is currently in Beta in organisations including Companies House, the Environment Agency, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, and took its first live payment last July. The team has not ruled out expanding its reach to local authorities, but said the current focus is on central government rollout.
 
GDS is now on the hunt for a new product manager to “create, support and continuously improve” GOV.UK Pay, working specifically to expand its card payment features and “scaling the platform so that it reliably processes tens of millions of transactions a year”.
 
According to a job specification posted online, the credit and debit card payment side of GOV.UK is operational, with work still to do on readying the service for direct debit, cash and e-payments.
 
“This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate and develop your product ownership skills and experience,” the ad states.
 
“You will own a product backlog and contribute to roadmaps, be a champion for user needs, and make data-driven decisions. You will represent your team and communicate plans and progress through various channels including blogs, demos and conferences.”
 
GDS says it is looking for a candidate with existing product management skills and experience, including proficiency in agile product management techniques, “such as user story writing, MVP definition and backlog prioritisation”.
 
The ad also states a preference for a candidate who has some familiarity with transaction services, and who has experience working “on a product that processes digital payments, and familiarity with the relevant security accreditation, including experience with running a PCI compliant service”.
 
Candidates interested in applying have until June 26 to put their names forward, with interviews expected to take place in the first week of July at GDS’s new Whitechapel home. GDS is offering a salary of between £48,000 and £52,242 for the role.