Programme Manager

Job summary

At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), we are looking for a Programme Manager to join a major capability uplift programme focused on strengthening the UK's preparedness and response arrangements for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.

Working within a complex and high-profile environment, the postholder will provide programme management leadership, ensuring delivery remains aligned to strategic objectives, governance requirements, milestones and financial plans. The role will work closely with the programme's Technical Coordinator, Programme Board, senior stakeholders, subject matter experts and corporate teams including Finance, Commercial and wider UKHSA functions.

We are looking for candidates with previous project and programme delivery experience, particularly those who have led complex change initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a nationally important programme that will enhance UKHSA's future resilience and response capability.

Job description

As Programme Manager you will be responsible for leading a defined set of interdependent projects and the associated business change activities typically low to moderate in complexity. You will be responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of the required outcomes, including the establishment of appropriate governance and assurance, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues, and ensuring business readiness for change.

This role is a government project delivery profession role and is aligned to the Project delivery capability framework - Government Project Delivery career pathway Programme Manager G7.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Lead the programme to deliver the business case benefits and objectives.
• Provide direction and guidance to the programme team and more broadly across the project delivery profession in UKHSA.
• Draft and clear the business case with project leads and subject matter experts.
• Lead on resourcing, planning scheduling and estimating.
• Oversee risk and issue management. Ensure mitigations are in place and resolved.
• Work with project managers and operations to ensure dependencies are actively managed.
• Ensure realisation of benefits through planning and designing, and that project outputs meet programme requirements.
• Lead the planning of programme assurance activities.
• Manage internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Maintain overall integrity and coherence of programme and governance framework to support each project.
• Use digital tools and data analysis to support effective decision making.
• Act as arbiter, resolving issues between elements of the programme.
• Engage with business areas to ensure business readiness for change.
• Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

The job holder will be supported to work towards achieving Government Project Delivery Accreditation where they do not already hold this.

This list is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of delivering programmes or complex projects with in-depth knowledge of planning, resource management, risk and issue management and governance in a project delivery environment.
• Working knowledge of core project and programme management disciplines, including scheduling, budgeting and cost management, business case development, business change and implementation, change control, assurance, and benefits realisation
• Detailed knowledge of project methodologies and frameworks.
• A visible leader with experience of promoting diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting differences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence, challenge effectively and collaborate across boundaries.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, managing complex pieces of work that have lots of dependencies and moving parts.
• Experienced in using digital tools and data insights to make informed decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,185, UK Health Security Agency contributes

£16,276 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience & Technical Skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria 
• Meets some essential criteria 
• Meets no essential criteria 

If used, the pile(s) ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Significant experience of delivering programmes or complex projects with in-depth knowledge of planning, resource management, risk and issue management and governance in a project delivery environment.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Behaviours, Experience & Technical Skills will be tested at interview by way of questions.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership (Lead)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working together

Interview dates are to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs.

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Eligibility Criteria

External: This vacancy is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service as well as internal applicants.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see:

Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Qualifications and Registrations For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.

Reserve List

If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the

required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available

For Fixed Term Posts If you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term Appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant based outside of UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan, which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per UKHSA’s pay policy.

Incident Response Activity From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day-to-day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our se