Product Manager

Company: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Apply for the Product Manager
Location: Manchester
Job Description:

Interview dates

w/c 29 June 2026 (in person)

About us

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is a modern, vibrant organisation full of passionate, committed people. We make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by UK Government departments and the NHS in England. We work closely with people to understand where, how and why public services sometimes fall short and fail to put people first. And we find ways to put it right.

Based in the centre of Manchester and Westminster, we employ over 600 individuals, collaboratively working together to make voices heard. We have created a diverse and inclusive culture, whilst offering flexibility to give you the autonomy to work in the best way suited to you.

The role

As a Product Manager, you will be responsible for a digital product or service from idea through to live use and improvement. You will decide what gets built, when and why, based on evidence, user needs and organisational priorities.

You will work closely with people across the organisation, building strong relationships with colleagues in delivery, design, engineering, operations and policy. You will get to know a wide range of stakeholders, understand different perspectives and bring these together to shape the right approach.

This role suits someone who enjoys working with others, is comfortable making decisions and can work through uncertainty. You will need to be confident explaining your thinking and helping others understand the direction of the product.

What we are looking for

  • experience owning and prioritising a product backlog or service roadmap over time
  • experience applying defined product delivery processes, standards and governance frameworks
  • experience leading multidisciplinary teams in a matrix environment
  • strong prioritisation and trade‑off management skills, including balancing user needs, organisational value, delivery constraints, risk and cost.

We recognise the value of lived experience. If you have experience of complaining about any public body, we strongly encourage you to apply.

  • Civil Service Pension scheme
  • 32.5 days annual leave (plus bank holidays on top)
  • hybrid working, 40 percent office based
  • access to a free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 advice and support from professionals and counsellors
  • comprehensive learning and development programme
  • employee discount scheme across hundreds of retailers
  • bicycle loan scheme
  • season ticket loan
  • paid for professional memberships

How to apply (and how to do well)

You will answer four scored questions at application stage. We use these to shortlist, so your answers matter.

  • choose real examples (from professional settings)
  • focus on what you did, not what “we” did as a group
  • explain your thinking: what you looked at, what you decided, and why
  • keep it clear and specific, avoid generic statements

Please do not use AI to write your answers. We need to assess your skills, and applications may be rejected if answers appear AI-generated.

If your examples are very short, mostly opinion-based, or don’t describe a specific situation and outcome, you are unlikely to score well.

Equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing are vital to the way we work and our culture. We want our colleagues feel included, valued, and supported at work. It is essential that we are representative and accessible for the people who work here and those who use our service.

Actions we take to embed this include:

  • an anonymised shortlisting process to make sure it is fair and unbiased
  • monitoring the demographic trends in our workforce and making measured, sustained efforts to improve our diversity at all levels
  • providing wellbeing support and opportunities for personal and professional development for all colleagues
  • creating spaces for connection and engagement through our employee network groups and social clubs
  • part of the disability confident scheme
  • providing reasonable adjustments
  • engaging in regular inclusion learning to enhance the cultural competency of our organisation.

We know the value of having diverse, representative teams across our organisation. Which is why we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented within the team. These include people who are:

  • Asian, Black, Mixed Ethnicity or another ethnic background
  • disabled
  • LGBTQ.

Contact and important information

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Mark Muirhead, Assistant Director of Digital, Mark.Muirhead@ombudsman.org.uk

  • Interviews: held onsite
  • Feedback: we do not offer feedback at application stage
  • Right to work: we can only consider candidates with the right to work in the UK.
  • Sponsorship: we are unable to offer sponsorship (we do not have a licence).
  • Applications: we do not accept CVs—please apply via the application form (‘apply now’).
  • Agencies: no agencies; applications from individuals only.
  • Early closure: we may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Important notice: fraudulent job postings

We have been made aware that some websites are falsely advertising job vacancies for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). We only advertise job vacancies through these official channels:

  • our website
  • LinkedIn
  • GOV.uk
  • Indeed
  • Ombudsman association
  • BMEjobs.co.uk
  • LGBTjobs.co.uk

Do not share personal details with any other websites claiming to represent PHSO. Contact our recruitment team to report any concerns at recruitment@ombudsman.org.uk

We are changing our name

We are changing our name. Later this year we will become the Public Service Ombudsman. This will make it easier for people to find us and understand what we do. The service we provide will remain the same. Visit our website to find out more.

If you have any questions, please contact us at recruitment@ombudsman.org.uk.

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Posted: June 4th, 2026