Programme Manager - Local Government Reorganisation

This is not incremental improvement; it is a fundamental re‑imagining of how
services are organised and how decisions are made across Essex.

Working on a programme of this scale demands exceptional skills, strong
strategic and operational thinking, along with exceptional programme
delivery, planning, reporting and confident leadership. The ability to
navigate complex stakeholder environments, and the resilience to deliver
clarity and momentum in an evolving landscape. You will need to bring sharp
analytical capability, excellent communication, political awareness, and the
adaptability to operate in a fast‑moving, high‑profile environment.

If you want to join Essex County Council at a pivotal moment, working on a
bold, high‑profile, and complex programme and play a key role in work that
will define the future of local government in Essex, this is a rare
opportunity to make a lasting impact.

As an experienced Programme Manager, you will be accountable for shaping and
delivering a programme of work which is cross cutting and has a high level
of complexity, you will create multiple projects and manage the associated
business change activities to evidence a significant contribution to the
delivery of the Council’s Strategic aims and management of financial
pressures.

You will build compelling business cases to drive change, establishing
appropriate programme governance and assurance, monitoring progress,
managing risks and issues and ensuring the business can accommodate the
change.

As an experienced and exemplary leader, with professional credibility gained
from working within a programme management environment, you will be
influential in delivering change that supports best practice and the
delivery of the Council’s strategic objectives.

You can find out more about this and the teams achievements in our

blog

.



Accountabilities

• 
  Works collaboratively with service areas and partners supporting
  the development of compelling business cases.
  


• 
  Builds effective stakeholder and partner relationships at senior
  level, which are influential and elicit support at senior level.
  


• 
  Accountable for leading teams of people, to build professionalism
  and expertise through development activities.
  


• 
  Accountable for developing and delivering a resourcing plan,
  including management of programme budget, for complex &
  large-scale programmes to ensure delivery of outcomes.
  


• 
  Responsible for overseeing risk and issue management, ensures
  mitigations are in place to address issues between elements of the
  programme, resolving these through negotiated agreement or
  escalating.
  


• 
  Works collaboratively with customers to agree quantified realisable
  benefits and metrics to monitor impact. Designing and actively
  managing the programme plan, ensuring outcomes are achieved.
  


• 
  Accountable for maintaining the overall integrity and coherence of
  programme & governance framework to support each project. Plan
  programme assurance activities and manage dependencies within the
  programme and across other activities in the portfolio.
  


• 
  Responsible for cascading the programme vision and translating
  these into delivery objectives which support the Strategic Aims of
  the Council. Lead the programme to deliver the business case
  benefits and outcomes.
  


• 
  Responsible for providing technical leadership in both line and
  matrix management styles, to ensure successful delivery of
  programmes and for supporting the Portfolio Manager in leading,
  assuring and delivering the portfolio of work which delivers
  against the Strategic Aims of the Council.
  


• 
  Specific targets & objectives defined annually within the
  performance management framework.
  

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 
  Evidence of continuing professional development and expert
  knowledge in relevant professional area, accredited to the level of
  APM Practitioner or MSP Practitioner.
  


• 
  Experience of working as a Programme Manager within a local
  Government setting.
  


• 
  Evidence of successfully implementing major change initiatives
  within a range of large organisations.
  


• 
  Experience of working closely with Members and senior leaders and
  managers to overcome resistance to change.
  


• 
  Ideally experience of working within a political environment with
  detailed knowledge of a public sector setting & the nuances
  involved in being part of a complex environment.
  


• 
  Experience of working with complex multi-agency partnerships and
  stakeholder groups.
  


• 
  Exemplary leadership capability evidenced in creating a
  high-performance culture, drawing on specialist skills and
  expertise effectively, bringing together diverse capabilities.
  


• 
  Evidence of creativity in exploring innovative business
  opportunities which maximise opportunities for development of a
  financially sustainable service.
  

To read more about our business area, please visit:

Corporate Services and Transformation

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s
devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex
work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May
2026. You can read more about


devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)

on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re
committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our
Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job.
Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments
during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care
leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are
applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive
many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and
flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly
ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the

Nolan principles

, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these
standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for
everyone.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll
working rules will not apply to this assignment.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the
welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and
volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email

[email protected]