Programme Manager

Thames Water Ltd; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Thames Water Ltd is seeking a Digital Programme Manager to lead large-scale digital and business change programmes. You will work with senior stakeholders, digital leadership, engineering and product teams to define scope, budgets and governance that deliver customer and environmental value.

You will manage risks, dependencies and teams across internal and external partners, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery with strong governance and clear reporting to executives.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering complex Cyber Security programmes or major projects in a large enterprise.
• Strong cyber risk management and ability to translate risks into business decisions.
• Experience with Identity & Access Management, Infrastructure Security, Security Operations, Vulnerability Management and Data Protection.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage delivery of significant Digital and business change programmes or portfolios.
• Define programme scope, delivery plans, budgets, milestones, resources, dependencies and outcomes.
• Collaborate with Executive Director level stakeholders to set objectives, priorities and expectations.
• Establish and manage programme governance covering cost, schedule, resources, RAID, dependencies, risks, issues and decisions.
• Coordinate internal and external resources to ensure successful delivery of programme objectives.
• Identify and manage risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies; escalate to senior leadership when needed.
• Manage programme budgets up to £10m per annum with forecasting and cost control.
• Oversee change across scope, time, cost, resources and quality with proper governance.
• Coordinate technology solution assessments to align with business outcomes, strategy and security.
• Oversee procurement activities including RFI and RFQ, and supplier selection and governance.
• Manage supplier relationships across the delivery lifecycle to meet time, cost, quality and performance targets.
• Forecast resource requirements including internal Digital resources and external partners.
• Provide timely programme reporting to senior leadership on progress, finances, risks and decisions.

Skills

Programme delivery

Cyber security

Stakeholder management

Governance

Risk management

Vendor management

Agile/Waterfall/hybrid

Tools

RFI/RFQ processes

Job description

As a Digital Programme Manager, you will play a key role within Thames Water’s Digital and Technology function, leading the delivery of significant digital and business change programmes across a complex organisational and technology environment. Working closely with senior business stakeholders, Digital leadership, engineering teams, product teams, suppliers, and delivery partners, you will ensure programmes are effectively planned, governed, and delivered to achieve strategic business outcomes.

This role contributes to Thames Water’s digital transformation objectives by defining programme scope, benefits, budgets, delivery plans, and governance structures that enable impactful change for customers, communities, and the environment. You will provide strong leadership across multidisciplinary teams, manage complex dependencies and risks, and ensure programmes are delivered to agreed standards of time, quality, cost, and business value.

What you’ll be doing as a Digital Programme Manager

- Lead and manage the delivery of significant Digital and business change programmes and/or portfolios of projects across Thames Water.

- Define and baseline programme scope, delivery plans, budgets, milestones, resources, dependencies, and business outcomes.

- Work closely with senior stakeholders, including Executive Director level, to establish clear programme objectives, benefits, priorities, and delivery expectations.

- Establish and manage effective programme governance structures covering cost, schedule, resources, RAID, dependencies, risks, issues, and decision-making.

- Lead programme delivery teams and coordinate internal and external resources to ensure successful delivery of programme objectives.

- Identify, assess, manage, and mitigate programme risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies, escalating matters appropriately to senior leadership.

- Manage programme budgets of up to £10m per annum, ensuring effective financial control, forecasting, reporting, cost management, and delivery within agreed tolerances.

- Manage programme change across scope, time, cost, resources, and quality, ensuring appropriate governance and escalation where required.

- Coordinate technology solution assessments where required, ensuring proposed solutions align with business outcomes, technology strategy, architecture, security, and operational requirements.

- Oversee and support commercial and procurement activities, including RFI and RFQ processes, supplier selection, contract negotiations, and commercial governance.

- Manage supplier relationships across the full delivery lifecycle, ensuring suppliers deliver against agreed expectations for time, cost, quality, and performance.

- Identify and forecast programme resource requirements, including internal Digital resources and external delivery partners.

- Provide clear and timely programme reporting to senior leadership, including progress, financial performance, risks, issues, dependencies, benefits, and key decisions.

- Build and maintain strong relationships with business and technology stakeholders, ensuring effective communication, engagement, and alignment throughout programme delivery.

Base location – Hybrid - Reading (STW) - RG2 0RP

Working pattern – 36 hours Monday to Friday.

What you should bring to the role

- Experience delivering complex Cyber Security programmes or major projects within a large enterprise environment.

- Strong understanding of cyber risk management and the ability to translate technical cyber risks into business impacts, priorities and decisions.

- Experience working with Cyber Security teams across areas such as Identity & Access Management, Infrastructure Security, Security Operations, Vulnerability Management and Data Protection.

- Understanding of recognised cyber frameworks and standards such as NIS Regulations, CAF (Cyber Assessment Framework), CIS Controls, ISO 27001 and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

- Experience managing cyber transformation initiatives involving multiple technology and business stakeholders.

- Ability to oversee programmes with significant regulatory, compliance and operational resilience requirements.

- Experience managing third-party suppliers and security partners to deliver cyber outcomes and remediation activities.

- Strong understanding of governance, audit and assurance processes, including managing actions arising from internal audits, external audits and regulatory reviews.

- Strong cyber stakeholder management.

Technical experience and skills

- Strong understanding of Digital and IT programme delivery within complex enterprise environments.

- Experience working with Agile, Product Management, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery methodologies.

- Practical experience of programme governance, RAID management, dependency management, change control, and delivery assurance.

- Experience coordinating technology solution assessments and working with technical architecture, engineering, security, service operations, and product teams.

- Strong understanding of financial management across Digital and technology programmes, including budgets, forecasts, costs, and financial reporting.

- Experience