Job Description

Salary £55,612 - £60,147 per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston

International Sponsorship – this role is NOT open to international sponsorship

Ready to lead transformation at scale?
We’re looking for an inspiring, strategic programme leader to join our Transformation and Improvement team at County Hall. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of public services across one of the UK’s largest local authorities — and to drive change that truly improves lives across Lancashire.

What you’ll be doing

As a Strategic Programme Manager, you will:

• Lead major transformation and improvement programmes spanning multiple directorates, ensuring they deliver meaningful and measurable outcomes.
• Plan, design, and oversee programme activity, monitoring progress and removing obstacles to keep delivery on track.
• Create and maintain strong governance frameworks, expertly managing risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Oversee programme budgets, ensuring resources are used wisely and benefits are fully realised.
• Manage and motivate programme teams, coordinating people and skills to deliver high‑quality results.
• Drive innovation and embed sustainable business change, making sure improvements land effectively and last.

What we’re looking for

You’ll be a great fit if you have:

• A professional or academic qualification in programme or project management — or equivalent senior‑level experience.
• Significant experience delivering large, complex, cross‑organisational programmes.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• A strong track record of managing budgets, resources, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Solid knowledge of programme and project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid) and business change approaches.

This is a chance to lead work that has real purpose — shaping smarter, more efficient services across Lancashire and making a tangible difference for communities.

If you’re passionate about transformation, innovation, and empowering teams to deliver at their best, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us build the future of public services in Lancashire — where your leadership truly matters.

Closing Date: 19/04/26

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Talent@lancashire.gov.uk

Why join us?

By joining Lancashire County Council, you can shape the career path that is right for you, with opportunities to gain personal and professional qualifications, coaching, and mentoring. Lancashire County Council truly is the place where you can have the career you've always wanted.

In return for your passion and expertise, we offer a generous benefits package, which includes:

• A competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions.
• A great holiday entitlement of 26 days annual leave, which increases with length of service. You will also be entitled to 8 Bank Holidays, 2 additional statutory Bank Holidays, and have the option to buy additional leave each year.
• Our staff discount scheme in partnership with Vivup, allowing you to access discounts with a range of UK retailers, saving on everything from weekly food shops to white goods and cars.
• Access to fantastic development and career opportunities.

Please ensure you upload a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria for the role.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

& Person Specification