Paul Rees Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Product Manager for HMRC within the CDIO (Chief Digital Product Office) supporting the Valuation Office Agency with new Digital Projects & Products.Responsible for managing product teams of highly skilled colleagues to build and release digital products or features. Key role in understanding the business goals, the user needs for the service, and the different options for how to build and scope the digital product according to those needs and managing the end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of projects. Follows ITIL, Prince2, Lean-AGILE Project Management and Government Digital and Data capability framework principles. • Delivers products and features for a business area. Defining the scope of the service and the key features, adapting solution designs as business objectives evolve or user research offers new insights.• Delivering and ensuring the engagement of stakeholders’ for product visions and roadmap.• Works with a multidisciplinary product delivery team (civil servants or suppliers) with skills such as user research, service design, business analysis, or software engineering to shape the product and build it.• Facilitates work with colleagues incl performance analysts and user researchers, to gather user insights and feedback on live products so that they can be iterated and improved.• Own and maintain a backlog of ‘user stories’ manging the prioritisation in which they will be built and released.• Works with the Leads in the team to understand different options for how a product or digital service might be developed, develops high-level financial case for the options.• Interacts with designers and researchers to ensure the products and services are suitably adapted to meet accessibility standards and shape research activities to test the concepts behind new products, features, or prototypes.

Winchester, England, United Kingdom

Worked in Hampshire County Council (HCC) IT Corporate Services Leadership Team in Projects and Programmes, a dynamic change function, supporting the business to deliver transformation, savings, and service improvements whist working within formal governance structures and processes implementing projects and programmes across IT for HCC. • Developed business products, strategies, projects and activities for a highly skilled Technical Team to deliver high-quality services, processes and delivery models relating to customers’ requirements, partners resulting in successful launch of a new once in a generation Social Care System.• Planned the effective use of wider HCC resources optimising planning and contractor resource management.• Followed ITIL Service Management, AGILE and Lean Project Management principles across all work.• Established reporting mechanisms to help manage and monitor performance and productivity.• Coached colleagues in continuous improvement processes and methodologies to help increase efficiency.• Developed and maintained strong relationships with key stakeholders and software partners.

Whiteley, Hampshire

Senior Leader for one of the UK’s foremost educational charities running various government funded contracts. Lead on the strategic and operational management for use and governance of data, continuous improvement and Product development of Digital and MI Systems, Data Channels, CRM solutions for the organisation working along Corporate IT. Represented the organisation at regional and national meetings and conferences.• Developed digital business products, improvement strategies, projects and activities that embedded best practice, helping deliver enhanced services, processes and delivery models relating to data and CRM systems.• Planned the effective optimisation of systems and resources including Azure infrastructure while implementing an in-house CRM system that cut costs and improved operation efficiency. Managing a team of IT focused colleagues including developers and business and management information analysts.• Acted as Product Manager and led on development for a range of operational solutions improving service delivery of contracts for optimal contract performance incl coaching IT colleagues in planning and resource management.• Ensured consistent management and implementation of Data and MI strategies and processes, incl the introduction of report suites including Dashboards, maximising efficient performance increasing productivity and profitability.• Established strong stakeholder relationships with software partners to ensure that applications are appropriate and achieve identified outcomes and solutions

Member of Senior Leadership Team for EDT. Led on the national strategic Product Development and operational management, continuous improvement and operational processes, procedures and systems organisation. Represented the organisation at various regional and national meetings.• Ensured continuous improvement products, activities are identified and embedded across all operational solutions developing business improvement strategies, projects and activities. • Introduced enhanced operational solutions to optimise contract performance incl establishing use of reporting tools by senior leaders, maximising performance leading to increased productivity and profitability.• Maintained effective relationships with and contract managed external stakeholders and partners.• Led the organisation through audits and assessments including obtaining the Merlin accreditation for supplier network management and Ofsted (achieving an Outstanding grade)• Product Manager for all systems and Asset owner under for the Information Assurance Maturity Model for various Information Systems

Whiteley

Headed up Sub-Contractor Management and previously lead the Tele-Digital delivery aspect of the contract. Managed 20+ delivery partners covering all aspects of contract delivery, including data quality, compliance, data analysis and systems devleopment. Partners include external agencies such as Job Centre Plus, Department of Work and Pensions, European Social Fund (ESF), Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), Prisons, councils, colleges, and a range of charitable and third sector organisations. This partnership working has helped to develop a keen understanding of how to communicate with and develop sound working relationships across a wide network of organisations.Involved in preparation for inspections and audits from the likes of Ofsted, ESF and ESFA achieving an "Outstanding" from Ofsted for their delivery of the National Careers Service contract.

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Was responsible for the MI and Business Intelligence (BI) requirements across numerous contracts run by Babcock across England. Developed and delivered a range of operational solutions to the senior management to help introduce and manage delivery of contracts reflecting customer demands and social trends. Responsible for liaison with over 100 delivery partners on all aspects of contract delivery, partners include internal Finance and Senior Management teams, government agencies such as Job Centre Plus (JCP), Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) European Social Fund (ESF) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) also Prisons, Young Offenders Institutes, local councils, colleges, private businesses and a range of charitable and third sector organisations.Took a leading role in the working group that helped Babcock International Group achieve the highly coveted IAMM Level 3 accreditation for Information Assurance.

Fareham, Hampshire

Managed all aspects of the local Information, Advice and Guidance Contract (IAG) contract across Hampshire & Isle of Wight. Created and delivered a range of operational solutions reflecting Government policy to deliver the best service possible to our client base. Delivery partners included colleges, private providers and a range of third sector organisations. Regularly met with publicly funded agencies such as Job Centre Plus (JCP), European Social Fund (ESF) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and Prisons and Young Offenders Institutes.

Portchester, Hampshire

Operated in a niche market for a commercial arm of VT Group Plc selling careers information resources and associated services to a range of educational and guidance organisations both in the UK and overseas. Customers include schools and colleges and a range of government agencies such as Job Centres, the ‘Connexions’ service and Prisons and Young Offenders Institutes.

Whiteley, Near Fareham, Hampshire

Worked at Zurich Life’s UK headquarters based in Whiteley near Fareham. Provided clients with a comprehensive technical and financial administrative support service. Clients included Insurance Brokers, Financial Advisors and the general public.

Fareham, Hampshire

Part of a team offering financial administrative support to over 150 high street branches across southern England.

Education record

Studied Classical Civilisation, Archaeology and History

Education record