Delivery manager

A delivery manager is responsible for the delivery of the product or service.

While a product manager focuses on what the team is building, a delivery manager oversees how this process is managed. Simply put, the product manager aims to build the right product or service that meets user needs, while the delivery manager ensures that it is built on time.

In some smaller teams, the delivery manager and the product manager can be the same person, but for larger projects where there are multiple product or service teams working together, a delivery manager is essential to ensure smooth and effective delivery.

What does a delivery manager do?

Delivery managers help teams stay organised, focused, and able to successfully complete projects on time. They oversee the team’s work, remove barriers or roadblocks, solve problems and encourage collaboration, and ensure everyone on the team understands the goal they are working towards.

Delivery managers support the team to deliver high-quality results in an agile, efficient and productive work environment. The delivery manager facilitates what are known as ‘agile ceremonies’, which are various team meetings such as stand-ups, sprint planning, backlog grooming, and retrospective meetings.

They also help teams reflect on their progress and find better ways of working. During each sprint retrospective, delivery managers are responsible for discussing the team’s progress during the sprint, highlighting positives and addressing negatives, so that the team can work more effectively during the next sprint.

In government teams, delivery managers are also expected to understand commercial and financial management. They are the point of contact between contractual suppliers, other government teams and departments, and third party agencies, and are often responsible for negotiating contracts and budgets.

Working with a delivery manager as a user researcher

For user researchers, delivery managers are key. They ensure there is space for research in team plans, help remove blockers, and encourage the whole team to take part in research sessions and reviews.

Delivery managers want researchers to be clear about what they plan to do and when. They expect you to tell them early if you need help booking sessions, finding a space, or solving a problem. They also want your research to be part of the team’s normal work, not something added on at the last minute.

They expect you to share important findings at the right time, especially during sprint reviews. If something urgent comes up, they want to hear about it straight away so the team can respond.

Delivery managers can help the user researcher to encourage the team to join research sessions, either to observe or take notes. It is especially important for new user researchers to understand that user research is a team sport. Working together from the beginning builds connections and trust and avoids creating an insular working environment rather than a cohesive, open team.

The whole team being involved also means everyone can learn about users first-hand. You should always join sprint planning if you can. This helps your research get included in the team’s schedule.

Do not leave research planning until the last minute, as it may not happen if it is not in the sprint planning. After each sprint, ensure that the delivery manager also gives you time to take part in the retrospective. User researchers use this time to share what went well with their research and how things could improve next time.

Good teamwork means working together to plan and deliver research as part of the sprint. When you work well together, your research becomes part of the delivery process. Everyone learns more about users and builds a better service.

If something is stopping you from doing research, tell the delivery manager as soon as possible. They can often remove the blocker quickly. Never assume others know what you need – speak up early, and never keep problems to yourself. Delivery managers cannot help if they do not know what’s wrong.