Delivery Lead - Central

Dorset Council; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Council is seeking an experienced Delivery Lead for Central to drive organisation-wide transformation across multiple directorates. You’ll enable change, champion product thinking and agile delivery, and partner with leaders to realise measurable outcomes for residents and staff.

In this fast-paced role, you’ll shape the future operating model, build capability, and ensure programmes deliver value early and often while managing governance, risks and benefits across a modern,

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading large-scale transformation across complex organisations.
• Experience delivering organisation-wide change using agile, iterative, product-led approaches.
• Strong understanding of product management, service design and digital transformation.
• Proven ability to design operating models and modern ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse portfolio of transformation and digital initiatives that support Dorset Council's priorities.
• Drive delivery through agile, iterative and product-led approaches ensuring testing, learning and value delivery.
• Distribute governance and manage risks, dependencies and benefits realisation across programmes.
• Oversee implementation of digital technologies and new ways of working to improve customer and employee experience.
• Provide strategic leadership and challenge to senior stakeholders across the council and partners.

Skills

Transformation leadership

Agile delivery

Product thinking

Stakeholder management

Change management

Job description

About the role

Help design the future of Dorset Council.

Few transformation roles offer the opportunity to shape organisation-wide change at this scale. As Delivery Lead for Central, you'll enable and drive some of the council's most significant transformation opportunities, helping create a modern, sustainable, unitary council. Working at the heart of our Transformation Management Office, you'll drive the design and delivery of changes with service leads, that improve how we work, how we serve residents and how we make the best use of digital, data and technology.

At Dorset Council, we're delivering an ambitious programme of transformation that is reshaping how we support communities, deliver services and operate as a modern, sustainable unitary council. We're looking for an experienced and inspirational leader who can turn strategic ambition into practical delivery, bringing together people, technology and innovation to create lasting change.

This role is different from traditional programme delivery. We believe the best transformation happens through continuous improvement, not one-off projects. We are looking for someone who can embed a culture of testing, learning, adapting and delivering value early and often. Someone who can help teams move quickly from ideas to action, using agile and product-led approaches to learn what works, improve services and achieve measurable outcomes.

Working across multiple directorates including corporate services, you'll lead enable change spanning organisational redesign, digital transformation, customer experience, workforce modernisation and new ways of working. You'll work alongside senior leaders, elected members, partners and colleagues to create the conditions for innovation, experimentation and continuous improvement at scale.

As a key member of the Transformation Management Office Leadership Team, you'll help shape Dorset Council's future model, champion product thinking and agile delivery, and build organisational capability that enables change to be sustained long after programmes have been delivered.

This is a fast-paced, highly visible leadership role with real influence over the future direction of the council. If you're motivated by solving complex challenges, bringing people together around a shared vision and delivering meaningful outcomes for residents and communities, we'd love to hear from you.

What you will do

• Lead and enable a diverse portfolio of transformation, digital and organisational change initiatives that support Dorset Council's strategic priorities.
• Drive delivery through agile, iterative and product-led approaches, enabling teams to test, learn and adapt as programmes evolve.
• Lead the discovery, design and delivery of cross-council transformation initiatives, ensuring solutions are shaped around user needs, evidence and insight.
• Champion product management, service design and continuous improvement disciplines across transformation activity.
• Create the conditions for experimentation, learning and innovation, helping teams move from ideas to tested solutions quickly and effectively.
• Develop product roadmaps and delivery approaches that balance long-term strategic ambitions with the incremental delivery of value.
• Lead complex transformation programmes, managing governance, resources, risks, dependencies and benefits realisation.
• Oversee the implementation of digital technologies, products and modern ways of working that improve customer and employee experience.
• Use data, insight and feedback to inform decision-making, measure impact and drive continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic leadership, support and challenge to senior stakeholders across the council and partner organisations.
• Lead, support and develop teams of programme, project, product and change professionals, ensuring resources are focused on the highest priorities.
• Build organisational capability in agile delivery, product thinking and change leadership through coaching, mentoring and sharing best practice.
• Work closely with the wider Transformation Management Office Leadership Team to ensure transformation activity is connected, coherent and aligned to Dorset Council's long‑term ambitions.

About you

You'll be an experienced organisational change leader with a proven track record of delivering large-scale change in complex environments.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience leading large-scale transformation across multiple services, organisations or sectors.
• Experience of delivering organisation-wide change through agile, iterative and product-led approaches.
• A strong understanding of product management, service design, organisational development and digital transformation.
• Experience of designing and implementing operating models, organisational structures and modern ways of working.
• A track record of turning strategic ambition into measurable outcomes through incremental delivery and continuous improvement.
• The ability to balance long‑term vision with practical delivery, creating momentum through tangible and achievable change.
• Experience of working in environments that use testing, experimentation and learning to improve outcomes and reduce risk.
• Strong programme leadership skills, including governance, risk management, financial oversight and benefits realisation.
• Experience of building productive relationships and influencing senior leaders, elected members, partners and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and engagement skills, with the ability to align diverse groups around a shared vision.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with a passion for innovation, learning and public service.
• The resilience, curiosity and systems‑thinking mindset needed to navigate complexity and deliver lasting change.

Why join us?

• You'll be joining a progressive Transformation Management Office that is helping Dorset Council rethink how local government works. You'll have the opportunity to influence organisation-wide change, work with talented and committed colleagues, and help build a council that is simpler, smarter, more responsive and better equipped for the future.
• If you're excited by product-led transformation, continuous improvement and delivering meaningful change at scale, we’d love to hear from you.

Further Information

Please contact Nina Coakley, Head of Transformation and Design [e-mail] for more information about the role.

Posts requiring significant travel

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deemsuitable) available for use as needed.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.