Programme Manager Devolution

Do you enjoy leading complex programmes that influence the future of local government and public services?

Can you bring structure, pace and clarity to ambitious change in a fast-moving policy environment?

Are you skilled at turning complex policy, legislation and stakeholder interests into clear programmes, practical plans and meaningful outcomes?

If so, we would like to hear from you

As Brighton & Hove City Council continues its role as a constituent authority of the new Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority (SBSA), this is a unique opportunity to help shape the future governance, policy and delivery arrangements for Sussex and Brighton. Working at the heart of one of the most significant changes to local government in a generation, you will play a leading role in ensuring the council is well positioned to maximise the opportunities devolution brings for our residents, businesses and diverse communities.

You will lead the planning, governance and coordination of the council's devolution programme, working across directorates, partner organisations and the emerging Strategic Authority to ensure effective delivery. You will provide programme leadership, maintain strong governance arrangements, coordinate complex workstreams and support elected members and senior officers with robust analysis, strategic advice and clear recommendations.

Contract type: This role is offered on a fixed-term contract or internal secondment basis until May 2028.

Interview date: Week commencing 2 November 2026

Please contact Tom Cottam, Head of Cabinet Office at tom.cottam@brighton-hove.gov.uk if you would like an informal discussion about the role.

About the role

At Brighton & Hove City Council, we are committed to making the most of devolution opportunities for our city and region. We are looking for a creative and collaborative programme manager to help lead this complex and high-profile programme during a period of significant change and opportunity.

Working closely with the Head of Cabinet Office, senior officers, elected members, partner authorities and the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority, you will bring strong programme management, policy analysis and stakeholder engagement skills. You will be confident operating in politically sensitive environments, able to provide constructive challenge, and capable of translating ambiguity into clear plans, actions and deliverables.

As Programme Manager for Devolution you will:

• Lead the planning, design and implementation of the council’s devolution programme, ensuring effective coordination of the programme and its interdependencies.
• Define and plan programme and project sequencing to ensure the successful delivery of the councils’ objectives, in an efficient and effective manner and ensuring alignment with the work of the SBSA Devolution Delivery Programme.
• Produce, concise, professional, high-quality reports, updates, cabinet reports and briefings suitable for councillors, Corporate Leadership Team, Senior Leadership Teams and the programme sponsor, and to present these as required.
• Conduct high-quality research and analysis, synthesising evidence from academic, governmental, and local sources.
• Advise Directorate Leadership Teams and managers at all levels of the organisation, on potential implications of devolution and BHCC’s role as a Constituent Authority, to enable staff to continue to deliver high quality and integrated services during a period of significant change

In return, we offer:

• the opportunity to play a leading role in one of the most significant public sector reform programmes in the country
• Influence the future relationship between local government and the Strategic Authority
• help shape outcomes for residents, businesses and communities across Sussex and Brighton.
• support flexible working arrangements where operationally appropriate.

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

Why work for us?
As a council, we want to:
• be connected
• be confident
• be innovative and creative
• be diverse and inclusive
• be healthy and psychologically safe
For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us which gives details of our wellbeing support, our benefits including leave and pensions as well as details of our training and development.

How to apply
Please read our Apply for a job at the council pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.

As part of your application, you will need to provide your education and career history and answer some application/shortlisting questions. Your answers to the application/shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

AI advice for candidates
We are interested in hearing about your experience and skills in your own words. While we value people who know how to use AI, we ask that you minimise using it in your application.

We are keen to hear how your experience and skills align to our values and the skills and experience needed to perform well in our roles with clear real examples from you. To support you in this, we have guidance on using the STAR model which can help you ensure you are telling us your whole story. We also provide clarity on the skills we are looking for in our adverts and in the job description/person specification attached to each job advert.

All the applications we receive are read by at least two hiring managers and we do not use AI in this process. Our experience of reading applications is that those that have heavily used AI contain generic paragraphs that are strikingly similar to other applicants’ responses. This makes it extremely difficult to differentiate between applications, and doesn't give us enough evidence of your individual skills. There is a risk that we will therefore not be able to shortlist you. Instead, we recommend you ensure your application stands out by presenting clear examples of your actual skills and experiences in your own words.

Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

Please note that this post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Criminal Records Check.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

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