LGR Programme Manager/Director

Lorien; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Lorien is seeking a senior Programme Director to lead Derbyshire's Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) across ten councils, delivering strategic governance, direction, and a shared delivery framework to create two new unitary authorities and ensure smooth transition. The role requires coordinating with Chief Executives’ Group and senior officers for timely, evidence-based decisions.

You will oversee governance, reporting, risk, resourcing and cross‑programme alignment, building strong

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership, coordination, and assurance for Local Government Reorganisation across Derbyshire’s ten councils.
• Work with the Chief Executives’ Group to ensure the overall LGR programme has clear direction, effective governance, agreed priorities and a shared delivery framework.
• Direct the Programmes to create two new Unitary authorities and migrate function from ten existing authorities.
• Maintain a single strategic overview of the overarching Derbyshire LGR programme, including progress, risks, issues, dependencies, decisions, resourcing, and delivery confidence across the creation of both unitary councils.
• Ensure effective reporting to Chief Executives, Leaders and other relevant governance forums, providing clear, timely and evidence-based advice to support decision making.
• Identify and manage cross-cutting issues between the North and South programmes, including matters relating to workforce, finance, governance, legal readiness, ICT, data, assets, communications, service continuity, and organisational design.
• Ensure that programme management arrangements support a safe, lawful, and well-managed transition to the new authorities, with appropriate attention to statutory requirements, democratic governance, financial sustainability, and service continuity.
• Support the development of consistent programme standards, tools, and disciplines across both PMOs, including risk management, dependency tracking, benefits planning, milestone reporting, assurance, and escalation.
• Work with Chief Executives and senior officers to resolve areas of misalignment, duplication, delay, or ambiguity arising from the creation of two new unitary authorities.
• Provide strategic oversight of the central supporting team, ensuring it adds value through coordination, assurance, governance support, programme insight, and high-quality reporting.
• Support effective communication and engagement across the ten councils, helping to ensure consistent messages for employees, Members, partners, Trade Unions, and other stakeholders.
• Build trusted relationships across sovereign councils with different priorities, political leaderships, organisational cultures, and local circumstances.
• Provide constructive challenge and support to senior leaders and programme leads, ensuring that delivery remains focused, realistic, and appropriately risk managed.
• Ensure that workforce, culture, and organisational change considerations are visible within the overall LGR programme and linked appropriately with HR and OD leads across the councils.
• Liaise with Government departments and national bodies as required, ensuring that Derbyshire’s LGR programme can respond to national expectations, guidance, and decision points.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, openness, pace, and shared accountability across the LGR programme.
• Ensure that the overall Derbyshire LGR programme is supported by clear governance, robust assurance, and transparent reporting, providing confidence to Chief Executives, Leaders and Members.

Job description

• Provide strategic leadership, coordination, and assurance for Local Government Reorganisation across Derbyshire’s ten councils.
• Work with the Chief Executives’ Group to ensure the overall LGR programme has clear direction, effective governance, agreed priorities and a shared delivery framework.
• Direct the Programmes to create two new Unitary authorities and migrate function from ten existing authorities.
• Maintain a single strategic overview of the overarching Derbyshire LGR programme, including progress, risks, issues, dependencies, decisions, resourcing, and delivery confidence across the creation of both unitary councils.
• Ensure effective reporting to Chief Executives, Leaders and other relevant governance forums, providing clear, timely and evidence-based advice to support decision making.
• Identify and manage cross-cutting issues between the North and South programmes, including matters relating to workforce, finance, governance, legal readiness, ICT, data, assets, communications, service continuity, and organisational design.
• Ensure that programme management arrangements support a safe, lawful, and well-managed transition to the new authorities, with appropriate attention to statutory requirements, democratic governance, financial sustainability, and service continuity.
• Support the development of consistent programme standards, tools, and disciplines across both PMOs, including risk management, dependency tracking, benefits planning, milestone reporting, assurance, and escalation.
• Work with Chief Executives and senior officers to resolve areas of misalignment, duplication, delay, or ambiguity arising from the creation of two new unitary authorities.
• Provide strategic oversight of the central supporting team, ensuring it adds value through coordination, assurance, governance support, programme insight, and high-quality reporting.
• Support effective communication and engagement across the ten councils, helping to ensure consistent messages for employees, Members, partners, Trade Unions, and other stakeholders.
• Build trusted relationships across sovereign councils with different priorities, political leaderships, organisational cultures, and local circumstances.
• Provide constructive challenge and support to senior leaders and programme leads, ensuring that delivery remains focused, realistic, and appropriately risk managed.
• Ensure that workforce, culture, and organisational change considerations are visible within the overall LGR programme and linked appropriately with HR and OD leads across the councils.
• Liaise with Government departments and national bodies as required, ensuring that Derbyshire’s LGR programme can respond to national expectations, guidance, and decision points.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, openness, pace, and shared accountability across the LGR programme.
• Ensure that the overall Derbyshire LGR programme is supported by clear governance, robust assurance, and transparent reporting, providing confidence to Chief Executives, Leaders and Members.