Innovation Program Lead

Dwr Cymru Cyf; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Dŵr Cymru Cyf is seeking an Innovation Project Manager to oversee complex innovation and business improvement workstreams. You will manage cross‑functional teams with suppliers and partners, ensuring delivery within scope, time and cost while meeting governance and regulatory commitments.

You will apply waterfall, agile or hybrid methods, control budgets, track ROI, and prepare governance papers for senior stakeholders to support benefits realisation and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Project management qualification or equivalent experience managing projects in a governed delivery environment.
• Experience leading matrix delivery across teams, suppliers, partners and enabling services, securing resources, maintaining resource plans and aligning milestones, budgets, risks, dependencies and outcomes to one shared objective.
• Experience working across waterfall, agile or hybrid delivery frameworks and applying project standards, controls and consistent ways of working.
• Experience leading approved pilots, trials, proofs of concept, implementation or embedment, using evidence, success criteria, risk controls and operational constraints to inform delivery decisions.
• Experience supporting high-impact or high-risk delivery stages or workstreams aligned to business strategy, regulatory commitments or investment outcomes.
• Experience planning testing, user validation, acceptance criteria, readiness checks, business change, training, live service or BAU transition, handover to named owners, adoption measures and benefits.
• Ability to manage risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, budgets, resources, supplier performance and delivery constraints, recommending options and escalation routes.
• Ability to assess and present evidence, learning, benefits, customer and operational impact, ROI, service readiness and residual risks to support senior decisions.
• Experience in regulated, operational, utility, customer service, digital or transformation environments with substantial customer, service, financial, regulatory or operational impact.
• Experience using project tools, Microsoft 365, dashboards or portfolio systems to manage delivery, budgets, assurance, actions, risks, senior governance papers, exception reports and lessons learnt.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of assigned workstreams within complex innovation and business improvement projects, ensuring outcomes within scope, time, cost, quality, risk and governance.
• Manage delivery plans, requirements, budgets, forecasts, benefits, ROI tracking, governance controls and delivery documentation.
• Maintain project controls including RAID logs, milestones, change control, reporting and approvals.
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams, suppliers and partners, coordinating resources and ensuring responsibilities are understood.
• Apply appropriate delivery methodologies (waterfall, agile, hybrid) for effective delivery.
• Control budgets, forecasts and spend, reporting variances and ensuring value for money and benefits realisation.
• Manage supplier and partner performance, resolving issues while meeting costs, quality and timescales.
• Coordinate assurance activities, testing, acceptance, user validation and service readiness for successful handover.
• Support pilots, proofs of concept, trials, adoption and change activities with defined benefits and risks.
• Prepare and present governance papers to senior stakeholders using evidence and performance data.

Skills

Project management

Governed delivery

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Budget management

Waterfall/Agile/Hybrid

Stakeholder reporting

Tools

Microsoft 365

Dashboards

Portfolio systems

Job description

Dŵr Cymru Cyf is seeking an Innovation Project Manager to oversee complex innovation and business improvement workstreams. You will manage cross‑functional teams with suppliers and partners, ensuring delivery within scope, time and cost while meeting governance and regulatory commitments.

You will apply waterfall, agile or hybrid methods, control budgets, track ROI, and prepare governance papers for senior stakeholders to support benefits realisation and continuous improvement.