Programme Manager

The successful candidate will be responsible for day to day management and delivery of the cross-government Interoperability programme, enabling and supporting Civil Servants to work across departments when needed.

Interoperability is about people, but it depends on platforms of standardised property technology, policies and processes to ensure security and compliance and new ways of working to ensure that together, we run a more effective, efficient and sustainable Civil Service office estate.

Work has progressed in areas of interoperability, such as the ongoing roll-out of Property Technology such as GovPass, GovPrint and GovWifi and addressing how government campuses will work together. The Interoperability Programme brings all these pieces together under one coordinated programme with a shared vision and direction.

Collaborating across government departments will be key to the success of the programme and so the successful candidate will need to have strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with stakeholders and leads to develop and gain approval of the programme Business Case.
• Cascade vision and translate into delivery objectives for the team. Lead the programme to deliver the business case benefits and outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Business Change Manager to establish networks and groups essential for identifying and engaging cross-government stakeholders, ensuring their interests are accurately identified and captured. Build consensus among a large and diverse group of stakeholders. Co-manage senior stakeholders in close collaboration with the Programme Senior Responsible Owner (SRO)
• Secure resources required through appropriate channels. Complete planning, scheduling, and estimating for the programme.
• Oversee risk and issue management ensuring mitigations are in place.
• Ensure realisation of benefits for customers through planning and designing and that project outputs meet programme requirements.
• Work with project leads and business as usual to ensure dependencies are actively managed. Act as an arbiter and enforcer and resolve issues between the various elements of the programme.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished Programme Manager or Senior Project Manager with a demonstrable track record of successfully delivering complex, cross-functional programmes, preferably within the public sector or a large, multi-stakeholder environment. Given the nature of the Interoperability Programme, the successful individual must be a highly dynamic, politically astute, and self-starting leader. The role requires someone confident operating within formal governance structures, able to brief senior stakeholders, including the SRO and Programme Board, with clarity and authority, and skilled at balancing strategic vision with hands-on, day-to-day leadership.

We are looking for someone with extensive experience of managing high-profile change initiatives that require significant stakeholder buy-in and collaboration across multiple organisational boundaries. They must be capable of working autonomously, motivating project managers, and quickly establishing credibility with senior leaders (including Deputy Director-level and above) across different government departments.

Experience and Skills

Essential criteria:

• Proven experience of leading large projects or programmes through all phases of the lifecycle, including initiation, planning, and delivery.
• Strong communication skills and comfortable briefing at a senior level.
• Exceptional influencing skills with the ability to build consensus and drive adoption of change.
• Customer focused and organised with an ability to rapidly analyse complex problems and find solutions.
• Strategic focus with the capacity to maintain a clear line of sight between the tactical delivery of technology and policy and the overarching strategic vision of an effective, efficient, and sustainable Civil Service office estate.
• Resilient, adaptable and comfortable navigating ambiguity, managing competing priorities, and remaining calm and focused in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Driven and focused to deliver within the public sector.
• Collaborative and inclusive ways of working and can build trust across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Experience securing and managing resources effectively, ensuring the programme delivers demonstrable value for money.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills, including the ability to translate complex programme information into clear reports for senior stakeholders

Desirable criteria:

• Experience delivering programmes within a sector or discipline relevant to the programme, such as the public sector, technology, or workplace and estate management
• Experience working in and with cross-functional teams and managing multiple projects simultaneously, including developing, maintaining, and executing integrated programme delivery plans
• Demonstrable experience in stakeholder engagement, including cross-organisational collaboration, and managing stakeholder expectations throughout projects.
• Ability to work across the programme lifecycle;  working with the right people at the right time to navigate the project lifecycle and deliver value including using evidence to continue, change direction or stop.
• Proficiency in programme planning tools to build and maintain integrated delivery plans
• Ability to apply structured benefits management techniques, including benefits mapping, tracking, and reporting

Qualifications and Accreditations

Essential criteria:

• Formal project management qualification (eg Prince2, APMG) or equivalent experience and willingness to become certified within 12 months of taking up post

Desirable criteria:

• Programme Management Qualification (eg MSP) or equivalent experience and willingness to become certified within 12 months of taking up post
• Project Leadership Programme (PLP) or equivalent experience

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Customer Perspective
• Commercial Accumen
• Property Market Knowledge
• Innovation