Principal Consultant - Programme Advisory

AtkinsRéalis; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Flexible holiday allowances

Extensive training and professional development opportunities

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis is seeking experienced advisors for their Programme Advisory team in Birmingham. You will provide expert insights and lead major infrastructure transformations, working in a collaborative setting that values your unique contributions. Those with around ten years of experience and strong stakeholder management skills are encouraged to apply.

The role offers competitive salaries, extensive training, and a flexible working culture to support both professional and personal growth.

Qualifications

• Around ten years of experience in major programmes across consultancy and infrastructure.
• Experience in leading PMO, transformation, and strategy initiatives.
• Ability to deliver high-quality outcomes confidently.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice to clients and support programme development.
• Lead organisational change initiatives and deliver transformational projects.
• Conduct maturity assessments and provide clear insights.

Skills

Expert advice and insight

Strong analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Technical excellence

Leadership

Proactive approach

Education

Professional certifications (APM PMQ/PPQ/ChPP, MoP, MSP, PRINCE2)

Job description

Overview

Our Programme Advisory team works with some of the largest and most complex infrastructure programmes in the UK, supporting sectors such as Nuclear, Aviation, Defence, Water, Transportation, Power, and Renewables. We are currently embedded in major UK programmes, including Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, High Speed 2, TRU, and Thames Water. Our clients face increasing pressure to drive productivity, improve performance, and reduce costs. We help them create the structures, processes, technology, and behaviours needed to turn their vision of a more streamlined operation into reality. We pride ourselves on a collaborative approach, empowering our clients with trusted partnerships to solve complex challenges and position them for future success.

Your role

As part of the Programme Advisory team you will be part of a genuinely collaborative environment where everyone is supported to maximise their talents. Your work will involve providing expert advice to clients, supporting programme development, leading organisational change initiatives, and playing a pivotal role in helping us achieve ambitious growth objectives.

Are You Someone Who?

• Thrives in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment and is driven to make a real impact.
• Is passionate about contributing to transformational change across major infrastructure sectors.
• Enjoys solving complex challenges and delivering innovative solutions.
• Is motivated by working within multidisciplinary teams across different client environments.
• If you answered "yes" to these questions, this role could be an excellent fit for you.
• This is a unique opportunity to work alongside some of the most experienced teams in the global AtkinsRéalis business, across a wide variety of programmes. You will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve our ambitious growth objectives while also developing your career and advancing your personal growth journey.
• We are seeking enthusiastic individuals to support our three core capability pillars:
• Technical Leadership: Acting as subject matter experts, providing expert advice and insight to clients across infrastructure sectors.
• Operational Leadership: Supporting the development and growth of future AtkinsRéalis teams, prioritising welfare, talent retention and professional development.
• Win Work Leadership: Advocating our capabilities to clients, helping to expand our portfolio and secure new projects.

About You

• Bringing around ten years of experience in major programmes across consultancy and complex infrastructure, with expertise in Target Operating Models, organisational change, and maturity assessment. Experience leading PMO, transformation, and strategy initiatives, working confidently with senior stakeholders and guiding teams to deliver high‑quality outcomes.
• Programme Lifecycle: Will contribute across the full programme lifecycle, leading mobilisation and delivery of major transformational projects and PMOs.
• Target Operating Model: Design and refine Target Operating Models that align structure, processes, governance, technology and capabilities to strategic objectives.
• Maturity Assessments: Conduct robust maturity assessments across PMO, programme delivery, governance and organisational capability domains, producing clear, evidence‑based insights and recommendations.
• Organisational Change: Plan and deliver organisational change interventions to support smooth transition, assessing change impacts and developing targeted strategies for adoption and communication.
• Process Mapping: Develop and document best practices, processes and guidance for programme teams and PMOs, such as creating PMO handbooks and similar resources.
• Strategic Advisory: Provide strategic advice on business transformations, organisational design, portfolio management and improving programme efficiencies to deliver superior performance.
• Stakeholder Management: Lead commissions and build strong relationships with key stakeholders, tailoring communications to specific audiences and facilitating effective workshops (in‑person, virtual or hybrid).
• Analytical Skills: Apply strong analytical thinking to collect, organise and analyse significant amounts of data, ensuring the accurate delivery of insights and recommendations.
• Proactive Approach: Take initiative in delivering high‑quality advice and solutions in dynamic, complex, and often ambiguous environments.
• Driving Change: Lead change initiatives, driving tangible results in fast‑evolving environments.
• Technical Excellence: Leverage your area of expertise to deliver exceptional service to our clients, ensuring that both clients and internal teams benefit from your technical knowledge and insights.
• Business Development: Use client‑management skills to enhance AtkinsRéalis brand position and build deep connections with current and future clients.
• Leadership: Contribute to the ongoing success of our practice by working with junior members of the team on their professional development and programme advisory skillset.
• Professional Certifications: Ideally, you hold or are working towards certifications such as APM PMQ/PPQ/ChPP, MoP, MSP or PRINCE2, or similar qualifications.

Rewards & Benefits

Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards, and a range of benefits that can be tailored to suit your health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Benefit from extensive training and professional development opportunities, a hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and personal life.

Security Clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of five years or longer. We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels they belong – a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.