Project Gigabit Programme Director

Job summary

As Programme Director (SCS 1) for Project Gigabit, you will be responsible for delivering DSIT’s largest GMPP programme and one of the government’s major infrastructure programmes. Project Gigabit is central to the government ambitions to kickstart economic growth, reduce the digital divide and ensure that new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the country.

The Programme Director will work closely with DSITs Commercial Lead, BDUKs Head of Strategy and Ministers to deliver the government’s key manifesto commitment of achieving 99% gigabit-capable broadband coverage by 2032. You will report to the BDUK CEO and play a key part in BDUK’s Senior Leadership Team.

Job description

As Programme Director for Project Gigabit your key responsibilities will include:

Lead the implementation of Project Gigabit and ensure the programme meets its 2032 target, reporting on programme delivery to stakeholders including Ministers, the BDUK Board and NISTA and demonstrating good programme management is in place, and accountable for benefits realisation, ensuring intended outcomes are achieved.

Ensure robust and effective programme governance through the Programme Board and Investment Boards ensuring that risks and issues are managed and addressed – with escalation were necessary and oversee the identification and management of dependencies across delivery partners and programme.

Uses digital tools to analyse data to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and improve efficiency. Uses data insights to make high level decisions to ensure programmes stay on track and deliver outcomes.

Manage the implementation of the plan to reach 99% coverage through programme of contracting through available mechanisms including Gigabit contracts and final voucher projects. Ensuring all remaining in-scope premises are within plans to meet the 2032 target date.

Provide team leadership for the Project Gigabit team ensuring they have the capabilities they need to effectively deliver the programme in response to changing business requirements and ensure strategic workforce and resource planning across the programme.

Support continued improvement and streamlining of systems and processes for procurements and contract changes.

Work with the Devolved Governments to complete the remaining procurements. Ensure that external stakeholders have good information on programme delivery and provide effective support to ministers for external engagement events with MPs and other stakeholders. Maintain high-quality correspondence and that relevant targets are met.

Manage remaining delivery of Superfast and vouchers projects and ensure a tight approach is in place for final Superfast closures and that the plan for voucher project close-down is targeted and effective in implementation.

Ensure effective management of finances for existing projects and programmes including managing spend to meet end year programme spend profiles.

Ensures that environmental and social considerations are embedded in programme design, procurement and monitoring processes.

Person specification

Essential Requirements:

• Leadership Capability: Proven experience leading and inspiring diverse teams through change, engaging senior leaders to shape strategy, and aligning stakeholders with the long-term vision..

• Stakeholder Management: A track record of building strong, productive relationships with varied stakeholders, resolving complex challenges with clarity, and delivering mutually beneficial outcomes.

• Collaboration and influencing: Skilled at cultivating inclusive team cultures, building strong networks, and actively using feedback to influence decisions and drive results.
• Programme Management: Demonstrated experience delivering multi-million pound programmes on time and within budget, with strong risk management and proactive issue resolution.

• Commercial Acumen: Proven ability to manage complex, commercially driven programmes that are delivered in partnership with external organisations.

Desirable Skills

• Expectation that you will have or be willing to pass the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Major Projects Leadership Academy (MPLA) Programme.

• Experience in telecoms and/or major infrastructure sectors

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £24,914 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).

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home

• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice

• 3 days of paid volunteering leave

• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave

• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year

• Occupational sick pay

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice

• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work

• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!

Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.

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 (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply for this vacancy, you will need to submit the following, via the Civil Service Jobs portal, which will assessed against the essential criteria for the role:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.
• A Statement of Suitability explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

For the shortlist, we will select applicants who demonstrate the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application and how this meets the essential requirements. Following the shortlist there are no further pass/fail assessment stages and all candidates shortlisted will be invited to the final interview stage.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Head of Resourcing at recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk, in the first instance.

Attachments

2026-08-27 DCMS Project Gigabit Programme Director Candidate Information Pack v.4 Opens in new window (pdf, 1752kB)DCMS Accessibility Pack (5) (2) Opens in new window (docx, 510kB)