Programme Director

Programme Director

External Partner

Temporary, Full Time

Location: Essex

Closing Date: 23rd September 2025

Please note that this is a temporary opportunity for an initial period of 3 months.

Are you an experienced Programme Director? We're seeking someone who has successfully delivered reorganisation within local government, possesses significant experience in multi-organisation stakeholder management at the most senior levels (including politicians), and thrives in environments with extreme ambiguity, potentially collaborating with central government departments. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you!

The Opportunity

This strategic and influential role will be accountable for leading the delivery of a complex programme of high value projects in support of the Transformation programme. The role will be responsible for the matrix management of significant numbers of project-specific resources, drawn from across the organisation, to deliver complex and often politically sensitive pieces of work. This will require an exceptionally high calibre of individual with the ability to negotiate, persuade, influence, and think laterally to overcome obstacles and ensure delivery of Transformation programmes.

This role will manage relationships with stakeholders at the most senior levels, as well as with elected members, partner organisations, central government and commercial organisations. Accountable for ensuring the delivery to time, cost and quality of a diverse range of critical projects with multi-million pound costs and benefits, the role will have a significant impact on the performance and outcomes of Essex and its partners.

The role requires significant experience of managing complex programmes of work, ensuring project risks and opportunities are identified, stakeholders are effectively managed, external contractors are engaged and managed, and most critically, financial and non-financial benefits are delivered. The role demands flexibility to adapt to changing demands, commercial awareness and understanding of the strategic and systematic overview of how their portfolio fits with the wider Transformation Programme.

Accountabilities

· Accountable for the delivery of complex programmes with multi-million pound spend and benefit profiles to ensure there are major positive impacts on performance and reputation, significant contribution to outcome achievements and alignment with wider Transformation programmes.

· Accountable for all elements of project delivery success including management of all planning, delivery and implementation aspects and realisation of significant financial benefits.

· Manage significant project related budgets and provide strategic, inspirational leadership to large teams of multi-disciplinary employees from across Essex; managing relationships with external suppliers to ensure appropriate skills and talent are identified to fulfil specific project requirements.

· Provide expert advice, guidance and challenge to senior leaders, members, and key stakeholders; intelligently questioning and challenging senior decision makers when necessary to support delivery of wider Transformation Programme vision.

· Provide exemplary leadership and vision within transformation programmes; shaping and driving the future of public service delivery in Essex in order to ensure strategic stakeholder management to foster a sense of ownership of benefits with responsible individuals through to realisation of benefits.

· Accountable for fully understanding, interpreting and adapting to the context of impending strategy or legislative changes which impact specific programme agendas, the functional area they serve and the wider transformation agenda.

· Accountable for devising and owning the strategic plan of transformation programmes and to identify and manage dependencies, gaps and pressures within these, thereby ensuring a consistent approach. This will include a robust grip on the performance of individual projects, identification, mitigation and resolution of risks, critical issues, and opportunities.

· Provide an insightful and robust planning, control and reporting framework programme to allow senior leaders and Members to clearly understand progress and undertake quality assurance of associated projects to make sure they are well run, comply with organisational standards and governance, and mitigate risks and issues.

· Support Project or Programme Managers to resolve complex design and delivery issues and provide coaching and mentoring in order to maintain programme schedules

· Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

· Educated to postgraduate level in a management field or equivalent by experience. A professional Programme Management qualification together with appropriate membership of a relevant professional body e.g. Association for Project Management.

· Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area including the application of PRINCE2/MSP standards in a significant project/programme environment

· Significant senior management experience in a large and politically complex organisation with the ability to think creatively and work collaboratively to deliver success.

· Substantial experience of complex commercial programme management at a senior level, including both revenue and capital programme experience; strong experience in ensuring the delivery of benefits.

· Demonstrable Experience of leading in a commercial environment including large procurement activities and complex contract management.

· Experience of successfully delivering a large and complex portfolio of transformational projects in an organisation of similar scale and complexity, focused on both cost reduction and improvements to customer satisfaction.

· Self-driven with exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to build personal credibility quickly with a variety of stakeholders.

· Outstanding leadership skills, including the ability to identify, own and overcome complex obstacles to the delivery of projects and to develop a compelling vision and inspire a wide range of stakeholders

To Apply: When submitting an application, please include your salary expectations and availability to start.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. As part of our team, we kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, not only during the recruitment process but also throughout your time with us. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone..

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will not apply to this assignment.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email sadie.orwell@essex.gov.uk