Programme Manager - Local Government Reorganisation

Essex County Council; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Chelmsford is looking for an experienced Programme Manager to lead a complex, strategic programme aimed at redefining service organization and decision-making. This temporary position until March 2026 involves managing multiple projects, stakeholder engagement, and the development of business cases. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical and leadership skills, with experience in local government and a proven track record of implementing significant change initiatives.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Programme Manager in local government is essential.
• Proven ability to implement major change initiatives within large organizations.
• Experience in navigating political environments and managing complex stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a complex programme with multiple projects.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop compelling business cases.
• Oversee risk and issue management within the programme.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Change Management

Analytical Skills

Communication

Education

APM Practitioner or MSP Practitioner Accreditation

Job description

Please note that this is a temporary opportunity until the end of March 2026 with possibility of extension. This is not incremental improvement; it is a fundamental re-imagining of how services are organised and how decisions are made across Essex. Working on a programme of this scale demands exceptional skills, strong strategic and operational thinking, along with exceptional programme delivery, planning, reporting and confident leadership. The ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments, and the resilience to deliver clarity and momentum in an evolving landscape. You will need to bring sharp analytical capability, excellent communication, political awareness, and the adaptability to operate in a fast-moving, high-profile environment. If you want to join Essex County Council at a pivotal moment, working on a bold, high-profile, and complex programme and play a key role in work that will define the future of local government in Essex, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact. As an experienced Programme Manager, you will be accountable for shaping and delivering a programme of work which is cross cutting and has a high level of complexity, you will create multiple projects and manage the associated business change activities to evidence a significant contribution to the delivery of the Council's Strategic aims and management of financial pressures. You will build compelling business cases to drive change, establishing appropriate programme governance and assurance, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues and ensuring the business can accommodate the change. As an experienced and exemplary leader, with professional credibility gained from working within a programme management environment, you will be influential in delivering change that supports best practice and the delivery of the Council's strategic objectives. Accountabilities

• Works collaboratively with service areas and partners supporting the development of compelling business cases.
• Builds effective stakeholder and partner relationships at senior level, which are influential and elicit support at senior level.
• Accountable for leading teams of people, to build professionalism and expertise through development activities.
• Accountable for developing and delivering a resourcing plan, including management of programme budget, for complex & large-scale programmes to ensure delivery of outcomes.
• Responsible for overseeing risk and issue management, ensures mitigations are in place to address issues between elements of the programme, resolving these through negotiated agreement or escalating.
• Works collaboratively with customers to agree quantified realisable benefits and metrics to monitor impact. Designing and actively managing the programme plan, ensuring outcomes are achieved.
• Accountable for maintaining the overall integrity and coherence of programme & governance framework to support each project. Plan programme assurance activities and manage dependencies within the programme and across other activities in the portfolio.
• Responsible for cascading the programme vision and translating these into delivery objectives which support the Strategic Aims of the Council. Lead the programme to deliver the business case benefits and outcomes.
• Responsible for providing technical leadership in both line and matrix management styles, to ensure successful delivery of programmes and for supporting the Portfolio Manager in leading, assuring and delivering the portfolio of work which delivers against the Strategic Aims of the Council.
• Specific targets & objectives defined annually within the performance management framework.
  Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, accredited to the level of APM Practitioner or MSP Practitioner.
• Experience of working as a Programme Manager within a local Government setting.
• Evidence of successfully implementing major change initiatives within a range of large organisations.
• Experience of working closely with Members and senior leaders and managers to overcome resistance to change.
• Ideally experience of working within a political environment with detailed knowledge of a public sector setting & the nuances involved in being part of a complex environment.
• Experience of working with complex multi-agency partnerships and stakeholder groups.
• Exemplary leadership capability evidenced in creating a high-performance culture, drawing on specialist skills and expertise effectively, bringing together diverse capabilities.
• Evidence of creativity in exploring innovative business opportunities which maximise opportunities for development of a financially sustainable service