Senior Programme Manager

Job Description

Organisation: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Salary: PO10 £68,784 - £72,399

Contract Type: Full-time/Fixed term contract (12 months)

Working hours per week: 36

Application Deadline: 22/06/2026

Proposed Interview Date(s): 30/06/2026 and 01/07/2026

Reference: 2160

About Us:

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work.

We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.

The Council’s preference is for online application. However, if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application, please email recruitment@walthamforest.gov.uk so we can arrange an alternative application method.

We are a Home Office–licensed sponsor; however, for this specific role we are not able to provide Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. To be considered, you must already hold a form of UK work authorisation that does not require sponsorship.

About the role:

Waltham Forest is an ambitious and forward‑looking Council facing significant financial pressures and rising demand for services. We are delivering a refreshed Transformation Programme that will secure £42m in savings over the next three years, ensuring long‑term financial sustainability while protecting essential resident‑focused services.

Our work is guided by Mission Waltham Forest, the Council’s corporate strategy and borough‑wide plan for a more equal Waltham Forest by 2030. From improving life chances and tackling the housing crisis to creating safe, green neighbourhoods and supporting a net‑zero future, we are focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for residents.

As a Senior Programme Manager, you will be at the heart of shaping and delivering some of the Council’s most high‑profile transformation programmes. You will lead complex programmes, seeing them through from early concept and design to full delivery. A significant proportion of this portfolio will focus on transforming resident experience through digital, data and AI-enabled services — redesigning how residents interact with and access the Council, improving accessibility, and embedding modern, insight-led service delivery.

Working in close partnership with Directors, Members and external partners, you will provide expert programme management, insightful advice and constructive challenge. You will operate comfortably at senior levels, navigating complexity, balancing pace with rigour, and keeping delivery on track in a fast‑moving environment. This role will suit an experienced programme leader who thrives on complexity, enjoys making the difficult doable, and is motivated by delivering meaningful, resident‑focused change at scale.

>> Click here to download the Role Profile <<

Key Responsibilities:

Programme Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the design, development and delivery of major transformation programmes and constituent projects, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and the Council’s change framework.
• Plan, direct and coordinate multiple interrelated projects to deliver agreed outputs, outcomes and benefits.
• Ensure progress and performance are highly visible to senior leaders, Members and stakeholders.

Governance, Reporting & Assurance

• Establish and maintain robust programme governance, including programme plans, risk and issue logs, benefits plans and assurance mechanisms.
• Prepare and present high‑quality reports and recommendations for programme boards, senior leadership, Scrutiny and Cabinet as required.
• Proactively identify and manage risks, issues and dependencies, escalating where appropriate.

Benefits, Performance & Financial Management

• Monitor programme performance, benefits realisation, budgets and resource deployment on behalf of Senior Responsible Owners.
• Ensure any deviations in scope, schedule, cost or quality are identified early and addressed effectively.
• Drive value for money and ensure programmes deliver the required savings and service improvements.

Stakeholder Management & Influence

• Build and sustain strong relationships with Directors, Members, senior officers, partners and suppliers.
• Act as a trusted adviser on programme delivery, providing expert professional advice, challenge and support.
• Navigate complex organisational, political and operational issues to secure commitment and maintain momentum.

People Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and, where appropriate, line manage project managers, consultants and matrix‑managed teams, fostering a high‑performing and motivated workforce.
• Promote consistent use of programme and project management standards, tools and methodologies.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation in how programmes are designed and delivered.

Qualifications and Requirements:

You will bring:

• Significant experience of leading complex transformation or change programmes in a large, fast‑paced organisation.
• Strong understanding of agile and traditional programme and project management methodologies, tools and techniques.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, complex dependencies and competing demands.
• Experience of financial and resource management within programme environments.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills, with the ability to present complex issues clearly to senior audiences, including Members.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and leadership skills, with confidence to challenge constructively.
• Exceptional planning, organisational and problem‑solving skills, with a proactive, solution‑focused approach.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• A recognised programme or project management qualification (e.g. MSP, PRINCE2, Agile certification) or equivalent professional experience.

Terms and conditions:

The below terms and conditions apply to this role:

• Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks;
• Satisfactory declaration of interest;

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications online by pressing the ‘Apply’ button below. This includes a supporting statement that outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.

To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy.

We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below or feel free to discuss this during your interview.

For more information on the benefits of working for the Council, please visit https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/find-jobs-and-other-opportunities/working-us.

Contact Information:

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Amy Steel, Head of Transformation at amy.steel@walthamforest.gov.uk

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post, please contact our Recruitment Team via email at recruitment@walthamforest.gov.uk.

Click here for further information on the Human Resources recruitment privacy notice.

Fraud Awareness Notice
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We will never ask for payment or request sensitive personal or financial information as part of our recruitment process.

If you are contacted by a third party claiming to represent the Council, please verify the vacancy via our official careers website before sharing any information.

If you have concerns about a job advert or communication, please report it to:
fraud@walthamforest.gov.uk