The Programme Manager will be responsible for the delivery of a major IT-enabled change programme, a single major project or a collection of projects, as required (all of these are referred to here as programmes for brevity).
The Programme Manager will oversee project teams of varying sizes of up to 50–100 in total. Teams will comprise a mix of IT Services staff, third-party suppliers, freelance contract staff and seconded business staff. Budgets for major programme phases are currently of the order of £10–£20 million.
They must guide the programme through the complete life cycle, including the evaluation of high level needs and programme design, requirements specification, options analysis, evaluation and procurement of software solutions, through all phases of the implementation and into ongoing support. They will also be expected to plan (although probably not deliver) business change activities, communications and stakeholder engagement. They will need to possess excellent leadership qualities, to manage staff working directly on the programme as well as working closely with key stakeholders and external suppliers.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that the programme delivers to meet the objectives set by the University and managed by the programme board. They will have the skills and experience required to liaise and work with senior University officers across key central divisions as well as key stakeholders in academic areas. Knowledge of the University’s operating structures is essential as is the ability to influence and manage these external users in respect of the significant change that the programme will introduce.