Programme Manager

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL; Axminster; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Annual Leave

Pension scheme

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Wokingham Borough Council is recruiting a Programme Manager for SEND Reform & Transformation to drive system-wide change across SEND services, delivering the Local SEND Reform Plan and Priority Action Plan. You will partner with education, health and care leads to secure sustainable improvements for children and families, ensuring timely delivery and robust governance.

You will influence senior stakeholders, manage risks, and champion co-production with young people and carers, while

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex transformation or improvement programmes involving multiple organisations and stakeholders (SEND reform or children's services).
• Experience translating strategy into operational delivery and embedding sustainable change within services.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills with senior leaders and partners across organisational boundaries.
• Ability to drive delivery at pace, manage competing priorities and achieve outcomes in a regulated or externally scrutinised environment.
• Experience of SEND transformation, education improvement, children's services reform or complex public sector change programmes.

Responsibilities

• Delivery of Local SEND Reform Plan and Priority Action Plan with measurable impact.
• Maintain oversight of milestones, risks, dependencies and outcomes across a complex landscape.
• Turn strategic priorities into sustainable operational improvements with partners.
• Lead system-wide collaboration and accountability, challenging partners to meet delivery commitments.
• Champion co-production with children, young people and parent carers to shape reform activity.
• Lead governance, performance and risk management to keep the area inspection-ready.
• Use data and evidence to demonstrate impact and improve services for SEND.

Skills

Transformation leadership

Strategic delivery

Stakeholder management

Delivery at pace

Public sector change

Job description

We have an excellent opportunity for a Programme Manager (SEND Reform & Transformation) to join our SEND and Inclusion Team here at Wokingham Borough Council, on a Full-time, Permanent basis. As Programme Manager, you will drive system-wide change across SEND services, helping to improve outcomes, increase inclusion and enhance the experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families. Working at the heart of our improvement and transformation programme, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring children and young people receive the right support at the right time to achieve their potential. You will lead delivery of the Local SEND Reform Plan and Priority Action Plan, establishing and maintaining detailed delivery plans with clear milestones, ownership, dependencies and RAG status. You'll drive delivery at pace across SEND improvement activity, ensuring robust tracking of progress, early identification of slippage, and direct intervention to unblock barriers and recover delivery. Working closely with Heads of Service, operational leads and partners across education, health and care, you will ensure that programme activity translates into sustainable improvements in frontline practice, service delivery and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

• Delivery of Wokingham's Local SEND Reform Plan and Priority Action Plan, ensuring improvement activity delivers measurable impact for children and young people with SEND.
• Drive programme delivery at pace, maintaining clear oversight of milestones, risks, dependencies and outcomes across a complex partnership landscape.
• Work closely with senior leaders across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector to turn strategic priorities into sustainable operational improvements.
• Lead system-wide collaboration and accountability, providing support and challenge to partners to ensure delivery commitments are achieved.
• Champion co-production with children, young people and parent carers, ensuring their voices shape improvement and reform activity.
• Lead governance, performance and risk management arrangements, ensuring the local area remains inspection ready and focused on continuous improvement.
• Use data, insight and evidence to demonstrate impact, improve services and support better outcomes for children and young people with SEND. We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply. Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.

However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected. We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability. If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage; successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer. Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. We will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually. If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a collaborative, motivated professional with proven experience of leading complex, multi-agency programmes within children's services or a related sector to join our team.

• Proven experience leading complex transformation or improvement programmes involving multiple organisations and stakeholders.
• Experience translating strategy into operational delivery and embedding sustainable change within services.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working with senior leaders and partners across organisational boundaries.
• Ability to drive delivery at pace, manage competing priorities and achieve outcomes in a regulated or externally scrutinised environment.
• Experience of SEND transformation, education improvement, children's services reform or complex public sector change programmes. Wokingham Borough Council has recently been ranked 2nd most productive council in England by the Impower Productivity Index, recognising our strong performance and efficient use of public money.

Our Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside. We're home to a range of high performing schools, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. The borough has a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life.

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it's a fantastic time to join our team.

You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including:

• Generous Annual Leave - 31 days annual leave (rising by 5 days after 5 years of continued local government service), plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• GP Helpline - Available 7 days a week
• Employee Assistance Programme - Including a 24/7 Your Care Helpline
• Free Eye Tests and Flu Vaccines
• Free Onsite Gym - Located at Shute End Offices, Wokingham
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes - Including Car and Cycle to Work schemes
• Local & Lifestyle Discounts - Save on shopping, entertainment, dining out & more
• Move through Menopause Course
• Sports & Social Group Activities - Including running, football, cricket & more
• Learning & Development Opportunities
• Employee Networks And more!