Programme Manager

JAM Recruitment Ltd; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Annual leave 26–30 days

Generous pension

Performance‑related pay

Health and wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking an experienced Digital Programme Manager in Reading to lead significant cyber security and digital change programmes within its Digital and Technology function. You will partner with senior business stakeholders, engineering squads and external partners to define scope, manage budgets, and deliver outcomes that support customer and environmental goals.

The role demands governance, risk management, and strong leadership across multidisciplinary teams to ensure delivery on

Qualifications

• Experience delivering complex cyber security programmes or major projects in a large enterprise.
• Strong understanding of cyber risk management and translating technical risks into business decisions.
• Experience with cyber security domains such as IAM, Infrastructure Security, SecOps, Vulnerability Management, Data Protection.
• Familiarity with frameworks like NIS, CAF, CIS Controls, ISO27001, NIST CSF.
• Experience managing cyber transformation with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to handle regulatory, compliance and operational resilience requirements.
• Experience managing third‑party suppliers and security partners.

Responsibilities

• Define and baseline programme scope, delivery plans, budgets, milestones, resources, dependencies, and business outcomes.
• Collaborate with Executive Directors to set objectives, benefits, priorities, and delivery expectations.
• Establish and manage programme governance for cost, schedule, RAID, risks and decisions.
• Lead delivery teams and coordinate internal/external resources for objective delivery.
• Identify, assess and mitigate risks, dependencies, and issues, escalating to senior leadership.
• Manage programme budgets up to £10m per annum with forecasting and reporting.
• Governance and change control across scope, time, cost, and quality.

Skills

Programme management

Stakeholder management

Governance

Budget management

Risk management

Cyber security

Vendor management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Degree in IT/Digital/Business

PRINCE2 Practitioner

Job description

Based in Reading, this full-time Programme Manager position with Pertemps Thames Water offers a competitive salary between £90,000 and £95,000 per annum. You will lead significant digital and business change initiatives within the company’s Technology function, steering complex programmes from inception to completion. Collaborating with senior stakeholders, engineering squads, and external partners, you will define scope, manage budgets, and establish robust governance frameworks. Your leadership ensures strategic outcomes align with Thames Water’s transformation goals, delivering tangible benefits for customers and the environment. This role demands proven expertise in orchestrating multidisciplinary delivery within intricate organisational settings. 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

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 managing third‑party technology suppliers across programme delivery lifecycles.
• Understanding of commercial and procurement processes, including RFI, RFQ, contract negotiation, and supplier performance management.
• Experience working with Digital PMO and Finance functions to ensure effective programme governance and financial control.
• Ability to manage complex programme dependencies across business, technology, operational, and supplier environments.
• Experience developing delivery capability through coaching, mentoring, recruitment, insourcing, and skills development.

Desirable qualifications and experience

• Experience working within utilities, public sector, regulated industries, or other complex operational environments.
• Degree qualified in Information Technology, Digital, Business, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience delivering large‑scale Cyber transformation programmes within complex or regulated organisations.
• Experience working within matrix organisations involving multiple business and technology functions.
• Experience managing Cyber programmes involving significant organisational, technology, and business change.

Desirable technical skills and qualifications

• PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent programme/project management qualification.
• Strong understanding of modern Digital and technology delivery practices and transformation approaches.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary between £90,000 and £95,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• £5,800 Car Allowance.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come. Learn more about our purpose and values.

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits. If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet. Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family.

Why choose us?

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know; we’re here to support and help. When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.