Product Manager - Tooling

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

Product Manager (Tooling) – Job Description

Position: Product Manager – Tooling

Reports to: Head of Managed Services

The Product Manager (Tooling) is accountable for the end‑to‑end management, evolution, and value realisation of internal operational tooling used across Managed Services.

The role ensures that all tooling platforms are:

• fit for operational purpose,
• aligned to service delivery and ITIL best practices,
• consistently configured and governed,
• scalable and continually improved in line with business priorities.

While HALO represents a significant focus, the role explicitly manages the wider internal tooling estate, including (but not limited to) Netcall, TeamViewer, and any future platforms introduced to support service delivery, automation, reporting, or customer experience.

The Product Manager acts as the single point of responsibility for tooling vision, backlog prioritisation, and stakeholder alignment, working closely with Service Operations, Cyber, Service Desk, and Delivery teams as well as customers.

The Product Manager acts as the bridge between stakeholders and the platforms, translating business needs into scalable solutions, prioritising effectively, and protecting the core design principles (particularly around standardisation and avoiding unnecessary customisation). Over time, becoming the custodian of how Methods and our Clients operate within our tooling platforms and solutions.

Accountabilities

• Own the product vision, roadmap, and backlog for all internal Managed Services tooling, with HALO ITSM as the primary platform.
• Ensure tooling supports efficient, scalable, and auditable service delivery across all customer accounts.
• Translate operational, service, and business needs into clearly defined, prioritised product backlog items.
• Balance competing demands across teams, ensuring tooling development focuses on maximum operational value and risk reduction.
• Act as the authority on tooling scope, configuration standards, and intended use, preventing tool sprawl and inconsistent practices.
• Ensure tooling changes are assessed for operational impact, aligned to ITIL practices, and introduced in a controlled manner.
• Drive continual improvement through data‑led insights, KPIs, user feedback, and service performance trends.
• Represent internal tooling at governance forums, service reviews, and leadership discussions.

Requirements

Responsibilities

Product Management & Backlog Management

• Maintain and prioritise a single, transparent backlog covering all internal tooling.
• Define clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and outcomes for tooling enhancements.
• Ensure backlog items are sized, sequenced, and ready for delivery by technical teams. Prioritising backlog Itmes based on:
• Client impact
• Commercial value
• Service efficiency
• Risk reduction
• Regularly review and re‑prioritise work in response to operational demand and strategic direction.

HALO Platform Management

• Act as the Product Manager for HALO, including:
• configuration standards,
• workflow design,
• reporting and dashboards,
• integrations with other internal systems.
• Ensure HALO supports ITIL‑aligned processes (Incident, Request, Change, Problem, Knowledge).
• Support client onboarding and offboarding within HALO
• Lead and manage the evolution of HALO in line with Managed Services maturity and scale, aligned with internal Continual Improvement practices.

Wider Tooling Estate Management

• Lead, manage and govern additional internal tools (e.g. Netcall, TeamViewer), ensuring:
• clear purpose and scope,
• defined ownership and support models,
• alignment with service workflows and data standards.
• Assess and onboard new tooling where a clear business case exists.
• Prevent duplication of capability and unmanaged tool adoption.

Operational, Service, Compliance & Commercial Alignment

• Work closely with Service Operations, Cyber, Service Desk, and Engineering leads to ensure tooling reflects how services are actually delivered.
• Ensure tooling enables accurate SLA tracking, reporting, audit trails, and governance.
• Support the Clients Monthly service reporting collateral and reports by providing dashboards, graphics, metrics and any other agreed data that enhances the client experience
• Support service onboarding and acceptance activities by ensuring tooling readiness.
• Ensure the tooling platforms support effective contract management and service compliance
• Ensure the tooling platforms provide accurate billing inputs (time, materials, managed contracts)
• Work closely with Finance and Service Management teams to ensure data accuracy
• Ensure tooling configurations meet relevant internal and client audit, compliance and assurance requirements
  (including, but not limited to, ISO270001, GDPR, CE+)
• Support profitability through efficient process design

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Act as the primary interface between operational teams and technical delivery resources for tooling.
• Manage expectations, communicate priorities, and provide visibility of roadmap progress.
• Provide leadership reporting on tooling health, risks, and improvement initiatives.
• Drive adoption of tooling capabilities across both internal and external teams

• Any other duties as and when required commensurate with organisational position

Role Requirements

Experience

• Experience in a Product Manager, Service Tooling, or Service Management role within an MSP or complex IT environment.
• Strong understanding of ITIL practices and how tooling underpins service delivery.
• Experience owning or governing ITSM platforms and associated tooling ecosystems.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong backlog prioritisation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate operational pain points into clear product requirements.
• Comfortable balancing strategic direction with tactical operational needs.
• Data‑driven mindset with a focus on measurable outcomes and value.
• Clear communicator, able to engage credibly with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Knowledge

• ITSM platforms (e.g. HALO or equivalent).
• Supporting tooling such as telephony/contact centre platforms and remote support tools.
• Managed Services operational models and governance expectations.

Benefits

By joining us you can expect:

• Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience
• Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society
• Strong, inspiring and thought-provoking leadership
• A supportive and collaborative environment.

As well as this, we offer:

• Development access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme and training
• Wellness 24/7 Confidential employee assistance programme
• Social – Breakfast Tuesdays, Thirsty Thursdays and Pizza on the last Thursday of each month as well as commitment to charitable causes
• Time off 25 days a year
• Pension Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
• Life Assurance of 4 times base salary
• Private Medical Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
• Worldwide Travel Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)