About the role: As a Senior Programme Manager (SPM), you will change leaders who change the world by bringing together all programme components and supporting our clients, team, and faculty to deliver a transformative learning experience to our participants. The role holder will be based in the Custom Programmes team, who focus on addressing the specific learning and strategic needs of our portfolio of external organisational corporate clients. The SPM will co-manage, alongside other existing SPM’s and a team of Programme Managers (PMs), the planning, resourcing and delivery of our Custom programmes portfolio. This includes; driving change and role modelling the implementation of the highest quality standards of all aspects of our programmes including the use of project management methodologies across the team; project management of design and delivery of complex on-site, online, or live online client programmes; stewarding of high-level relationships with individual clients, faculty and other stakeholders; refinement of processes and project planning; and equitable programme/resource allocation; deputy line management of a team of PMs. The successful candidate will be an inspiring and innovative manager skilled and experienced in a range of project management methodologies as well as on-site event management. Alongside managing a limited portfolio of programmes, the SPM will dedicate up to 50% of their time to leading and embedding change initiatives across the organisation. They will be ready to support our team through periods of change, role model new processes and techniques and take an active role in training and systems management. Some programme schedules will be outside normal working hours, including weekends, and the flow of work may not follow a regular working week. However, we understand the importance of flexibility in managing work-life balance and our structure includes flexible working hours to accommodate individual needs and preferences. Main responsibilities: Change implementation Drive a culture of continuous improvement and AI-first thinking by encouraging innovation, coaching on new tools and technologies, and promoting the use of data to inform decision-making and strategy. Continually assess our ways of operating, actively scanning for opportunities for improvement through simplification or automation to drive efficiencies. Champion and embed new systems, processes, and ways of working across the team and wider organization, acting as a bridge between operational delivery and strategic transformation initiatives. Collaborate with function leads and stakeholders across the business to assess priorities, track adoption of change initiatives, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. Ensure management data, dashboards, and reporting are continuously improved and utilised effectively to support visibility, accountability, and performance monitoring. Liaise with IT and transformation leads to relay business requirements, test systems, and ensure that solutions are fit-for-purpose and meet operational needs. Lead qualitative and quantitative data analysis to support audits, rankings submissions, and reporting to senior leadership, contributing to a data-driven and insight-led culture. Act as a change agent by reinforcing best practice, holding teams accountable for implementation, and escalating blockers to senior leadership as needed. Project and programme management Manage a set of clients and programmes using formal project management disciplines including project plans, risk registers and risk management discussions, stakeholder maps and plans, communications plans, budget tracking, resource plans, weekly dashboards including tracking to milestones and risks, and regular upwards reporting into portfolio plans for the Custom business. Ensure full visibility of project progress at all times through accurate planning, progress and completion tracking and record keeping for all aspects of a programme. Lead collaborative team meetings around activities, milestones, due dates, tasks due and dependencies, ensuring adequate planning, control and delivery of outputs. Independently coordinate and manage administrative arrangements for a portfolio of programmes, including but not limited to booking and securing accommodation, travel, catering, audio-visual (AV), entertainment, dinners, setup and maintenance of a virtual learning environment (VLE). In co-operation with Business Development colleagues and Learning Designers, confirm terms and conditions with contributing faculty and external speakers, ensuring teaching materials are received, reviewed and, when necessary, translated in a timely manner. During programme events, ensure clients and participants are fully supported in their learning experience with us. This includes commitment to the quality of all aspects of the event including co-ordinating with faculty, external providers/contributors, catering, facilities, and AV/IT teams as required, working as a team to deliver the best possible learning experience to participants including out-of-hours event set-up and networking commitments. Prepare and support any programme activities in the live online environment from a technical perspective using Zoom or Teams, in a studio setup or remotely. Team leadership and deputy line management of the Custom PM team Support portfolio leads to implement robust project planning across the programme portfolio in collaboration with the wider team. Lead on the management of programme allocation and effective resource coordination alongside other SPMs. Support the Head of Operations and Client Directors in driving, coaching, and setting a strong standard of excellence around all project management disciplines to drive excellent client feedback on our preparation, planning, pace, and project management throughout the project lifecycle. Monitor the implementation of project management methodologies and processes across the team for continuous improvement. Chair regular team meetings and leading discussion on status, programme milestones, risk, and escalations across the portfolio. Support the Head of Operations in coaching and mentoring the team through a period of change and on an ongoing basis in line with their personal and professional development objectives. Input into preparing and conducting performance reviews performed by line managers e.g. annual appraisals, six monthly reviews, probation meetings etc. Identify and support recruitment and induction, including temporary staff members as required. Onboarding of new staff with training and support. Information and communication management Support the Director of Custom Programmes and Head of Operations in regular collation of Management Information (MI) and reporting across the portfolio on milestone status, budget and resource tracking, and risks to escalate to our Leadership Team and the Board. Co-ordinate the workloads of other members of the programme team to ensure smooth workflows across multiple projects, and that appropriate resources are in place to manage multiple and simultaneous projects; alerting the Head of Operations of any issues in a timely manner. Keep, and drive the team to keep, meticulous, up-to-date records through the relevant systems to ensure smooth collaboration across the organisation and team cover where required. Monitor systems for opportunities for improvement and report back to the team on new system developments where appropriate. Stakeholder management Work collaboratively with other members of the Programme Management team and staff in Executive Education, as well as the faculty of the Business School, to build our reputation as a pre-eminent provider of executive education programmes. Manage internal and external stakeholders with confidence and diplomacy. Manage all aspects of service for our clients to a very high standard and provide first-class customer service for our clients and programme participants. Identify suitable service providers, including programme venues, hotels and Colleges to ensure participants' and clients' needs are met. Continuously update knowledge of the Executive Education portfolio to help market opportunities to existing and prospective clients and participants, including cross-selling as appropriate. Financial management Set up up cost control mechanisms for the overall portfolio in liaison with finance and implement for assigned programmes. Co-ordinate client and supplier invoicing arrangements for assigned programmes in liaison with the finance team. Track and monitor costs against set programme budgets, escalating any discrepancies between actual and budgeted costs. Manage faculty and all other supplier payment arrangements in liaison with finance and central services. Additionally Contribute effectively to JBSEEL values and team activities. Participate in and contribute to special projects where relevant. About you: Our ideal candidate should have the following qualities, skills and attributes. We encourage you to apply for this role even if you do not match every attribute listed on the job description. As an education provider, we are keen to support onboarding and learning for those new to our context. Proven experience in project management, operations, and change management. Experience of facilitating change in a fast-paced environment, using a collaborative and flexible approach to meet tight and multiple deadlines. Customer-centric approach to working with an understanding of the requirements of event management. Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail and demonstrating experience of managing multiple deadlines. Strong knowledge of systems, data, and process optimisation, comfortable and skilled in using AI to enhance their own and others’ work. Good knowledge and understanding of modern office and learning technology. Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to own, track and monitor key data sets to present at various levels including the Leadership Team. Evidence of being a natural problem-solver and solution-finder with a focus on implementation. Ability to communicate technical and process-related changes to non-technical teams. Comfortable challenging the status quo, overcoming resistance, and bringing project and change execution discipline and capability to our team. Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to bring people along. Willingness to, alongside other team members, take ownership of all aspects of quality of our programmes and ability to drive team towards continuous improvement. An understanding that some programme schedules will be outside normal working hours, including weekends, and that the flow of work may not follow a regular working week. The ability to demonstrate JBEEL’s values of: embodying world-leading excellence, having and encouraging a growth mindset, making others great, always, being positive and solution-oriented, and being better together. A flexible approach to work, willing to demonstrate flexibility where necessary in order to ensure that clients’ and stakeholders’ needs are met within the scope of the project. Other information: This is a full-time, permanent position. Working hours are 40 hours per week. There will be a six-month probationary period. The successful applicant must be willing to work such additional hours as are necessary for the proper performance of their duties, including evenings and weekends. This is a hybrid role, with a current company-wide requirement of a minimum of two working days from our office in Cambridge. Please note that the nature of this particular role involves on-location programme delivery, therefore the successful candidate will be expected to attend the office more regularly than this should business demand require. Flexible working patterns and schedules are supported. The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 9 May .