Programme Manager

Surrey County Council; Reigate; Hybrid; GBP 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority council seeks a Programme Manager to lead the delivery of education services as part of the organisation's transformation efforts. The position is hybrid with a minimum of two office days weekly. Responsibilities include stakeholder engagement and program management, aiding the transition of services to new authorities. The starting salary is £61,784 per annum, with a fixed-term contract until March 2027. Benefits include a generous pension and additional leave options.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, increasing with service

Generous pension plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing complex programmes.
• Ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with schools is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead role in delivering education services and implementing D&LGR.
• Work with stakeholders to evaluate future operating models.
• Manage programme artefacts, including risk and dependency management.

Skills

Programme management experience

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Problem-solving

Job description

• Category: Transformation and Change Management
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 2 December 2025
• Directorate: Resources
• Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8EF

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce.This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £61,784 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed-term contract / secondment opportunity until March 2027.

We are excited to be recruiting a Programme Manager to join our fantastic team. The office base can be Woking or Woodhatch, with the requirement to attend meetings at other council offices. We offer a hybrid working model with a minimum of two office days per week.

As the Programme Manager, you will play a lead role working across the whole organisation in developing and evaluating options for the successful delivery of education services to support the implementation of D&LGR.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part time staff)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About the Role

As the Programme Manager for the education work package, you will act as the conduit between internal teams who have education elements within their services to develop the organisational approach and lead thinking around how we transition these services to the two new authorities. You will work with a range of stakeholders to support services to evaluate and articulate future operating models. You will work with schools and settings through multiple engagement forums to communicate key messages around the transition of services to the new authorities, as well as listening to feedback and concerns around LGR.

Initial work in this area is already underway, with several discovery activities completed to help accelerate progress. The successful candidate will receive a comprehensive handover of all work completed to date.

This role will be responsible for development, maintenance and management of programme artefacts associated with the education work package, which includes risk registers, programme plans and dependency management plans. You will lead the two Education Working Groups that have already been established, one with schools and another with internal SCC stakeholders, ensuring timely development of materials, progression of actions and development of forward plans which should be aligned to the outputs of the work package.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align withour behaviours:

• Extensive programme management experience, including managing complex programmes across internal and external stakeholders and delivering outcomes within agreed timescales
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders effectively
• Experience working with schools and educational settings is advantageous but not essential if other criteria are met
• Proven ability to build understanding and collaborate with services to deliver effective solutions and manage dependencies
• Strong experience in writing and presenting to senior stakeholders, with the ability to distil complex information into clear, concise detail to support decision-making
• Excellent analytical and evaluative skills, capable of applying sound judgement and delivering practical, creative solutions

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

• Describe a time when you managed a complex, multi-stakeholder programme in the education sector or a similar environment. How did you ensure alignment between different organisations and maintain stakeholder confidence throughout the process?
• What approach would you take to identify and mitigate risks in a large-scale education programme during a period of organisational change? Please provide an example of how you have successfully managed risk and change in previous roles.
• How would you ensure that programme governance, reporting, and compliance requirements are met while maintaining momentum on delivery? Share an example of how you balanced governance with operational delivery in a previous programme.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on the 15th December 2025 with interviews planned for the 18th and 19th December 2025.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.