Join our team
Build the future of public services with us
We’re hiring – help us build better public services
Public services matter. They help people at some of the most important moments in their lives.
Yet too often services are slow, fragmented and frustrating. People wait on hold, repeat information multiple times, complete unnecessary paperwork, and navigate systems that were never designed around their needs.
CustomerFirst exists to change that.
We bring together multidisciplinary teams from across government and industry to redesign, rebuild and transform services around the people who use them. We work alongside partner organisations to tackle some of government’s most complex service challenges, combining the pace and ambition of a start-up with the scale and purpose of public service.
Over the next two years, we will be scaling our programmes and growing our capability across product, technology, research and transformation leadership. We’re looking for exceptional people who want to solve difficult problems, challenge accepted constraints and help build a model for transforming public services at scale.
If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re currently looking for the following expertise:
- Product Management
- User Research & Insights
- Technical Architecture
Our Current Opportunities
We’re looking for critical thinkers and disruptors, who love tackling large scale, complex problems. Able to effectively combine technical skills, strategic and tactical thinking ability, and a deep understanding of users and customer insight.
We need innovative experts who share our passion for making a real difference, driven by improving the quality of people’s lives through the services they use.
Please see all opportunities below
Shape the technical foundations of service transformation
As a Technical Architect, you’ll provide technical leadership across a portfolio of CustomerFirst programmes, helping teams turn complex service challenges into practical, scalable technical solutions. You’ll work closely with partner organisations, multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders to guide architectural decisions, identify risks and establish reusable patterns that support long-term transformation.
What you’ll be doing
Leading technical discovery, architecture and solution design activities
- Supporting delivery teams to make informed technical decisions
- Managing technical risks, dependencies and constraints
- Assessing existing technology landscapes and identifying opportunities for improvement
- Developing reusable architecture standards and approaches
- Helping establish scalable technical operating models across CustomerFirst programmes
What we’re looking for
You’ll be able to demonstrate:
- Experience designing and delivering complex technical solutions
- Strong architecture expertise across digital, cloud, data or integration environments
- Technical leadership within multidisciplinary teams
- Ability to translate business and user needs into practical technology solutions
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
- Experience navigating complexity and balancing strategic thinking with delivery focus
Lead products that improve outcomes for citizens
We’re looking for an experienced Product Manager to help us radically reimagine public services. You’ll work at the heart of multidisciplinary delivery teams, turning user needs, operational insight and organisational goals into products and services that genuinely improve outcomes for citizens and colleagues.
What you’ll be doing
- Defining product vision, strategy and roadmaps
- Leading product delivery from discovery through to continuous improvement
- Using insight, data and evidence to inform prioritisation
- Building alignment across teams and stakeholders
- Coaching teams in modern product management practices
- Supporting partner organisations to adopt outcome-focused ways of working
What we’re looking for
You’ll be able to demonstrate:
- Experience leading complex digital products or transformation programmes
- Strong product strategy and prioritisation skills
- Evidence of delivering measurable outcomes
- Expertise using research, insight and data to inform decisions
- Leadership within multidisciplinary environments
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
Bring evidence to the heart of decision making
We’re seeking an exceptional user researcher who combines deep research expertise with practical experience in service design, UX design or product management. You’ll help ensure that customer insight directly informs decisions across CustomerFirst programmes, shaping transformation activity through robust evidence and meaningful user understanding.
What you’ll be doing
- Leading high-impact research across service transformation programmes
- Identifying user needs, barriers and opportunities
- Turning research findings into actionable insight
- Supporting senior leaders to make evidence-led decisions
- Coaching teams in user-centred approaches
- Building research capability across CustomerFirst and partner organisations
What we’re looking for
You’ll be able to demonstrate:
- Significant user research experience in complex environments
- Expertise across qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Ability to influence strategic decisions through evidence
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
How to Apply
We are interested in finding brilliant people who are excited by the CustomerFirst mission.
To apply, please send:
- Your CV
- A covering letter (maximum 1,000 words)
- Confirmation of which role(s) you would like to be considered for
Applications should be sent to: Customer.First.Talent@dsit.gov.uk
Your Covering Letter
In no more than 1,000 words, please answer the following question:
CustomerFirst exists to radically improve public services, challenge existing constraints, and deliver better outcomes for citizens. What experience, skills or perspectives would you bring to help us achieve that mission?
Please include:
- A problem you have helped solve that improved the experience of customers, users or citizens
- The role you played and the impact you achieved
- How this experience would help you contribute to CustomerFirst
- The public service problem you would most like to help fix and why
Our Recruitment Process
We want our recruitment process to be rigorous, fair and human.
Different people perform best in different situations, so we’ve designed a process that gives candidates multiple opportunities to demonstrate their experience, skills and potential.
You can read all about each step of the process below:
If your application is shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a 30-minute telephone conversation with a member of the CustomerFirst Talent Team.
We’ll discuss:
- Your interest in CustomerFirst
- Your experience and aspirations
- The role you’re interested in
- Whether a fixed-term appointment or contingent labour arrangement would be the best fit
We want everyone to be able to show their skills and experience at their best. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know during your Talent Conversation and we will work with you to put appropriate support in place.
Successful candidates will be invited to complete a role-specific technical assessment and attend a panel interview with three members of the CustomerFirst team.
This stage allows you to demonstrate how you think, solve problems and apply your expertise in practice.
Final stage candidates will meet members of the CustomerFirst Senior Leadership Team for a behavioural and culture-based interview. This conversation helps us understand how you work, how you approach challenges, and how you would contribute to our team and mission.
For some roles, we may invite candidates to spend time with the team before a final offer is made. This gives both you and us an opportunity to understand what working together would be like in practice.
Important Information Before Applying
No Closing Date
We are operating an ongoing recruitment campaign.
There is no fixed closing date and applications will be reviewed as they are received.
We may interview and appoint candidates at any point during the campaign, which means vacancies may close quickly once suitable candidates are identified.
If you’re interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Contract Types
We are recruiting through a mixture of:
- Fixed Term Appointments
- Secondment opportunities
- Contingent Labour engagements
All opportunities run up until March 2028. The most appropriate option will be discussed during your Talent Team conversation.
Location and Travel
Our team regularly comes together in person to collaborate, solve problems and build strong working relationships. While we support flexible ways of working, we currently expect team members to attend our London office in Whitechapel twice a week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays where possible.
The role also involves occasional travel across the UK to work with our partner organisations. You should be comfortable travelling when required to support the successful delivery of our work.
Pay and Reward
The way you are engaged and paid will depend on the route through which you join CustomerFirst.
If you join through a Civil Service appointment or secondment, roles are expected to be aligned to Grade 7 within the Civil Service pay framework. Some candidates may also be eligible for a Government Digital and Data Profession Capability-Based Allowance, which is assessed through the recruitment process and is not guaranteed.
If you join through a contingent labour arrangement, remuneration will be based on an agreed day rate aligned to the requirements of the role and the relevant commercial framework.
The most appropriate engagement route and associated pay arrangements will be discussed during your Talent Team conversation.
Why Join CustomerFirst?
You’ll be joining a team that is:
- Solving some of government’s most complex service challenges
- Working directly with major public service organisations
- Combining evidence, technology and multidisciplinary expertise to deliver change
- Experimenting with new ways to transform public services
- Building a model that could influence how transformation is delivered across government
Most importantly, you’ll have the chance to make life better for the millions of people who rely on public services every day.
Interested? Don’t wait and submit your application today!
Make sure you submit your CV and covering letter to the CustomerFirst Talent team who aim to review and respond back to your application in 2 working days.