Assistant Learning Product Owner

Government Skills is undertaking an exciting period of expansion and transformation. In January 2026 the government announced plans to establish the National School of Government and Public Services to support our ambitions for a world-class, professional Civil Service.

The new school will align training with government priorities, introduce a new streamlined curriculum that is designed and delivered in-house, and invest in public sector leadership.

At the heart of this transformation is our commitment to equipping public servants with the precise, high-priority skills needed to deliver current and emerging government mandates.

Within Government Skills sits the Design and Delivery team. We exist to curate, design and deliver high quality learning opportunities that equip civil servants with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver excellent public services.

Within the Design and Delivery Team, the Line Management Capability (LMC) programme was established to deliver Line Management Standards, high quality management training including an Accredited Pathway, and to raise the profile, esteem and accountability of line management. We provide support and empower line managers with the essential skills required for effective line management.

As the Assistant Learning Product Owner, you will primarily oversee the Accredited Pathway programme and be focused on building leadership and management capability for Senior Civil Servants (SCS). However, as the Design and Delivery team operates flexibly, all team members are expected to lead and contribute to multiple projects, offering excellent developmental opportunities.

In June 2025 the team launched the pilot of the Accredited Pathway for Senior Civil Service Line Managers. The programme is aimed at those in Deputy Director (SCS1) roles with line management responsibility. The seven-month programme is designed to help senior leaders to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to be an effective line manager as articulated within the requirements of the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

The programme was designed in collaboration with the University of Leeds with participants achieving a Level 7 certificate and Chartered Fellow status from the Chartered Management Institute upon completion. The programme is undertaken across seven months and consists of five modules aligned to the themes of the Line Management Standards: Self-effectiveness, People, Decision, Change and Delivery.

As the pilot concludes, the LMC team will be undertaking a review and redesign of the programme ahead of wider launch. Within this role, you will act as the assistant lead for the Accredited Pathway programme, which will include overseeing onboarding and engagement activities, learning design and delivery, governance and data reporting and day to day operations of a large-scale learning programme.

You should expect to work flexibly and may have the opportunity to design and deliver other leadership and management courses and programmes, particularly for SCS audiences. This role provides a great opportunity to build and maintain relationships across government, and with senior leaders, to shape and influence line management and leadership capability within the Civil Service.

• Oversee the design, strategy and delivery of the Accredited Pathway and future leadership and management product development, ensuring value for money whilst managing cross-team dependencies
• Lead evaluation for learning interventions, capture lessons learned and iterate programme design based on robust data collection and user insights
• Manage stakeholder relationships across government departments, professions, suppliers and external partners, senior leadership forums and engagement groups to ensure smooth delivery, alignment with policy aims and user needs
• Ensure ongoing alignment with the Civil Service People Plan and broader Government Skills priorities, securing cross-department uptake by building and maintaining a cross-government network
• Encourage uptake and adoption of the Accredited Pathway and other leadership and management courses, using insights to demonstrate impact and improvements in line management and leadership practice
• Develop new, innovative, evidence-based learning products and/or improving existing products in various delivery formats (face-to-face, hybrid and virtual learning environments)
• The role may include line management responsibility

Essential Criteria

• Delivery leadership: proven track record delivering large, multi-stakeholder programmes from design to live operation, translating strategy into delivery with benefits realisation
• Experience leading learning and development interventions and designing and delivering creative, impactful learning in face-to-face and/or virtual environments with a deep understanding of adult learning theories, approaches and methodologies
• Stakeholder and contract management: experience with multidisciplinary stakeholders, managing external suppliers and subject matter experts with an ability to secure buy-in and manage contracts effectively
• Experience in overseeing the end-to-end learner journey and operational management of learning and development programmes and courses in face-to-face or virtual environments
• Communications and stakeholder engagement: capable of briefing various stakeholders at all levels and developing clear and engaging communications, building relationships and establishing networks cross government
• Ability to work collaboratively with strong organisational skills, including the ability to balance multiple priorities and manage changing demands whilst maintaining attention to detail
• Evaluation and analytics: design and lead evaluation frameworks, using data to drive continuous improvement and demonstrate impact

Desirable Criteria

• An understanding of Learning Management Systems (LMS) for course structuring and reporting
• Foundational multimedia production skills (including video editing, audio recording, graphic design principles, image editing).
• Experience of Virtual Learning Environments and generative AI tools in designing learning content.
• Experience working with senior leaders, and/or an understanding of senior leader expectations and challenges

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.