Senior Programme Manager

LGC Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

LGC Ltd is seeking a seasoned Senior Programme Manager to lead the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Implementation Plan and drive delivery in collaboration with the Life Sciences Industry Director, senior leadership, and partners. The role encompasses directing a cross-sector programme and aligning multiple workstreams to strategic objectives.

The successful candidate will coordinate diverse activities, maintain governance, and foster productive collaborations with NIHR and industry partners to

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing complex projects and programmes.
• Strong programme planning abilities with dependency tracking across multiple workstreams.
• Experience establishing and implementing governance arrangements for programmes.
• Ability to navigate complex environments with multiple collaborators and priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a diplomatic approach.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and assist in delivering the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Implementation Plan across multiple workstreams and partners.
• Translate strategic priorities into coherent, achievable programme plans with governance and oversight.
• Track progress and ensure activities align with broader life sciences strategy.
• Work with senior collaborators across organisations, adapting to different audiences and seniority levels.
• Develop and sustain collaborations with NIHR and external partners, including pharmaceutical companies.
• Support workstreams connected to industry collaboration, trials management, and system transformation.
• Manage competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining clear communication.

Skills

Programme management

Project management

Stakeholder management

Governance

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Delivery-focused

Job description

• Department: Programme and Project Management

Company Description

LGC Ltd ( www.lgcgroup.com ) is an international life sciences company working with customers in the government, academic, pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology, food, environment, security and sports sectors. LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) manages a number of research funding programmes on behalf of government departments and other large national health bodies, to improve NHS patient health and care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the DHSC. We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public. The NIHR funds, enables, and delivers world leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.

The NIHR Life Science Industry Hub is the UK’s gateway for life sciences collaboration. We support biotech, pharma, medical device and diagnostics companies in working with the NIHR and NHS, driving commercial clinical research and innovation. As the national hub for industry engagement, we provide a coordinated platform for all NIHR industry activities, helping the UK remain a globally competitive partner in life sciences research.

Job Description

We are seeking a seasoned and highly driven Senior Programme Manager.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in advancing NIHR’s ambitions for the UK life sciences sector. Working closely with the Life Sciences Industry Director, senior leadership, and a broad network of partners, you will help develop, carry out, and oversee the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Implementation Plan, supporting NIHR’s contribution to the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan.

As Senior Programme Manager, you will be responsible for directing a complex programme of activity that spans several partners and organisations.

You will bring together different workstreams, priorities, and collaborators to ensure that strategic objectives translate into clear, coordinated, and measurable delivery. Your work will contribute to strengthening the UK’s position and reputation as a global centre for commercial research.

The role involves supporting essential activities such as industry engagement, delivering commercial clinical trials, and broader system transformation. It requires someone able to work confidently in a complex, highly cooperative health research setting.

In this role, you will:

• Coordinate and assist in the delivery of the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Implementation Plan across multiple workstreams and partners
• Use your extensive programme and project management experience to recognize, prioritise, arrange, and track a wide range of interconnected activities
• Translate strategic priorities into coherent and achievable programme plans, ensuring effective governance and oversight throughout delivery
• Track progress throughout the programme and assist in keeping activities aligned with the broader goals of the life sciences strategy
• Work collaboratively with senior collaborators and partners across multiple organisations, adapting your approach to different audiences and levels of seniority
• Develop and sustain productive collaborations with groups throughout NIHR and outside partners, including pharmaceutical companies
• Support workstreams connected to industry collaboration, commercial clinical trials management, and system transformation
• Manage competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining clear, accurate, and effective communication between collaborators
• Bring structure and coordination to complex areas of work, helping ensure programme activity progresses effectively and delivers against its objectives

To be successful in this position, you will bring an extensive grasp of the UK health research landscape, alongside substantial programme and project management experience.

Qualifications

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Extensive experience of successfully managing complex projects and programmes
• Strong programme planning abilities, with the capability to pinpoint dependencies, arrange activities in order, and track progress across several workstreams
• Experience establishing and implementing effective programme plans and governance arrangements
• The ability to confidently navigate complex environments involving multiple collaborators and priorities across different organisations
• Excellent communication, influencing, and interpersonal skills
• A diplomatic and collaborative approach when engaging with collaborators at different levels of seniority
• The ability to establish credible and positive relationships with internal and external partners
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to effectively prioritise several tasks and meet tight deadlines
• A comprehensive knowledge of the UK health research landscape and the broader setting where commercial research takes place
• A proactive and delivery-focused approach, with the ability to bring clarity and structure to complex projects

Additional Information

ABOUT LGC:

LGC is a leading, global life science tools company, providing mission-critical components and solutions into high-growth application areas across the human healthcare and applied market segments. Its high-quality product portfolio is comprised of mission-critical tools for genomic analysis and for quality assurance applications, which are typically embedded and recurring within our customers’ products and workflows and are valued for their performance, quality, and range.

OUR VALUES

• PASSION
• CURIOSITY
• INTEGRITY
• BRILLIANCE
• RESPECT

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.