Programme Manager - Digital Partnerships and Innovation

local.gov.uk; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government association in the UK seeks a Programme Manager for Digital Partnerships and Innovation. This role focuses on driving digital transformation across local councils and involves managing a team, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring the implementation aligns with governmental objectives. Ideal candidates should possess strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills, as well as an in-depth understanding of digital policies impacting the public sector.

Benefits

Annual leave entitlement of 29 days

Flexible and agile working

Professional development courses

24/7 employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of local, regional and central government.
• In-depth understanding of digital policy issues.
• Proven experience in leading complex policy programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the Digital Partnerships programme.
• Manage a portfolio of projects ensuring timely delivery.
• Build and manage stakeholder relationships across sectors.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Communication skills

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Digital collaboration tools

Job description

Location: Westminster or home based.

Office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need. For home-based staff, some occasional travel to London and wider afield is likely required. You’ll be required to participate in an on-call rota for cyber incidents. This will involve an out-of-hours commitment for which a separate allowance is paid.

Fixed term for 12 months

About us

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government.

We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems.

We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to challenges present and emerging, and support improvement across the sector.

We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role.

About the role

Do you have a passion for leveraging digital innovation and cross sectoral partnerships to drive resilience and efficiency within the public sector? Join us and make a tangible, lasting difference. The LGA’s Cyber, Digital and Technology (CDT) Programme helps councils to excel in the digital age. We champion and improve their use of digital technologies and processes, ensuring communities thrive through effective, efficient, ethical, and innovative public services.

We support councils in navigating the complexities of the digital age, empowering them to deliver modern, secure, inclusive and effective services. Our work includes Digital Partnerships and innovation, which drives strategic collaborations and policy development on critical digital issues. This team has particular focus on inclusion, ethics, supply chain security, connectivity and market shaping, and leads the LGA’s AI programme of support for the sector, focused on scaling innovations that work, and supporting councils with responsible deployment.

As the Programme Manager for Digital Partnerships and Innovation, you'll be at the forefront of a critical mission: driving digital transformation across local government. This is your opportunity to directly influence how councils embrace the government's ambitious Blueprint for Digital Government and navigate the complexities of Local Government Reorganisation.

You will lead the Digital Partnerships and Innovation team, a vital part of the LGA’s support for councils. Your goal will be to ensure local government needs and priorities shape the implementation of the Blueprint for Digital Government – particularly focused on ensuring that the supplier market works for local government and the communities they serve, supporting councils with their key role as leaders of local digital inclusion delivery, and leading the LGA’s DDaT communities of practice to support peer learning and collaboration across councils. The team are also responsible for the LGA’s support offer to councils on AI, which has included developing our case study bank, our AI unpacked videos, leading the State of the Sector AI programme, and working closely with i.AI to support a 25 council pilot of the tool Minute. This role will be responsible for responding to sector needs and continually delivering high quality support to councils. Beyond this, you'll contribute to the broader Cyber, Digital and Technology programme, working with a dynamic network of stakeholders to advance our ambitious digital agenda.

Main responsibilities:

1. Lead the development and delivery of the Digital Partnerships and Innovation programme, aligning it with the overall objectives of the LGA’s Business Plan and CDT Programme.
2. Manage and contribute to the delivery of a portfolio of projects, ensuring they are delivered to time, budget, and quality standards.
3. Build and manage a network of stakeholder relationships across Government, industry and councils.
4. Lead research initiatives to support the diagnosis of challenges and barriers to digital transformation in local government.
5. Build and lead communities of practice with senior level officers in local government to drive digital transformation initiatives across the local government sector.
6. Lead, supervise and manage LGA staff to ensure that programmes are delivered effectively and efficiently, commission services and ensure the appropriate level of support and capacity to deliver services on time, within budget and to quality standards.
7. To work directly with councils to identify common challenges and opportunities to contribute to the development of an ambitious support programme.
8. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective programme reporting, demonstrating impact and value for money.
9. Participate in national and regional events to raise awareness of the programme and the LGA Cyber, Digital and Technology support offer.

About you

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

• Strong understanding of local, regional and central government, their roles structures and relationships.
• In-depth understanding of digital policy issues affecting local government and the wider public sector.
• Proven experience in leading complex policy or improvement programmes in a political or public sector environment.
• Strong track record of stakeholder engagement and partnership working at a senior level.
• Experience programme management, including managing staff or mentoring junior colleagues
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and their implications for public service delivery.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and develop clear policy positions.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a commitment to staff development and collaborative working
• Political sensitivity, and the ability to exercise appropriate discretion and judgement on issues of significance and importance, and when dealing with politicians and officials
• Proven credibility with politicians, senior managers, key stakeholders and staff
• Able to work comfortably in policy areas relating to information security, digital services, data and technology, not requiring technical expertise
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to deliver under pressure, prioritising work against competing demands to meet deadlines
• Confident, with excellent people skills, able to develop positive internal and external relationships; strong team player able to build alliances and lead from within
• Strong analytical skills including the ability to interpret evidence and identify trends Intellectually agile and innovative, capable of translating ideas into policy and practice
• High level awareness of media and presentational issues, and ability to work with politicians and media professionals to shape and project credible public positions
• Demonstrable skills in leadership of project teams consisting of a diverse range of participants with a variety of skills/backgrounds
• Commitment to personal and professional development
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital collaboration tools

You must have the right to work in the UK, the LGA are unfortunately unable to offer sponsorship visas. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria for the role before the closing date.

We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria:

Proven credibility with politicians, senior managers, key stakeholders and staff

Strong understanding of local, regional and central government, their roles structures and relationships.

In-depth understanding of digital policy issues affecting local government and the wider public sector.

Proven experience in leading complex policy or improvement programmes in a political or public sector environment.

Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and develop clear policy positions.

Strong leadership and team management skills, with a commitment to staff development and collaborative working

Programme Manager - Digital Partnerships and Innovation- Job Description

Closing Date: 5pm, 30 September 2025

Interview Date: TBC, Interviews will be virtual

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

In recognition of the summer period and to support future organisational design, we are adopting a new approach to recruitment. All LGA roles will be advertised internally for one week prior to being advertised externally and internally, providing colleagues with the opportunity to engage with roles ahead of wider publication. Should you require additional time to submit an application due to annual leave or other commitments, please contact the recruitment inbox so that appropriate arrangements can be considered.

We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates’ identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates’ applications which includes names.

At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.

The LGA are proud to be awarded a “Disability Confident Leader”. Please contact us via for assistance with reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

Our benefits

• LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years’ service and to 33 days after five years’ service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).
• Flexible & agile working – office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.
• Future development – face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals
• The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.
• Family friendly policies

For more of LGA’s benefits and working with us, please view our webpage

Our values & behaviours

• Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.
• Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.
• Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.
• Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.

Our values are:

Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.

Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.

Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.

Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.