Job summary
As the Programme Manager, accountable to the Programme Director, you will build, grow, and drive our Research Systems Programme on an overall day-to-day basis.
This is a critical role with significant responsibility for driving the Health Research Authority's programme outcomes, ensuring that all aspects of the programme are effectively coordinated and that workstreams are aligned to deliver on time, to budget, and to the required quality.
You will manage delivery and operational risks, reporting to the Programme Director, who provides strategic oversight, governance, stakeholder engagement, and ensures alignment with organisational objectives and benefits.
You will be responsible for establishing the governance framework and for the day-to-day management of a programme to deliver the desired outcomes and outputs and realise the required benefits.
Main duties of the job
Some of the main duties of this role are set out below. Full details are provided in the job description
Provide senior operational management of all programme streams and the programme team via matrix management on a day-to-day basis.
Manage the development and clearance of the business case, ensuring alignment with senior stakeholders and agreement through Programme Board /Executive committee and support the SRO in delivering the business case objectives.
Direct the planning scheduling, resourcing and estimating for complex and large scale programmes.
Design and maintain the programme structure and organisation appropriate to the stage of the programme. Build the programme/project teams; delegate roles and responsibilities, develop capability and foster innovation.
Ensure realisation of benefits for customers through planning and designing and that project outputs meet programme requirements.
Ensures the product / transition deliverables are well defined and agreed with stakeholders including closure activities.
Develop and maintain the programme & project plans and integrate with other inter-dependent programmes & projects within and outside the HRA.
About us
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.
We're committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that help us to deliver the best services.
We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community. This includes:o ageo disabilityo ethnicityo gender identity and expressiono religion or beliefo sexo sexual orientationo other diverse characteristics
We have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.
When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement - if it works for you, we'll do our best to make it work for us.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role sits within HRA Digital. The HRA Digital team is a collaborative, supportive team consisting of HRA employees, secondees, contractors and vendors.
To find out more and to understand the full duties of the role, please refer to the job description attached.
In submitting your application with us, please note the following:
We currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies.
We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement.
Where applicants fail to demonstrate how they meet any one of the essential criteria of the person specification, the application will not be shortlisted.
The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Educated to master's level or equivalent level of experience in leadership and management related areas plus in depth knowledge as a senior leader and evidence of continuing professional development.
2. Project and/or programme management qualification or demonstrable experience in large scale project/programme delivery.
Desirable
3. Managing Successful Programmes (Practitioner or Advanced Practitioner)
4. Prince2 Practitioner (or equivalent)
5. APM Chartered Project Professional
6. Major Projects Leadership Academy
Knowledge, Skills, and Expertise
Essential
7. Proven track record in overseeing development of complex digital platforms delivering critical services to the business using proven Prince 2/Agile methodology
8. Knowledge of how to initiate and support working with other digital, data and technology job families and professions.
9. Ability to build and lead high performing large teams, creating an inclusive and collaborative learning culture which values diversity and encourages openness, approachability, and sensitivity, including in a matrix management environment with virtual delivery teams.
Desirable
10. Commercially astute with experience of delivering senior stakeholder and organisational priorities.
Experience
Essential
11. Significant and innovative project/programme management experience delivering major change programmes and the complexity of large scale, digitally enabled transformation using project management frameworks and methodology.
12. Extensive senior level experience of leading at a senior level across multi-disciplinary teams, with an extensive track record of implementing and translating strategy into action, developing new approaches and setting a clear and compelling vision, that their teams (direct and indirect teams) can align behind to deliver.
13. Extensive experience of people management within a complex and multi-disciplinary organisation, inspiring and motivating others through the effective management or large or matrix teams to deliver tangible and sustained outcomes in a challenging and high-profile environment.
14. Demonstrable wide-ranging experience in budgetary and financial management and governance processes.
15. Experience of managing major business case process with organisational wide impacts and success in delivering value for money/benchmarking processes and procedures which have delivered tangible results.
16. Significant experience of developing and maintaining performance management structures and delivering operational performance including enforcing project accountability to agreed targets and retaining programme credibility.
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
Essential
17. Skilled in analysing complex problems, formulating options, and using structured decision-making technique to recommend vision, roadmap, and strategy recommendations
18. Ability to translate performance and value for money reports into tangible and accessible delivery and implementation plans
19. Ability to lead in critical situations
Interpersonal Skills
Essential
20. Highly developed communication and exceptional influencing skills with the ability to communicate highly complex information where there may be barriers to understanding and acceptance. This will include strong relationship management skills with the ability to build a powerful network of partnerships and strong collaboration experience within teams and across diverse stakeholder and partner networks.
Other
Essential
21. Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity