Senior Programme Client

Are you seeking an opportunity to enhance your programme delivery skills?, The Government is committed to investing in the country’s infrastructure to grow the economy, improve productivity, and provide low carbon transport. As part of meeting these goals, we fulfil the client role for the development and delivery of railway enhancements.
TRU is a multi-billion-pound enhancement of the key east-west rail route between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield. This is one of the largest enhancement programmes on the rail network and is one of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) most significant live projects.
The TRU Enterprise brings together the DfT, Network Rail, regional Train Operating Companies (TOC), and the supply chain to ensure holistic, best-for-passenger decision making. Our DfT Client team sit outside of the TRU Enterprise, assuring programme performance on behalf of the programme’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), DfT ministers and other cross-government Departments.
As Senior Programme Client, you will collaborate with your counterparts within this integrated industry team to identify emerging risks and issues, analyse programme schedule and financial data for dissemination and presentation to senior leaders. You will also hold delivery partners to account to ensure best outcomes for the UK taxpayer.
In this role you will have the opportunity to work across the Department and wider government to understand and embed key lessons from other major programmes and to maintain an active network across government to ensure the Department’s role in supporting “best for programme outcomes.”
If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.
Your key responsibilities will include:
+ Leadership: acting as the champion for the projects in the West of the route, working with industry partners to unblock any barriers to success. Leading by example and supporting the development of a high performing team culture and promoting effective individual and team performance.
+ Clienting: ensuring the client’s requirements for the project are reflected in all engagement with the TRU Enterprise and working across teams to update them as appropriate through the project lifecycle.
+ Governance and Assurance: applying effective application of portfolio and programme governance to support robust decision-making and updating and managing project and programme information to alert senior leaders of emerging risks and issues.
+ Stakeholder Management: building and maintaining working relationships with key partners within the Department, other Government Departments, Network Rail, Train Operators, and other delivery organisations.
+ Risks & Issues: identifying, monitoring, escalating and managing strategic risks and issues, and developing mitigating actions and escalations as appropriate.
+ Communications: representing the Department’s priorities in the rollout of strategic communications for the programme and ensuring that the aspirations of ministers are understood and embedded into implementation plans and strategies.
+ Line management responsibilities for one Programme Client., As a Disability Confident Leader employer, DfT is committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
For more information on the Project Delivery Capability Framework., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Project Delivery Capability Framework - Programme Manager/Director – Risks and issues
+ Project Delivery Capability Framework - Programme Manager/Director - Communications and stakeholder management, When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 750) to provide evidence of the following experience:
+ Working as a programme or project manager within the development and delivery of a medium or large-scale project/programme in a complex environment.
+ Engaging with internal and external partners to identify risks and issues and generating solutions to ensure a project/programme was delivered timely and within budget.
+ Leading a team or group to deliver a business objective.
The sift is due to take place from 14/10/2024.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 30/10/2024.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
+ An interview.
This interview will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
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.

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)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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Would you like an opportunity to work on one of the Government’s most high-profile railway enhancement programmes, supporting the regeneration of communities and regions across the north of England?
If so, we are looking for a highly motivated Senior Programme Client to monitor performance of our Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme, and we would love to hear from you., You will display a broad programme or project delivery skillset and confidently utilise the project delivery tools and methodologies to successfully deliver a complex programme.
You will have excellent interpersonal skills, be confident and articulate, and comfortable building positive relationships with internal teams and external industry partners across the programme. You will be an engaging leader, with the credibility to influence and challenge effectively to gain consensus.
You will thrive in an evolving and complex environment where you can proactively take the initiative and develop proposals and solutions to support successful programme delivery.

Alongside your salary of £51,997, Department for Transport contributes £15,063 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Please note, the above example is based on the National minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.