Programme Manager
Location
Wilmslow, England, United Kingdom
Employment TypeFull-time
Posted At5/12/2026
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Analytics are greyed out due to low classification confidence (39.0%).
Occupation TypeFunctional managers and directors not elsewhere classified.
Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled
Sponsorship Salary Threshold
£74,700
(£38.31 per hour)
Occupation rate applies
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Description
Wilmslow
Job Summary
Programme Manager
Full time / Part time
Salary: £57,815 - £65,021 with potential for further progression to £73,211 with our pay progression scheme.
Location: Hybrid
Contracted to our Wilmslow office.Our Wilmslow office will be relocating to Manchester city centre from 28 September 2026. Once the move takes place your contracted office will be Circle Square, Manchester. Through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities and there will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.
Why work for the ICO?
Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .
Job Description
As an ICO Leader, the Programme Manager plays a pivotal role in delivering transformational change aligned with ICO strategic priorities. Reporting to the Head of Delivery and executing under the strategic oversight of the Head of Portfolio Management, the Programme Manager leads the design, coordination, and execution of complex programmes that deliver measurable value across regulatory services and operational efficiency.
This role demands a versatile leader who can manage delivery across multiple value streams, ensure alignment with portfolio governance, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The Programme Manager will be a visible and proactive leader, empowering teams, managing interdependencies, and ensuring change is embedded and benefits realised.
Key Responsibilities
Job Summary
Programme Manager
Full time / Part time
Salary: £57,815 - £65,021 with potential for further progression to £73,211 with our pay progression scheme.
Location: Hybrid
Contracted to our Wilmslow office.Our Wilmslow office will be relocating to Manchester city centre from 28 September 2026. Once the move takes place your contracted office will be Circle Square, Manchester. Through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities and there will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.
Why work for the ICO?
- Pay progression scheme.
- Hybrid and flexible working options.
- 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
- Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
- Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
- Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
- Health Cash Plan.
- Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.
Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .
Job Description
As an ICO Leader, the Programme Manager plays a pivotal role in delivering transformational change aligned with ICO strategic priorities. Reporting to the Head of Delivery and executing under the strategic oversight of the Head of Portfolio Management, the Programme Manager leads the design, coordination, and execution of complex programmes that deliver measurable value across regulatory services and operational efficiency.
This role demands a versatile leader who can manage delivery across multiple value streams, ensure alignment with portfolio governance, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The Programme Manager will be a visible and proactive leader, empowering teams, managing interdependencies, and ensuring change is embedded and benefits realised.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead programme delivery aligned with strategic priorities, executing under the direction of the Head of Portfolio Management and reporting into the Head of Delivery.
- Exercise sound judgement in selecting and applying the most appropriate delivery tools, frameworks, and methodologies to suit the context, complexity, and maturity of each programme. Ensure that tool usage supports effective planning, collaboration, and reporting, and contributes to the continuous improvement of delivery practices across Transformation and Delivery.
- Work in partnership with the Head of Delivery, who is accountable for the delivery capability, to ensure programme teams are equipped, supported, and empowered to deliver effectively.
- Champion leadership and people management, providing line management, coaching, and mentoring to project and programme team members to build a high-performing, inclusive delivery culture.
- Deliver across multiple value streams, ensuring that programme activity contributes to the realisation of strategic benefits and is embedded effectively across the organisation.
- Ensure alignment with portfolio governance, contributing to reporting, assurance, and decision-making processes that support strategic investment and prioritisation.
- Promote continuous improvement, leading lessons learned exercises and embedding findings into delivery practice to evolve the ICO’s project and programme management approach.
- Champion a designated ICO strategic or operational area, such as risk, staff forum, accommodation, or site ownership, contributing to cross-organisational initiatives and representing programme-level leadership in corporate responsibilities.
- Provide oversight and leadership in supporting the Lead Portfolio Coordinator (LPC) to ensure programme-level records are maintained to ICO standards, including ensuring that Project Central and MS Planner are consistently and accurately updated across all associated projects and workstreams.
This role demands a versatile leader who can manage delivery across multiple value streams, ensure alignment with portfolio governance, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The Programme Manager will be a visible and proactive leader, empowering teams, managing interdependencies, and ensuring change is embedded and benefits realised.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead programme delivery aligned with strategic priorities, executing under the direction of the Head of Portfolio Management and reporting into the Head of Delivery.
- Exercise sound judgement in selecting and applying the most appropriate delivery tools, frameworks, and methodologies to suit the context, complexity, and maturity of each programme. Ensure that tool usage supports effective planning, collaboration, and reporting, and contributes to the continuous improvement of delivery practices across Transformation and Delivery.
- Work in partnership with the Head of Delivery, who is accountable for the delivery capability, to ensure programme teams are equipped, supported, and empowered to deliver effectively.
- Champion leadership and people management, providing line management, coaching, and mentoring to project and programme team members to build a high-performing, inclusive delivery culture.
- Deliver across multiple value streams, ensuring that programme activity contributes to the realisation of strategic benefits and is embedded effectively across the organisation.
Essential Criteria Assessed At Application Stage:
- Significant experience of working in a programme or project manager role
- Formal programme and/or project management qualifications
- Experience of managing and delivering programmes and projects
- Demonstrated leadership in managing delivery teams, with experience in coaching, mentoring, and developing capability across a matrix environment.
- Experience of working within a structured delivery capability, supported by leadership roles responsible for frameworks, tools, and continuous improvement.
- Excellent judgement and the ability to deal with a changing environment both on a day to day and long-term basis.
- Evidence of successful implementation of programmes that deliver strategic value across multiple value streams, with benefits tracked and embedded.
Please visit ico.jobs for full details, including salary and benefits.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.
Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.
As part of the ICO’s commitment to our EDI objectives and creating a workplace that represents the communities and societies we serve, we guarantee an interview to candidates who declare they identify as belonging from an ethnic minority background and who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy
If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk
Closing Date
Please submit your CV and cover letter by 23:59 on Monday 25th May 2026 Your cover letter should be no more than 1,000 words and should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role.
We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact us at recruitment@ico.org.uk.
In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests.
All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
- Name : recruitment@ico.org.uk
- Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk
- Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk