Programme Portfolio Director (12m FTC)

Dorling Kindersley Limited; Colchester, London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading publishing company is seeking a Programme Portfolio Director to shape and deliver their enterprise-wide transformation agenda. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience leading large-scale change initiatives, fostering collaboration across teams and influencing senior stakeholders. This role offers a hybrid work environment with responsibilities ranging from project delivery to change management.

Benefits

Generous bonus scheme

Flexible working hours

Collaborative office environment

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in delivering large-scale transformation and organisational change.
• Strong knowledge of programme governance and risk management.
• Ability to prioritise and support teams for best-value execution.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver strategic change initiatives aligned with business goals.
• Lead high-profile project and programme delivery.
• Champion structured change management approaches across the organisation.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Change management

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Job description

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Lead Transformation at the Heart of Publishing

Penguin is a home for talented, curious minds who want to make a real impact, not just in publishing, but in the way our organisation evolves, innovates, and grows.

We're looking for a Programme Portfolio Director to shape our enterprise-wide transformation agenda, delivering high-value change initiatives that will shape the future of our business.

This is a rare opportunity to join our senior Operations team and influence major cross-functional programmes that underpin our long-term strategy, efficiency, and agility.

What You’ll Be Doing

As Programme Portfolio Director, you will:

• Shape and deliver strategic change: Shape the transformation roadmap to ensure the successful execution of complex, enterprise-wide programmes that are aligned to our business goals, such as our journey to AI adoption.
• Hands on delivery: Lead and actively participate in high-profile project and programme delivery to achieve best-value execution.
• Lead and inspire: Head up our Business Change & Communications, and Programme teams fostering a high-performance, inclusive culture focused on delivery and innovation.
• Drive adoption and impact: Champion structured change management approaches that engage people across the organisation and lead to sustained behavioural and cultural shifts.
• Collaborate: Work closely with the Executive Leadership Team, business owners, and senior technology partners to ensure our transformation efforts deliver long-term value and real results.

Who We’re Looking For

You’ll bring a strong track record in leading strategic transformation programmes at scale. You’ll have:

• Extensive experience in delivering large-scale transformation, continuous improvement and organisational change.
• The ability to dynamically prioritise and support teams to do likewise to ensure best-value execution in a fast-paced organisation.
• Strong knowledge of programme governance, risk management, and benefit realisation.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with experience managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Confidence navigating senior stakeholder environments and influencing at all levels from the Executive team down.

We’re also looking for someone who is:

• Strategic, commercially astute, and outcomes-focused.
• A champion of agility, innovation and continuous improvement.
• A brilliant communicator who can bring people with them through complex change.
• A culture ambassador who aligns with our values and believes in the power of storytelling to shape the world.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and Cover Letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 17th August.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the advert may close before this date so we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note this is an immediately available opportunity, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.

The salary for this opportunity will be dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus benefits and a generous bonus scheme.

While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. This role will be based at our Embassy Gardens office in London on a hybrid basis, with a willingness to travel to our site in Frating, Colchester on occasion.

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we're part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can't take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by [e-mail] . Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: The Random House Group Limited | Job ID: 281822

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