Program Manager

Lorien; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A strategic consulting firm in Manchester is seeking a senior individual contributor to lead a portfolio of strategic initiatives. The role focuses on program governance and requires significant experience in delivering multi-workstream projects. Candidates should have over 10 years of experience and a strong track record in interfacing with senior leadership teams. Qualifications include a relevant degree and certifications like PMP or PRINCE2. This position is exclusive to individuals with full UK right to work status and living within commuting distance of Manchester.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in program/project portfolio delivery with 5+ years in cross-functional programs.
• Proven track record of delivering internal initiatives and operating effectively with SLT.
• Demonstrated governance leadership and managing PMO/portfolio controls.

Responsibilities

• End to end ownership of multiple internal strategic programmes.
• Driving accountability at senior leadership level.
• Establishing programme governance and clear executive-level communication.

Skills

Program/project portfolio delivery

Governance leadership

Cross-functional execution

Executive communication

Education

Degree in Business, Engineering, or related

Tools

PMP

PRINCE2 Practitioner

Agile credentials

Job description

Lead a portfolio of internal, strategically critical initiatives!

This is a senior, highly visible individual contributor role, reporting directly into the Senior Leadership Team, with strong governance, delivery and senior stakeholder accountability expectations.

This is an internal delivery and governance position rather than an interim transformation leadership role.

Responsibilities

• End to end ownership of multiple internal strategic programmes
• Driving cross functional execution and accountability at senior leadership level
• Establishing and maintaining robust programme governance (reporting, RAID, controls, success metrics)
• Clear, executive level communication to SLT
• Advisory input into PMO design and evolution

Requirements

• 10+ years in program/project portfolio delivery, with 5+ years running multi‑workstream, cross‑functional programs.
• Proven track record delivering internal, strategically critical initiatives (e.g., operating model changes, org readiness, risk/control uplift, enterprise tooling rollouts, cost-out/value creation programs).
• Experience reporting into or working directly with SLT/Exec and operating effectively in high‑stakes, ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrated governance leadership: designing and running PMO/portfolio controls, executive reporting, RAID, dependency & scope management, change control, and stage gates.
• Strong matrix leadership of senior stakeholders (Director/VP level) and cross‑functional squads without direct line authority.
• Comfortable switching between hands‑on delivery (plans, RAID, comms) and executive-level synthesis (concise options, recommendations, decision framing).
• Degree in Business, Engineering, or related.
• PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, MoP (Management of Portfolios), MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), or PgMP welcomed.
• Agile credentials (e.g., SAFe SPC/PMPO, A-CSM) helpful when interfacing with product/engineering.
• Lean/Six Sigma (for process/value stream efforts) is a plus.

Please note that this role is only open to people living within a reasonable commutable distance of Manchester, and those who have full UK right to work status.