Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is passionate about providing high-quality services to our communities, residents and businesses. This means we must employ and retain the most talented and dedicated people.
Situated within the heart of the Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Area, Huntingdonshire is a beautiful district that boasts thriving market towns and many attractive villages, each with its own identity. We are an innovative and forward-thinking local authority whose residents are at the heart of our decision-making.
At HDC we want to employ staff who embody our icare values (Inspiring, Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful, Enterprising), all of which support our ultimate purpose of putting our customers first.
Job details
We are looking for an experienced Programme Manager to join our Policy, Performance, and Transformation team. This role is central in developing and delivering the structure and approach of a service that connects the corporate transformation goals with operational execution across the council to deliver strategic business outcomes.
To deliver a service that promotes our transformative culture, collaboration and drive services to focus on measurable outcomes, fostering accountability and improving return on investment.
You will lead on the delivery of a modern Transformation PMO that applies good governance standards and assurance across projects and programmes. A service that supports the council in building consistency in programme delivery, providing assurance, and fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.
Key responsibilities include:
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Design, implement and deliver the Transformation PMO service, standards and solutions across the council, ensuring services are compliant with the framework
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Manage the project ideation phase for new projects and service planning, engaging with services to ensure strategic alignment
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Manage the Transformation Plan and portfolio of transformation programmes and projects, collaborating and supporting services with transformational change
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Deliver the assurance reporting and monitoring framework for programmes and projects that delivers transparent and reliable reporting of assurance for leadership and governing boards
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Deliver a community of practice to share learning and promote high standards in project management.
About you:
We’re seeking a highly motivated and experienced programme and change professional who thrives in a fast-paced, change-driven environment. You will be a confident communicator, a strategic thinker, and a collaborative team player who can influence at all levels, ideally with:
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A strong track record in project and programme management across the full lifecycle
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A current programme management qualification with a degree or equivalent experience
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Experience working in or with a PMO, embedding governance, risk, and assurance practices
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A strong track record of delivering change programmes that impact large groups of staff or customers
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Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, including senior leaders and political environments
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Strong analytical, organisational, and communication skills
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A creative and proactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making
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Knowledge of public services and the transformation challenges they face.
Shortlisting Criteria:
To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your CV and responses to our application questions below will demonstrate:
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Substantial programme management expertise and experience of managing complex programmes of work across both internal and external stakeholders, delivering required outcomes within agreed timescales
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proven knowledge of transformation, continuous improvement, service design and service improvement models and good practice
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A working knowledge and understanding of PMO frameworks, especially governance, controls and processes
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Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage high-level internal and external stakeholders effectively
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Experience in managing a service and staff effectively
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This role is hybrid and will require the ability to work in the office regularly or at short notice to ensure effective building of working relationships and collaboration.
Join us and help shape the future of public services through impactful transformation. For more information, please refer to the Job Description or get in touch with lucy.aston@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
An offer of employment is conditional upon having the right to work in the UK. Huntingdonshire District Council does not hold a Sponsorship Licence and is unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or take over sponsorship for any role.
View the job description [PDF, 0.2MB].
Apply
The closing date is 9am 30 June 2025 and interviews will be held the week commencing 4 July 2025.
However, this is a rolling campaign and we'll be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and will close the advert early should we receive suitable applications, so please don't delay in applying!
For many of our roles (where it is possible) we accommodate a hybrid model of working. We know our people are what make Huntingdonshire District Council great and recognise how important a healthy work–life balance is. Our hybrid work model enables employees to work remotely whilst allowing for in-office collaboration opportunities across the district. Candidates should therefore be within commutable distance of our offices in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire or able to attend meetings as required if further afield.
Should you have any additional questions regarding submitting an application, please contact the Recruitment Team at recruitment@huntingdonshire.gov.uk.
Please note that the official closing date is as above, and will be the correct date. Some third-party websites may have different dates. Please refer to the HDC website for the official closing date to ensure you do not miss out on applying.
Working for the council
As an employer who values diversity of thought, we seek to employ candidates from a range of backgrounds in order to make our organisation more innovative. We are seeking candidates who are looking for their next career opportunity and are supportive employers, enabling our staff to work in an environment that produces high standards of work in an employee-led environment.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our recruitment and along with our values we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment, where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community and we offer a range of benefits, including flexitime, to encourage a work-life balance.
View our benefits.