Lead LGR Programme Manager

Brighton & Hove City Council; Brighton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Brighton & Hove City Council is seeking a Lead LGR Programme Manager to guide a major Local Government Reorganisation programme. You will lead cross‑service workstreams, coordinate dependencies and ensure readiness for vesting day and subsequent phases, working with partners and senior stakeholders.

The role requires strong programme management, governance and the ability to turn uncertainty into actionable plans, with flexible working arrangements where appropriate.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading large cross‑organisational change programmes.
• Proven ability to turn ambiguity into clear plans, actions and deliverables.
• Strong governance, reporting and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery, due diligence, business case development and transition planning for vesting day and subsequent phases.
• Ensure day‑one requirements are clearly understood and delivered.
• Manage stakeholders; prepare high‑quality reports and updates for governance bodies.
• Collaborate across organisational boundaries, build effective relationships and maintain accountability.
• Deputise for the Programme Director at meetings, workshops and governance forums.

Skills

Programme leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance

Programme management

Change management

Job description

Do you enjoy leading complex programmes that make a real difference to residents, services and places?

Can you bring structure, pace and clarity to significant organisational change?

Are you keen at bringing clarity to ambiguity, attention to detail and working collaboratively across services, partners and senior stakeholders?

If so, you could thrive in our Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme.

As we prepare for one of the most significant changes to local government in a generation, this is a unique opportunity to join our programme leadership team and help shape the future delivery of local public services.

You will support design, planning and delivery of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) p rogramme, providing visible leadership, coordinating corporate workstreams, managing dependencies and ensuring readiness for ke y implementation milestones. You will work with colleagues across councils, services, professional disciplines and partner organisations to develop practical, evidence-based proposals that support safe and legal transition, service continuity and future transformation.

You will have a key role in strengthening programme governance, maintaining and designing clear plans and reporting arrangements, identifying and escalating risks and issues. You will ensure that workstreams are supported to deliver at the required pace and standard.

Contract type: This role is offered on a fixed-term contract or internal secondment basis until July 2028.

Interview date: TBC

Please contact Michael Appleford, Programme Director Local Government Reorganisation and Civic Services at [e-mail] if you would like an informal discussion about the role.

About the role

At Brighton & Hove City Council, we are delivering an ambitious LGR proposal alongside our transformation programmes. We are looking for a dedicated, highly resilient and collaborative programme leader to help us manage a very complex and high-profile portfolio of work during a period of significant change.

Working closely with the Programme Director, senior officers, Members, service leads, professional leads and partner authorities you will bring effective organisational, programme management and problem-solving skills. You will be confident working in a complex political and partnership environment, able to provide constructive challenge - and capable of turning uncertainty into clear plans, actions and deliverables.

As Lead LGR Programme Manager you will:

• lead and support programme and project activity including discovery, due diligence, options appraisal, business case development, operating model testing, transition planning and readiness activity for vesting day and subsequent phases.
• ensure that day one requirements are clearly understood and delivered - while identifying opportunities for longer-term transformation.
• have strong stakeholder management, sound judgement and the ability to prepare and present high-quality reports, briefings, options papers and progress updates for programme boards, senior officers, Members, committees and other governance forums.
• be expected to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries, build effective and inclusive relationships, support shared ownership and maintain clear lines of accountability.
• Deputise for the Programme Director Local Government Reorganisation and Civic Services at meetings, workshops and governance forums.

In return, we offer the opportunity to lead high-profile LGR workstreams, influence the future design and delivery of local public services, and benefit from flexible working arrangements where operationally appropriate.

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

Why work for us?

• be connected
• be confident
• be innovative and creative
• be diverse and inclusive
• be healthy and psychologically safe

For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us which gives details of our wellbeing support, our benefits including leave and pensions as well as details of our training and development.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.