Lead Product Manager - Automation

Lead Product Manager – Automation and AI £59,109 - £62,529

Are you an innovative and forward-thinking IT professional, looking for a leadership role where you can really make a difference?

We have a vacancy for a lead Product Manager, to be responsible for the continued delivery of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) across the business. You will manage a team responsible for designing and delivering solutions that take away repetitive administrative tasks and release capacity so that colleagues can focus on their frontline service to the communities of Avon and Somerset. This role will also involve working on some new Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives we plan to take forward – a natural next step that builds on our successful foundations with RPA.

We are looking for a strong leader with experience of service delivery and product management in an IT setting. You will have a solid understanding of automation and AI technologies, a passion for the opportunities they present, and you will want to help us (and other forces with whom we collaborate) develop sustainable capabilities in these areas. You will be a strong influencer and communicator - comfortable managing a broad range of stakeholders, including suppliers and commercial relationships.

If you are a strategic thinker, who can motivate a team, drive continuous improvement and ensure that we deliver tangible benefits for the organisation - then this role is for you.

About us:

This role sits within our IT directorate of over 130 staff. You will be part of the Digital Experience leadership team - a friendly and welcoming group of professionals who exist to innovate and improve the digital experiences of colleagues across the constabulary, as well as the public that we serve.

You’ll be managing the most mature and well-established RPA capability in policing. Our team are now one of two UK centres of excellence for RPA, managing a large programme of activity on behalf of the Home Office to extend and embed RPA across policing nationally. There couldn’t be a more exciting time to join us.

Our IT Directorate is based at the beautiful Police and Fire Headquarters in Portishead, with free parking and range of on-site facilities. We work very flexibly however, and the role can largely be performed from home (travel within the force area will be required to meet with colleagues when needed).

Key Responsibilities:

Leading an RPA team of process analysts, automation controllers and developers – working with stakeholders across the organisation to generate and prioritise the work of the team in line with organisational strategic priorities.
Leading or supporting the delivery of new automation and AI capabilities – developing roadmaps and plans, and ensuring successful implementation and adoption.
Engaging with external stakeholders (e.g. Home Office, Police Digital Service, other police forces, suppliers etc) to understand the market, identify collaboration opportunities, share best practice and stay abreast of developments in the fields of Automation and AI.
Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional development within your team – continually reviewing ways of working to ensure a high performing team, aligned with agile principles.
Ensuring continuity and quality of service - ensuring the security and stability of the technologies we adopt, ensuring clear protocols in place for change and release management, effective management of service downtime / incidents / upgrades etc.

What we are looking for:

Experience working in an IT environment, leading strong multi-disciplinary/cross-functional teams to deliver new products and capabilities
A skilled negotiator and influencer with a proven track record of building and maintaining effective relationships with colleagues, internal and external stakeholders and commercial / third party suppliers
Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage with technical and non-technical personnel, adapting style to suit a variety of situations and ensure complex matters are articulated clearly.
Experience / strong interest in the fields of automation and artificial intelligence.

In addition to the application form, we also require a copy of your current CV. If you are are unable to upload your CV to your application, please email a copy to: Talentpolicestaff@avonandsomerset.police.uk

To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a 5 year ‘checkable history’ in the UK – ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last 5 years.

The basic salary for this role is £50,109-£53,529, with an additional market supplement payment of £9,000 (subject to annual review). Please note that we have recently received confirmation that a 4.75% pay increase for police staff roles has been agreed for 2024/25. From the 1st September 2024 all our pay points for A&S employees will increase by this amount. The salary currently shown on this job advert does not include this increase. As soon as the revised pay scales are available our adverts will be updated.