Strategic Programme Lead - Reach

Macmillan Cancer Support; Aberford; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday with flexible options

Pension matched up to 7.5%

100+ learning and development offers

Flexible working patterns

Job summary

Macmillan Cancer Support is seeking an exceptional Strategic Programme Lead to provide strategic leadership for the Reach Programme, shaping its roadmap and ensuring impact across services for people affected by cancer.

You'll work closely with the Accountable Director, executives and partners to align workstreams, manage risks, and translate learning into improved outcomes. Flexible, hybrid working available.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering large-scale programmes in health/public sector contexts.
• Strong ability to navigate ambiguity and balance strategic clarity with delivery.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across the Reach Programme and deliver outcomes.
• Translate strategy into a clear programme roadmap and manage dependencies and risks.
• Lead integration across multiple workstreams and ensure aligned delivery.
• Oversee governance, assurance, risk management and reporting.
• Support workstream leads to maintain strategic focus and momentum.
• Build relationships with senior leaders, partners and people with lived experience.
• Champion equity-by-design and inclusive delivery.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Programme management

Stakeholder management

Equity-by-design

Healthcare/public sector experience

Job description

At Macmillan Cancer Support, we're committed to ensuring everyone living with cancer gets the support they need, especially those who face some of the greatest barriers due to who they are or where they live.

We're looking for an exceptional Strategic Programme Lead to provide leadership for our ambitious Reach Programme. This is a high-profile role responsible for driving a complex portfolio of work designed to make our services better connected, easier to navigate, and more effective for people affected by cancer.

Working closely with the Accountable Director, Executive Sponsor, Heads of Service and a range of internal and external partners, you'll hold the strategic overview of the programme, ensuring workstreams are aligned, delivery remains focused on impact, and learning is continuously translated into better outcomes for people living with cancer.

What you'll be doing

As Strategic Programme Lead, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership across the Reach Programme, ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes and success measures.
• Translate strategic ambition into a clear programme roadmap, managing dependencies, risks and trade-offs.
• Lead programme integration across multiple workstreams, ensuring activities are connected and mutually reinforcing.
• Oversee programme governance, assurance, risk management and reporting.
• Support and challenge workstream leads to maintain strategic focus and delivery momentum.
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders, partners and people with lived experience.
• Champion equity-by-design principles and inclusive approaches throughout programme delivery.
• Use evidence, insight and learning to influence strategic decisions and improve outcomes.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll be a strategic leader with a track record of delivering large-scale, complex programmes in customer, public service, healthcare or patient‑centred environments.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience leading complex programmes or portfolios with multiple stakeholders.
• The ability to lead through ambiguity while balancing strategic clarity with practical delivery.
• Strong influencing and relationship-building skills, particularly in matrix organisations where success relies on collaboration rather than direct authority.
• Experience embedding equity, participation and inclusive practice into programme design and delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and credibility with senior leaders and external partners.
• A strong evidence‑based approach, using insight and learning to shape decisions and demonstrate impact.

In return, we offer a range of benefits including:

• 25 days holiday plus flexible bank holiday options, increasing by 1 day every year of service up to 30 days
• Pension matched up to 7.5%
• 120+ learning and development offers, with access to external professional qualifications
• Flexible working patterns, such as compressed hours, flexibility to work earlier or later around our core working hours of 10am-4pm
• Holiday buying and selling scheme, life insurance, free wills, retail discounts and much more