3 Month Contract With A Local Authority

Job Purpose

To provide senior programme management leadership for the time-critical transfer of bus services and associated powers into the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. The postholder will establish effective programme governance, controls and delivery structures, bring together multiple workstreams and partner organisations, and maintain a clear focus on achieving critical milestones and successful implementation.

This is a delivery-focused role requiring the postholder to establish programme grip, proactively manage risks and dependencies, provide constructive challenge and drive delivery at pace across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish clear programme structure and delivery discipline, confirming scope, milestones, critical path, dependencies, priorities, accountabilities and delivery expectations.
• Establish and lead effective project and workstream groups across technical, operational, legal, financial, commercial, workforce and other specialist areas.
• Define clear terms of reference, membership, responsibilities, deliverables, milestones and accountabilities for each workstream.
• Establish and maintain appropriate programme governance, including Programme Boards, reporting arrangements, decision-making, assurance, escalation and issue-resolution processes.
• Develop and maintain a single integrated programme plan covering key tasks, milestones, dependencies and deliverables required to achieve the transfer within agreed timescales.
• Implement consistent programme controls covering actions, decisions, risks, issues, dependencies, milestones and critical path management.
• Drive delivery against critical milestones, actively challenging slippage and implementing corrective action where progress is at risk.
• Identify and proactively manage emerging risks, issues and dependencies, ensuring clear ownership, mitigation and escalation arrangements.
• Provide accurate and timely programme reporting, including executive-level updates, Programme Board papers, performance reports, risk and issue reports and strategic recommendations.
• Ensure senior stakeholders have clear visibility of progress, key decisions, risks, issues, dependencies and areas requiring intervention.
• Work collaboratively with partner authorities and other stakeholders to develop and agree the arrangements required to enable the successful transfer.
• Ensure decisions, actions and recommendations are accurately recorded, monitored and followed through to completion.
• Provide constructive challenge to project leads and delivery partners, ensuring agreed outcomes, milestones and accountabilities remain on track.
• Ensure programme governance, documentation, reporting and assurance are proportionate, effective and consistently applied across all workstreams.
• Build effective relationships across organisational boundaries and facilitate collaboration between senior leaders, technical specialists, project teams and external partners.
• Provide visible programme leadership, creating structure, momentum and a clear line of sight from individual workstreams through to successful implementation.
• Escalate unresolved issues promptly and ensure appropriate intervention is secured to protect the programme timetable.
• Apply strong commercial, operational and organisational change awareness when assessing programme risks, dependencies and implementation requirements.