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Programme Lead

Job Posted: 21 days ago

Salary: £ Competitive
Job Type: Permanent
Location: Chelmsford, Essex

Expire in: 6 days

Job Description

As Senior Programme Lead, you will provide clear strategic leadership and governance across the Suffolk Resilience programme, ensuring all projects deliver against business priorities, WRMP commitments, and regulatory requirements. You will oversee a suite of major water resource and network initiatives, ensuring each is aligned, well‑managed, and progressed to meet OFWAT milestones and internal expectations. You will take end‑to‑end responsibility for programme performance—tracking progress, managing risk and budget, coordinating and developing resources, and driving effective stakeholder engagement. As the senior escalation point, you will offer challenge, guidance, and decisive support to keep delivery on track and within agreed parameters. A key focus will be the North Suffolk Winter Storage Reservoir, a £1.6bn Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project requiring progressing a DCO consenting strategy and to be procured through Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC),
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Programme Oversight
• Lead the overall health and performance of the Suffolk Resilience programme, ensuring delivery against scope, budgets, schedules, and benefits.
• Maintain oversight of programme risks, interdependencies, and adaptive pathway decisions.
• Drive monthly reviews and support governance submissions at Project level with NWG Governance groups.
Portfolio Governance & Performance Management
• Coordinate portfolio reviews, executive reporting, and decision‑making materials.
• Ensure compliance with OFWAT reporting and NWG Water governance frameworks.
• Lead RAPID and Large Scheme gated submissions, from preparation to final sign‑off.
• Act as senior escalation point, resolving issues and making informed decisions under delegated authority.
Stakeholder, Regulatory & External Engagement
• Serve as the visible face of the programme, representing Capital Delivery at the AMP8 Water Resources Steering Group.
• Engage senior internal stakeholders including Director‑level sponsors, Procurement, Capital Delivery, Finance, Regulatory, Strategy, and Operations.
• Manage consistent engagement with external stakeholders: OFWAT, EA, Natural England, local authorities, landowners, statutory consultees, and community groups.
• Attend sector All‑Company Working Groups and support the Project DCO Leadership Group.
• Ensure all engagement aligns with Communications and Engagement Plans for each scheme.
Leadership of Programme Teams
• Lead and support Project Managers delivering individual workstreams.
• Ensure consistent delivery standards, effective collaboration, and alignment across the portfolio.
• Provide challenge, guidance, and direction to maintain delivery momentum and quality.
Requirements:
• Experienced programme/portfolio professional with a strong background in project, programme, or portfolio delivery.
• Proven ability to oversee complex, multi‑project portfolios with robust governance and effective risk/issue management.
• Strong understanding and demonstrable experience of the UK DCO planning process, ideally within the Water Sector and funding models for major schemes, including DPC.
• Strong understanding of the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations and how they impact on DCO projects.
• Good working knowledge of OFWAT’s RAPID governance process for large water infrastructure.
FULL RIGHT TO WORK WITHIN THE UK WITHOUT SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED

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