People at Pret work hard, have fun, learn a lot and really grow. Right now, we’re looking for a passionate IT Programme Manager to join us.
The Role
The IT Programme Manager reports to the Head of IT Programmes and will join the Transformation & Strategy team working alongside product managers, business sponsors, business analysts, subject matter experts and engineers. You’ll be part of an exciting and fast paced change and project team within Pret with huge ambition, bringing together multi-disciplined small teams to deliver market leading customer experiences. You’ll enjoy frequent communication with project stakeholders and be an active player in a flourishing technology community.
This role is far more than your typical Programme Manager, it’s a critical part of Pret’s delivery team and will be a hands-on role delivering as well as steering and reporting on projects and programmes of work. You’ll take overall responsibility for a portfolio of projects within Pret, working very closely with the market and operational teams to ensure a quality end-to-end delivery. You’ll be required to project manage some aspects of programmes and projects as well as perform light business analysis as and when required.

Responsibilities

• Support the business planning and execution through the delivery of projects and programmes with full accountability for the portfolio and projects you are assigned.
• Work within a defined framework for project methodologies for traditional waterfall, agile and hybrid projects while keeping a hands-on approach to managing outcomes, risks and objectives.
• Lead the continuous review of technology projects, validate compliance, and apply best practice principles within the wider technology team.
• Oversee project teams to effectively budget, track, authorise and monitor spend and where appropriate perform the budget holder duties.
• Identify and evaluate risks associated with the programme and projects, agreeing tolerance levels and appropriate action to control the risks.
• Devise, agree and implement process improvement initiatives and coach people through business changes.
• Project manage initiatives from start to finish where required.
• Coach and mentor other teams on project methods, tools and best practice.
• Manage the governance structure for portfolio and project work as needed.
• Own the escalation process to ensure risks are managed and teams / leadership are abreast of emerging issues as required.
• Present project updates and generate reporting for programme and portfolio tracking as required.

Skills and experience

• Extensive experience of successfully managing complex projects, including managing multiple projects in parallel, working across geographies and time zones and working with third parties/external resource companies, ideally within retail and/or hospitality.
• Experience in delivering ERP, finance, retail or data transformation programmes.
• Experience in managing RFP processes, validating suppliers and reviewing commercial proposals.
• Experience in establishing cross-functional project teams, ensuring alignment, clear roles, and a collaborative environment to drive successful project outcomes.
• Experience in overseeing change management processes, including the development of training programs, documentation, and effective communication cascades to support seamless transitions and adoption.
• Experience in developing and evaluating business cases, with a strong focus on delivering value and ensuring a clear return on investment for projects and initiatives.
• Clear communication, both verbal and written, and the ability to confidently facilitate workshops and interact with different levels of stakeholders, delivery partners, and franchise partners with excellent presentation skills.
• Knowledge and experience of Project Management methodologies, with working knowledge of frameworks such as Managing Successful Programmes, DSDM, SAFe and PRINCE2 or equivalent.
• Proficient in MS Project, Jira and Confluence.

Pret offers:

• Competitive salary and annual bonus
• 33 days holiday a year including Bank Holidays
• Private healthcare
• Life assurance
• Pret pension scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Free lunch and drinks
• 50% discount in Pret shops worldwide
• Great reward and recognition events
• Legendary parties

At Pret, we embrace a hybrid working model, with our team spending three days a week in the office. The salary band for this role is £85,000 - £95,000. The deadline for applications for this role is 1st April 2025

• Support the business planning and execution through the delivery of projects and programmes with full accountability for the portfolio and projects you are assigned.
• Work within a defined framework for project methodologies for traditional waterfall, agile and hybrid projects while keeping a hands-on approach to managing outcomes, risks and objectives.
• Lead the continuous review of technology projects, validate compliance, and apply best practice principles within the wider technology team.
• Oversee project teams to effectively budget, track, authorise and monitor spend and where appropriate perform the budget holder duties.
• Identify and evaluate risks associated with the programme and projects, agreeing tolerance levels and appropriate action to control the risks.
• Devise, agree and implement process improvement initiatives and coach people through business changes.
• Project manage initiatives from start to finish where required.
• Coach and mentor other teams on project methods, tools and best practice.
• Manage the governance structure for portfolio and project work as needed.
• Own the escalation process to ensure risks are managed and teams / leadership are abreast of emerging issues as required.
• Present project updates and generate reporting for programme and portfolio tracking as required