Senior Programme Manager


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£60,732 to £71,296 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Birmingham
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	30 Sept 2026
Closing date:	13 Oct 2026

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Summary

Would you like to help deliver programmes that drive economic growth, unlock investment and create opportunities across the UK? Could you contribute to major events that showcase UK business, innovation and trade on the global stage? Are you interested in supporting complex programmes that drive innovation, strengthen critical infrastructure, enable emerging technologies or transform the way government delivers its priorities?

If so, the Project Delivery Expertise Pool (PDEP) could be the opportunity you're looking for.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is the UK government department driving economic growth. We help businesses to invest, expand and export, creating jobs, opportunity and prosperity across the UK. Project delivery is central to turning strategic ambition into tangible outcomes that support businesses, communities and citizens.

At the heart of Department’s Project Delivery Division is the PDEP which brings together a dynamic community of project delivery professionals who provide flexible delivery expertise across the department's priorities.

As a member of the Pool, you could work across a diverse portfolio of projects and programmes that help deliver the department's objectives. The portfolio spans a broad range of activity, including business and trade, investment, economic growth, innovation, technology, science, major events, place-based development, infrastructure and organisational transformation.

Projects vary in scale, complexity and stage of delivery, providing opportunities to contribute across the full project lifecycle, from early development and mobilisation through to implementation, assurance and benefits realisation.

The Pool provides the expertise, leadership and delivery capability needed to respond flexibly to changing business needs and support successful delivery where it matters most. Working across a variety of assignments, you will have the opportunity to apply and develop your project delivery skills, collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, and contribute to outcomes that have a real impact.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, ambitious and motivated project delivery professional to join BIST's Project Delivery Expertise Pool and contribute to the successful delivery of departmental priorities to support businesses and build economic growth across the UK.

As a Senior Programme Manager within the Project Delivery Expertise Pool, you will lead critical and complex projects and programmes that deliver high value outcomes for the Department. You will be deployed across a variety of initiatives, taking responsibility for shaping delivery strategies, defining scope, guiding multidisciplinary teams to deliver agreed outputs within time, cost and quality constraints. You will use a blend of programme leadership, analytical capability and structured delivery methodologies including Agile, to break down complex problems and design effective solutions. The role involves leading business case development, managing budgets, setting delivery methodologies, implementing appropriate governance and ensuring benefits realisation is achieved. You will engage senior stakeholders, manage risks and issues, organise assurance reviews and champion change management.

As a senior leader, you will set delivery expectations, provide coaching and guidance to project teams and ensure strong performance, accountability and timely reporting against programme objectives. You will be expected to operate confidently in environments with a high level of ambiguity, using sound judgement to shape direction, clarify priorities and maintain delivery momentum.

Due to the nature of the Project Delivery Expertise Pool, there may also be occasions where pool members are required to step into other project delivery roles to support departmental priorities.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to :

Lead programme delivery to achieve agreed outcomes, setting delivery strategy, analysing issues and ensuring work is delivered to time, cost and quality standards.
Provide day-to-day management and leadership of programme teams, establishing programme structures, delivery methodologies and managing transitions between phases.
Initiate projects by defining scope, engaging key stakeholders, producing delivery plans and ensuring resources and governance arrangements are in place.
Develop and maintain Business Cases, budgets and Benefits Realisation Strategies, tracking delivery against expected outcomes.
Conduct stakeholder mapping and develop engagement strategies, ensuring effective communication and collaboration with internal and external partners.
Identify, monitor and manage programme risks and issues, escalating appropriately and proposing mitigating actions to safeguard delivery.
Support governance and assurance activity, organising reviews (including gateway reviews), acting on recommendations and ensuring effective decision-making forums operate.
Provide coaching, guidance and support to programme teams; set clear performance expectations and translate programme vision into delivery objectives.
If not currently held, you will be supported in achieving Government Project Delivery Accreditation at Foundation level or above.

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