Role Profile - Programme Management Office and Special Projects Change Lead

Role title

Programme Management Office and Special Projects Change Lead

Location

National

Business area

People & Capability Group - HR HMPPS Programme Delivery Unit

Reports to

Head of Strategic Delivery

Grade

Grade 7

Contract Type

Permanent

Job summary

The Programme Management Office (PMO) and Special Projects Change Lead is responsible for leading the delivery of change activities across the People and Capability (P&C) Group and HMPPS in support of implementing the delivery of single one-off projects overseen by the Programme Delivery Unit. The postholder will also lead and coordinate delivery for strategic business planning and briefing functions across the whole unit, as well as having oversight of the unit-wide delivery plan and related documents. The postholder will ensure that strategic objectives are clearly defined, resources are effectively allocated, and senior leaders and ministers are equipped with high-quality briefings to support decision-making and external engagement. They do this by working closely with private offices, communications, change portfolio leads, HMPPS stakeholders, and wider P&C teams.

The postholder will be expected to operate as a self-starter, owning delivery within their remit, working methodically to agreed milestones, and maintaining a clear line of sight from strategy to delivery. They will produce high-quality written and visual products, including briefings, papers and presentations, to engage a range of audiences and support effective decision-making.

Job description

The HR HMPPS Programme Delivery Unit (PDU) was created to bring together people working across P&C on significant HMPPS programmes of work into one team, many of which have ministerial interest and scrutiny. These include HMPPS priorities such as the Enable Programme, the Independent Review of Foundation Training (Prisons), the Rademaker Review into professional standards, and Our Future Probation Service. The Unit sits within the HR Business Partnering HMPPS & HQ Directorate and is part of the P&C Group.

The PMO and Special Projects Change Lead role has a dual function. Firstly, they have a central role responsible for taking charge of programme oversight, business planning and briefing across the Unit. This involves coordinating the overarching programme plan, business planning returns and external commissions for information, as well as overseeing a high-performing briefing and correspondence hub, thereby enhancing People and Capability Group’s reputation and credibility in responding to requests for information and communicating its delivery progress and successes.

Secondly, the role will ensure that implementation of special projects in the PDU are driven forward effectively, with clear governance, stakeholder engagement, and measurable progress. They will ensure alignment with P&C priorities, drawing together necessary stakeholders and work on culture, HR delivery, policy, systems and analytics.

The role requires leadership and delivery skills in a complex, fast-moving environment, with the ability to translate strategic intent into tangible results, and to work collaboratively across multiple professional disciplines and organisations.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Delivery Management

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of special project workstreams across P&C and HMPPS, ensuring alignment with wider MoJ transformation priorities.

• Take personal ownership for progressing deliverables, maintaining momentum and accountability against agreed plans and deadlines, and escalating barriers to delivery promptly.

• Plan and structure delivery activities methodically, using project tools and documentation to track milestones and interdependencies.

• Provide visible and collaborative leadership to matrixed, multidisciplinary teams.

• Work closely with the Head of Strategic Delivery to ensure that delivery plans across the projects are integrated and achievable.

• Commission and use data, insight, and evaluation evidence to progress and ensure benefits realisation.

• Identify risks and interdependencies, taking proactive steps to resolve them.

• Develop and maintain the cross-unit integrated programme plan, milestones, and critical paths to delivery and the smooth transition of projects to BAU delivery.

• Monitor programme performance using appropriate tools and techniques and in line with reporting templates.

Stakeholder and Communications Management

• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across HMPPS, P&C, and the wider MoJ, providing confident advice and leadership on complex and sensitive change.

• Prepare and present engaging products (PowerPoint, dashboards, reports) to communicate progress, insights and proposals clearly to senior leaders and governance boards.

• Lead engagement with recognised Trade Unions and staff networks to secure support and buy-in for policy and procedural changes.

• Lead on the development of communications and engagement strategies and products to deliver messages and materials that promote understanding and adoption of reforms, supporting managers and staff through change.

• Represent the P&C perspective at key governance boards and working groups, influencing direction and securing alignment across stakeholders.

Briefing, communications and ministerial and senior stakeholder support

• Lead the production of high-quality, timely briefings for ministers, senior officials, and external stakeholders (e.g. press enquiries).

• Coordinate responses to parliamentary questions, FOIs, select committee inquiries, and corporate reporting requirements.

• Ensure briefing materials are accurate, consistent, and aligned with strategic messaging and establish and oversee a repository of core lines and briefing requests to ensure a clear audit trail.

• Provide guidance and oversight on PDU submissions to maintain high quality and standards.

• Develop and manage a comprehensive communications and engagement plan for the PDU.

Team leadership

• Manage the SEO Strategy and Programme Delivery Manager

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture

Knowledge, experience and skills

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of successfully managing business change in HR or programme transformation contexts with project management capability and ability to turn strategy into delivery (assessed via CV and statement of suitability)

• Strong evidence of effective and collaborative leadership in complex, high-profile organisational change with multiple stakeholders including navigating ambiguity and maintaining progress against milestones (assessed via behaviour - working together)

• Highly organised and methodical, with demonstrable ability to manage competing priorities and deliver at pace to deadlines (assessed via behaviour - delivering at pace)

• Excellent written and visual communication skills — able to produce concise, compelling board papers, briefings, reports, and presentations for senior stakeholders and respond to requests for written narratives at short notice (assessed via CV and statement of suitability)

• Strong stakeholder and influencing skills, with the ability to handle sensitive issues with discretion and confidence (assessed via behaviour - communicating and influencing)

• Proven experience of using evidence, data and organisational insight to inform design, delivery, monitor performance, issues, risks and dependencies, and demonstrate strategic impact (assessed via behaviour - seeing the bigger picture).

Desirable:

• Experience of leading Trade Union engagement or consultation on people-related change.

• Line management experience.

• Understanding of Civil Service governance, ministerial processes, and parliamentary procedures.

• Familiarity with government planning and reporting frameworks (e.g., Single Departmental Plans, Spending Reviews).

*Please note that whilst we don’t assess or score ‘desirable’ criteria, we may consider evidence provided that demonstrates meeting the desirable elements of the role, only after essential criteria is assessed and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates.

Application process

Sift Stage

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework. Please refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade: Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK

Experience

Please provide:

• An anonymous copy of your CV

• A 500-word statement of suitability to cover the two specific essential points listed above under knowledge, experience and skills.

Behaviours

Please provide examples of how you have met each one of the behaviours listed below against the relevant essential criteria above:

• Working Together (lead behaviour)

• Communicating and influencing

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Delivering at pace

If we receive a large number of applications, we will carry out an initial sift on the statement of suitability.

Interview Stage

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely via MS Teams.

During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours (listed above) and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework.

Further Information

Please contact Charlotte Jackson, Head of Strategic Delivery, HR HMPPS Programme Delivery Unit, for more information about the role at Charlotte.Jackson@justice.gov.uk