About the job

Summary

Investment is a crucial lever for ensuring UK growth in the face of the current global economic challenge. The Programme Director will lead our effort to transform DIT's offering so that we can maintain and grow our position as a leading destination for inward investment.

This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the heart of the Department of International Trade’s most ambitious transformation programme the Investment Transformation Programme. 

The Investment Transformation Programme aims to deliver transformative, digitally enabled change across our investment promotion operation so that we can expand our focus on landing high-value, high impact investments into the UK whilst delivering proportionate, effective and efficient services to investors.

The Programme Director will lead a team of 20-30 to bring this to life. You will manage close ministerial, cross-Whitehall relationships and multi-million pound business case, spearheading this complex and rewarding delivery effort.

Job description

Key responsibilities:

- The Programme Director is accountable to the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the day-to-day management of the programme, which includes bringing together the plan for delivery of all the component parts that make up the design and ensuring that they are delivered in a coordinated fashion.

- Managing regular, planned communications to all involved parties;

- Defining the resources, roles and accountabilities required to deliver the Programme and ensuring resource risks are proactively managed, the postholder will manage decisions of the distribution of project resources across the portfolio and overall project scope and design within the portfolio. 

- Responsible for delivery results and overall impact on investment Key Performance Indicators.

- Adhering to and maintaining governance structures that allow appropriate levels of control to be exercised over the programme, chairing reviews at workstream and programme level to provide control over scope, cost and timescales; leading production of business cases and capital requests; and

- Managing interdependencies and recognising, anticipating and effectively dealing with existing or potential conflicts at an individual, team or strategic level and with other projects.

- Establishing and developing productive relationships with corporate stakeholders (HR, Finance, Commercial, Digital, Data and Technology) as a key customer for change. Working with Digital colleagues as well as contractors and consultancies to push for high quality and timely solutions and work towards a common goal and ensuring a user-centric approach;

- Frequent (fortnightly) verbal and submission updates to senior stakeholders and Ministers.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate evidence of:

Essential Criteria

- Experience of overseeing significant business change and transformation projects, and working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful programme delivery;

- Well organised with the ability to manage resource and finances as well as a complex, shifting project plan to achieve benefits, manage key risks and get timely clearance on business cases;

- An excellent leader of people who improves capability, leads through change, builds a diverse and inclusive team and exhibits an engaging and adaptable style that connects with people at all levels. 

- Ability to successfully navigate complex environments and deliver through effective and collaborative partnerships across organisational boundaries.

- Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills with the ability to collaborate and engage with a wide range of senior and C-Suite stakeholders across the public and private sector.  

- A Project Leadership Qualification (e.g. MPLA, PLP, Practitioner Level APM or PMI)

Qualifications

A Project Leadership Qualification (e.g. MPLA, PLP, Practitioner Level APM or PMI)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension