Programme Director - Central Government

Spinwell Global; Corsham; Hybrid; GBP 193,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Spinwell Global Limited is seeking a Programme Director for a 12-month contract, hybrid in Corsham with 3 days on site. Inside IR35, daily pay £1,211 via intermediary. SC and Sole UK National clearance required.

The role covers strategic leadership, governance, commercial strategy, and service transformation across Defence-related programmes. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams, manage complex portfolios, and drive benefits realisation while ensuring governance and security

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading large, complex programmes or transformation initiatives.
• Experience establishing governance, controls and delivery frameworks.
• Experience managing senior stakeholder relationships across government/defence.
• Experience delivering communications, digital, technology or infrastructure programmes.
• Strong leadership with high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible strategic leadership across the programme and delivery outcomes.
• Design and maintain governance, controls and assurance arrangements.
• Lead development and maintenance of programme business cases and benefits.
• Support commercial strategy and procurement activities for the programme.
• Oversee technical delivery, architecture alignment and service management.
• Manage RAIDO risks and ensure timely, governance-driven resolution.

Skills

Leadership

Governance frameworks

Stakeholder management

Programme delivery

Risk management RAIDO

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

APM Chartered Professional

PRINCE2 Practitioner

MSP Practitioner

MoR Practitioner

P3O Practitioner

Education

APM Chartered Project Professional

PRINCE2 Practitioner

MSP Practitioner

MoR Practitioner

P3O Practitioner

Job description

Role: Programme Director REF 107572
Contract Length: 12 months - potential to extend
Location: Hybrid/Corsham - 3 days per week on site
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: 1211 per day
Security Clearance: SC and Sole UK National requested

About the Role

Spinwell is recruiting for a Programme Director an excellent opportunity within the public sector.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide visible leadership across the Programme, establishing clear direction, priorities and delivery outcomes.
• Develop and maintain the programme delivery strategy, ensuring alignment with Defence Digital, Fixed Connectivity and wider Defence transformation objectives.
• Maintain oversight of the landscape, ensuring delivery activity remains coherent, integrated and aligned to strategic outcomes.
• Act as a senior representative and champion for client, promoting programme objectives across Defence and industry stakeholders.

Programme Governance and Delivery

• Design, implement and maintain effective programme governance, controls and assurance arrangements.
• Establish decision-making frameworks, stage gates and stop/go decision points to support effective programme oversight.
• Scope, initiate and oversee projects and workstreams within the client portfolio, ensuring clear delivery accountability.
• Manage transition between programme phases and support the movement of mature capabilities into business-as-usual governance and service management arrangements.
• Ensure robust programme reporting is established, providing timely and accurate information to senior leadership forums.

Business Case and Benefits Management

• Lead the development and maintenance of programme business cases, ensuring continued alignment with strategic objectives.
• Support the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) in delivering approved business outcomes and programme benefits.
• Ensure benefits realisation frameworks are established and monitored throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Identify issues affecting programme viability and provide recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Commercial Leadership

• Support development of the programme’s commercial strategy and associated procurement activities.
• Work closely with Commercial and Finance teams to ensure procurement activity supports programme outcomes and represents value for money.
• Oversee requirements management and supplier engagement activities to ensure contractual outcomes remain aligned to Defence needs.
• Manage commercial dependencies and support resolution of delivery, performance and contractual issues.

Technical and Service Transformation

• Provide strategic oversight of programme technical delivery, working closely with technical authorities, architects and service owners.
• Ensure programme solutions align with Defence architecture, interoperability, cyber security and service management requirements.
• Support the development of future communications and connectivity capabilities to meet operational and business needs.
• Oversee the integration of programme deliverables into enduring service environments.

Risk and Assurance

• Lead management of programme Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies and Opportunities (RAIDO).
• Ensure appropriate mitigations, controls and assurance activities are implemented.
• Escalate significant risks and issues where required and drive timely resolution through stakeholder engagement and governance routes.
• Ensure compliance with Defence governance, security and assurance requirements.

Stakeholder Leadership

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior Defence stakeholders, programme boards, project teams, users and industry partners.
• Lead engagement and communications activity across programme stakeholders.
• Build alignment across technical, commercial, operational and delivery communities.
• Provide authoritative advice and briefing material to senior decision-makers.

People Leadership

• Provide leadership, direction and support to programme and project teams.
• Create a collaborative, high-performing culture focused on delivery, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure programme resources are effectively organised and deployed to meet delivery priorities.
• Support development of programme delivery capability and professional standards across the team.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Significant experience leading large, complex programmes, portfolios or major transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrable experience establishing governance, controls and delivery frameworks within complex organisational environments.
• Experience managing senior stakeholder relationships across government, defence or similarly complex organisations.
• Experience delivering communications, digital, technology or infrastructure programmes.
• Strong understanding of programme and project management disciplines, including business case development, benefits management, governance and assurance.
• Experience managing commercial, procurement and supplier delivery activities.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to build high-performing teams and establish collaborative working relationships.
• Ability to operate effectively within complex, ambiguous and evolving delivery environments.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Association of Project Management (APM) Chartered Project Professional
• Government Accredited Project Delivery Practitioner (or above)
• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner or Advanced Practitioner
• APM Practitioner Qualification
• Management of Risk (MoR) Practitioner
• Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) Practitioner

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience working within Defence, Government or National Security environments.
• Understanding of service management, enterprise architecture and systems integration principles.
• Experience managing programmes involving multiple suppliers and delivery partners.
• Knowledge of Defence governance and investment approval processes

Disability Confident Scheme

The client supports the Disability Confident Scheme and is committed to providing fair and inclusive recruitment opportunities. Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role may be eligible for an interview under the scheme. Where application volumes are particularly high, the client may shortlist those candidates who best meet the role requirements.

Armed Forces Covenant

The client supports the Armed Forces Covenant and is committed to helping veterans and military spouses or partners access employment opportunities. Eligible veterans and spouses or partners of Armed Forces personnel who meet the minimum essential criteria may qualify for an interview under the client’s applicable recruitment scheme. Where application volumes are particularly high, shortlisting may be necessary.

Reasonable Adjustments

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, or would prefer an alternative or more accessible method of communication, please let us know. We will work with you and the client to accommodate your needs wherever reasonably possible.

Candidate Privacy Notice

By applying for this vacancy, you acknowledge that Spinwell Global Limited will process your personal information for recruitment purposes and may contact you about other suitable opportunities. Your details may be retained for up to 24 months from your last meaningful interaction with us, in accordance with our Recruitment & Website Privacy Notice, available at www.spinwellglobal.com .