JOB SUMMARY

We are looking for a Senior Programme Manager to join the Science Hub Programme. The overall aim of the programme is to deliver new modern fit for purpose science facilities, creating a hub for the critical scientific capabilities the UK needs to deliver on key health security objectives and National Biosecurity. The Science Hub Programme aims to enhance and replace existing UKHSA critical infrastructure, most importantly its aging high containment laboratories, which are essential for protecting the nation against potentially highly infectious diseases.
The programme has a small civil service core team to deliver high value complex capital infrastructure construction programme of works. It leads, directs, manages and controls the day-to-day work. Overall, this is headed by the Programme Director, supported by Lead Project Manager, project teams, PMO and technical assurance team. The programme is supported by professional services delivery partners appointed through framework of specialist suppliers for design, technical, project management, commercial and cost management and other disciplines.
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As Senior Programme Manager you will report to the Science Hub Programme Director and be responsible for leading a defined set of interdependent projects and the associated business change activities. You will be responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of the required outcomes, including the establishment of appropriate governance and assurance, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues, and ensuring business readiness for change.
In addition, you will head up the Programme Management Office (PMO) which will track delivery, ensuring project outputs enable benefits realisation. The PMO provides guidance and support to the programme team and is the source of all programme information and metrics. This includes the implementation and sharing of best practice as well as the development and application of project/programme management procedures, tools and techniques to standardise methodologies.
This role is a government project delivery profession role and part of UKHSA’s project delivery resource model. It is aligned to the Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF) career pathway Programme Manager 3 with elements of PMO Manager 2.

The main responsibilities for this role are as follows:

• Lead the Science Hub programme to deliver the business case benefits and objectives.
• Provide effective leadership and line management to the PMO team.
• Provide direction and guidance to the wider programme team, identifying common capabilities and opportunities for sharing methods and lessons learned.
• Champion the use of UKHSA’s best practice project/programme management methodologies and standards, frameworks, and processes.
• Draft and clear the business case with project leads and subject matter experts.
• Develop and agree budgets for the project and/or programme, forecast spend against agreed budget.
• Lead on resourcing, planning scheduling and estimating across the programme.
• Oversee risk and issue management. Ensure mitigations are in place and resolved and dependencies are actively managed.
• Ensure realisation of benefits through planning and designing, and that project outputs meet programme requirements.
• Lead the planning of programme assurance activities. Monitor the effectiveness of controls and ensure recommendations from assurance reviews are acted upon.
• Establish and implement processes to change the scope of projects and update configuration documents as required.
• Establish and manage project controls, reporting on project progress and status to appropriate boards and stakeholders.
• Act as arbiter, resolving issues between elements of the programme.
• Lead engagement between the programme and other business areas to ensure business readiness for change.
• Effectively manage internal and external stakeholder relationships, including DHSC, HMT & Cabinet Office.
• Maintain overall integrity and coherence of programme and governance framework to support each project.
• Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

The job holder will be supported to work towards achieving Government Project Delivery Accreditation where they do not already hold this.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

ESSENTIAL ROLE CRITERIA:

• A successful track record of leading a PMO team or managing several medium to high complexity projects or programmes
• Detailed knowledge and experience of planning, scheduling, resource management, budgeting and cost management, risk and issue management, change control, governance, and assurance in a project delivery environment.
• Significant experience of business case development and benefits management, with experience of drafting and presenting business cases and option appraisals.
• Working knowledge of commercial and procurement processes and change control.
• A visible leader with experience of driving performance through collaboration with project or programme teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholder, demonstrated through the ability to influence and challenge effectively at a senior level.
• Holds or is working towards APM Project Management Qualification, APM Chartered Project Professional, Project Leadership Programme or Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner/Advanced Practitioner.

Desirable role criteria:

• Experience of working on construction / infrastructure projects/programmes.

The main responsibilities for this role are as follows:

• Lead the Science Hub programme to deliver the business case benefits and objectives.
• Provide effective leadership and line management to the PMO team.
• Provide direction and guidance to the wider programme team, identifying common capabilities and opportunities for sharing methods and lessons learned.
• Champion the use of UKHSA’s best practice project/programme management methodologies and standards, frameworks, and processes.
• Draft and clear the business case with project leads and subject matter experts.
• Develop and agree budgets for the project and/or programme, forecast spend against agreed budget.
• Lead on resourcing, planning scheduling and estimating across the programme.
• Oversee risk and issue management. Ensure mitigations are in place and resolved and dependencies are actively managed.
• Ensure realisation of benefits through planning and designing, and that project outputs meet programme requirements.
• Lead the planning of programme assurance activities. Monitor the effectiveness of controls and ensure recommendations from assurance reviews are acted upon.
• Establish and implement processes to change the scope of projects and update configuration documents as required.
• Establish and manage project controls, reporting on project progress and status to appropriate boards and stakeholders.
• Act as arbiter, resolving issues between elements of the programme.
• Lead engagement between the programme and other business areas to ensure business readiness for change.
• Effectively manage internal and external stakeholder relationships, including DHSC, HMT & Cabinet Office.
• Maintain overall integrity and coherence of programme and governance framework to support each project.
• Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community