Programme Director

Temporary contract – 12 Months
Day rate GBP900 – inside IR35
Location – Hybrid working (3 days at home and 2 days will be in the nearest registered office to you).
Start date – Within the next month (depending on onboarding checks)
Interview – If selected – via Teams
This role will lead a large scale, complex or contentious programme and is responsible for leading a set of interdependent projects and the associated business change activities. They have primary responsibility for successful delivery of the required outcomes, including the establishment of appropriate governance and assurance, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues and ensuring the business readiness for change.
The role requires professional expertise in the effective use of established Programme methodologies and techniques and is responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of the Programme.
As a Programme Director you will develop and maintain strategic partnerships and relationships, influencing others where there may be divergent and conflicting views. You will need to demonstrate delivery of results through others as well as effective negotiation at senior levels.
This role requires significant leadership, management and influencing skills and potentially with external organisations. Work at this level can have a major impact on the achievement of departmental objectives or bear a significant risk for the department.
As a Programme Director you will coach and mentor less experienced and more junior members of the team and play an active role in building the profession to help build professional capability within CCG.
Responsibilities:
Business Case: lead the development of the business case, in alignment with strategic objectives and senior stakeholders, obtaining agreement through the necessary approval boards and authorities.
Communications & Stakeholder Management: lead, manage and direct stakeholder relationships across multiple groups, internally and externally, to achieve buy–in to programme objectives and delivery of outcomes.
Guidance: provide direction and guidance on development to the team and more broadly across department and government.
Resource Management: build and maintain a strong delivery–focused Programme team. Provide leadership and direct larger multidisciplinary teams to deliver successfully.
Risks & Issues: ensure the programme has effective risk management, and that strategic and operational risks and issues are identified, prioritised, assessed and mitigated. Ensure senior stakeholders are briefed, updated and where appropriate, enrolled in the management and control of key risks. Identify and engage specialists as appropriate.
Benefits Realisation: deliver agreed benefits as set out in the Business Case and provide strategic leadership in monitoring benefit delivery and to maximise benefits from the programme.
Dependency Management: Own strategic cross departmental and key supplier dependencies, ensure dependencies are re–aligned to reflect changes in the programme environment.
Leadership, Vision & Objectives: create an environment in which the programme can succeed – working effectively and managing dependencies to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints. Deliver benefits and outcomes set out in business case. Provide support, guidance and coaching for the programme team. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance.
Programme Performance & Controls: Responsible for identifying success criteria, set programme controls, establish programme governance framework, define delivery methodology, and be accountable for performance. Monitor and control progress, engage fully with assurance and respond to recommendations.
Essential Criteria:
Successfully managed several medium or high complexity programmes with a budget exceeding GBP10m whole life costs.
Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner
Excellent written and drafting skills with the ability to work in a fast–paced environment under minimal supervision.
Excellent verbal communication skills with ability to present and brief at director level.
Business case development experience.
Significant knowledge and understanding of Programme & Project delivery methodologies and practice.
Experience in building and developing high performing teams.
Experience leading Agile delivery teams in a central government environment.
Desirable Criteria:
Additional relevant professional qualifications such as: Managing Successful Programmes Advanced Practitioner, Agile Project Management Practitioner, Better Business Cases Practitioner, APM Registered Project Professional, P3O Practitioner, Major Projects Leadership Academy
Successfully passed the Project Leadership Programme.
Infrastructure and Projects Authority experience.
Able to work effectively and flexibly in both waterfall and agile environments.
A good awareness of Change Management principles, ideally Prosci.
Commercial and procurement skills