Head of strategic programmes

Colonial Group; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working patterns

Annual leave and holidays

Wellbeing benefits

Learning & development

Home office allowance

Travel occasionally to hub offices

Job summary

Jisc is delivering a major £300m programme to modernise the UK's research, education, and innovation infrastructure. As Head of Strategic Programmes, you will lead complex transformations, ensuring governance, stakeholder engagement, financial control and realisation of strategic benefits.

You will coordinate multi-workstream activity across technical, operational, and commercial domains. You will drive end-to-end delivery, manage risks, and oversee procurement and contracts while championing

Qualifications

• Senior experience leading large-scale transformation programmes.
• Proven ability to govern, assure, manage risks and budgets across multi-stakeholder environments.
• Track record delivering organisational change and benefits realisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Janet and cyber security transformation programmes from initiation to benefit realisation.
• Drive and support individual projects within the programmes.
• Oversee stakeholder expectations and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Oversee evolution of large-scale network infrastructure with emerging technologies.
• Manage contracts, procurement and supplier performance.
• Identify and manage programme risks, issues and dependencies.
• Ensure robust financial governance and reporting.
• Drive organisational change for network transformation.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance & assurance

Financial management

Change management

Executive engagement

Programme delivery

Risk management

Tools

MSP

PRINCE2

Agile

Job description

The role:

Jisc is undertaking a significant strategic investment programme (circa £300m over four years) to enhance the critical network and cyber security infrastructure and services that support the UK's research, education and innovation sectors.

As Head of Strategic Programmes, you will be responsible for leading the successful delivery of this complex transformation programme, ensuring robust governance, effective stakeholder engagement, strong financial control and the realisation of strategic benefits.

You’ll drive the end-to-end delivery of initiatives that modernise network architecture and technology, improve resilience and service performance, introduce automation and orchestration capabilities, and embed a forward-thinking operating model. In doing so, you’ll help enable the next generation of digital services and capabilities for our customers.

Working closely with colleagues, customers, partners and stakeholders across and beyond Jisc, you’ll build strong relationships, align priorities, and ensure that critical information is communicated effectively throughout the programme lifecycle.

You’ll be accountable for coordinating multiple interconnected workstreams spanning technical, operational, commercial and stakeholder activity. Using your leadership, strategic thinking and programme delivery expertise, you’ll ensure successful outcomes that meet customer needs and support Jisc's long-term strategic ambitions.

What you’ll be doing:

Programme Leadership & Delivery

• Own and deliver the Janet and cyber security transformation programmes from initiation through to benefit realisation, aligning programme phases and milestones with investment plans and strategic priorities.
• Drive and support individual projects within the overarching programmes.

Stakeholder Management

• Manage complex stakeholder expectations and resolve conflicts effectively.

Technical & Network Transformation Oversight

• Oversee the evolution of large-scale network infrastructure ensuring alignment with emerging technologies (e.g. automation, network observability, security improvements).

Commercial & Supplier Management

• Oversee contracts, procurement activities, and supplier performance.

Risk, Governance & Assurance

• Identify and manage programme risks, issues, and dependencies.

Financial Management

• Ensure robust financial governance and reporting.

Change & Transformation

• Drive organisational change associated with network transformation.

What we are looking for:

• Significant experience leading large-scale, strategic transformation programmes.
• A track record of delivering complex programmes involving multiple stakeholders and suppliers.
• Expertise in programme governance, assurance, risk and financial management.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including engagement at executive level.
• Demonstrable experience delivering organisational change and benefits realisation.
• An in-depth understanding of work management methodologies including MSP, PRINCE2 and Agile.
• Current or previously qualified MSP practitioner.

Hybrid working:

Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.

Why work for us?

At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.

Our Guiding Principles:

Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.

Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
• Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
• A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
• Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.

Sponsorship:

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.

No agencies please.

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We have a thorough background screening process that verifies the details you share with us in your CV and your application. Any inaccurate information supplied during the application stages can lead to a job offer being withdrawn.