At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a transformative programme modernising Stock & Ordering capabilities across multiple teams.
- Company: Join Nando’s, a vibrant brand at the heart of the restaurant industry.
- Benefits: Enjoy a fast-paced environment with opportunities for impactful work and career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of stock management while driving real change in a dynamic setting.
- Qualifications: Experience in large-scale tech programmes, agile frameworks, and stakeholder engagement is essential.
- Other info: This role offers exposure to C-Suite and the chance to manage multi-million-pound budgets.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Overall Ambition: Lead the delivery of a business-critical transformation programme focused on modernising our Stock & Ordering capabilities. Co-ordinate and drive execution across multiple product, technology, and operational teams to ensure successful delivery of complex, integrated systems at scale.
The Stock & Ordering Services Programme: This is a high-impact, multi-million-pound initiative at the heart of our Supply Chain and Finance operations. The programme spans core capabilities including Stock Management, Ordering, Receipting, Invoice Reconciliation, Ingredient and SKU Master Data, and Digital Transformation of our stock management tooling. As Programme Lead, you’ll be accountable for shaping and driving this transformation—managing domain teams, stakeholders, and suppliers to realise strategic outcomes and long-term value.
Key Responsibilities
- Programme Leadership: Define the delivery structure and ways of working to ensure value is delivered quickly, efficiently, and sustainably. Own the programme’s roadmap, outcomes, and success metrics.
- Stakeholder & Team Management: Build strong relationships across Technology, Product, Supply Chain, Finance, and Restaurant Operations. Align priorities, resolve conflict, remove blockers, and maintain momentum.
- Delivery Execution: Lead multiple cross-functional domain teams and third-party partners to deliver end-to-end solutions. Maintain visibility of delivery health, ensuring on-time and on-budget execution.
- Commercial Management: Own the programme budget, track actuals and forecasts, and manage supplier performance. Ensure contracts are structured to support accountability and value realisation.
- Risk & Dependency Management: Proactively manage cross-team and cross-programme risks, assumptions, and dependencies. Embed governance, escalation routes, and contingency planning.
- Agile Enablement & Delivery Best Practice: Champion agile delivery across the programme. Promote lean thinking, iterative delivery, and high-quality outputs. Embed metrics, retrospectives, and a continuous improvement mindset.
- Roadmap & Prioritisation: Work closely with Product Managers and SMEs to define and refine the strategic roadmap, ensuring a laser focus on value and feasibility.
- Vendor Collaboration: Manage third-party partners and system integrators to ensure effective delivery. Govern integration points, service levels, and collaboration practices.
- Leadership & Coaching: Provide guidance to product managers, delivery lead and senior team members. Support performance, unblock challenges, and foster a delivery-first culture.
Skills & Experience
- Proven experience leading large-scale technology programmes in complex environments.
- Strong understanding of digital transformation, particularly within stock, ordering, or supply chain domains.
- Expertise in agile delivery frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and experience embedding agile at scale.
- Understanding of data management concepts (e.g. master data, data quality, reconciliation).
- Able to challenge and support engineering and product leads on delivery feasibility and estimates.
- Understanding of APIs, integration patterns, and data flows between systems.
- Familiarity with enterprise architecture (e.g. ERP, stock/order management platforms) and technical design governance.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g. GCP, AWS, or Azure).
- Ability to review and validate technical documentation and test plans.
- Demonstrated ability to manage £multi-million budgets and drive commercial outcomes.
- Experience delivering across distributed teams and third-party suppliers.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills with C-Suite exposure.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity to drive clear outcomes.
- Experience defining delivery governance, KPIs, and programme metrics.
- Practical knowledge of risk management, dependency tracking, and programme controls.
Why Join Us? As a Programme Lead at Nando’s, you will be at the forefront of a critical digital transformation, shaping the future of how stock flows through our ecosystem. This is a fast-paced, outcomes-driven role with the opportunity to make a tangible impact across our 480-restaurant estate and central functions. If you thrive in complexity, enjoy solving delivery challenges, and are driven by business impact—we want to hear from you.
Lead Program Manager employer: Nando's UK & IRE
Contact Detail:
Nando's UK & IRE Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Program Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in digital transformation, particularly in stock and ordering systems. Understanding the current landscape will help you speak confidently about how you can contribute to our programme.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the supply chain and technology sectors. Building relationships with individuals who have experience in similar roles can provide valuable insights and potentially lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience with agile methodologies in detail. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully implemented agile practices in previous projects, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Research our company culture and values. Understanding what we stand for at StudySmarter will allow you to tailor your approach and demonstrate how you align with our mission during any discussions.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Program Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in leading large-scale technology programmes, particularly in stock and ordering or supply chain domains. Use specific examples that demonstrate your expertise in agile delivery frameworks and digital transformation.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for the role and the impact you can make at Nando’s. Discuss your experience with managing multi-million-pound budgets and your ability to navigate complex environments, showcasing how these skills align with the job requirements.
Highlight Stakeholder Engagement Skills: Emphasise your strong stakeholder engagement skills, especially your experience working with C-Suite executives. Provide examples of how you've built relationships and aligned priorities across different teams to drive successful outcomes.
Showcase Problem-Solving Abilities: Demonstrate your ability to manage risks and dependencies by providing examples of how you've successfully navigated ambiguity and complexity in previous roles. Highlight your approach to delivering clear outcomes and maintaining momentum in challenging situations.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nando's UK & IRE
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
As a Lead Program Manager, it's crucial to demonstrate your experience in leading large-scale technology programmes. Prepare specific examples of past projects where you successfully managed cross-functional teams and delivered results under pressure.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with the company's stock and ordering processes, as well as their digital transformation goals. Being able to discuss how your skills align with their objectives will show that you're genuinely interested in the role and understand its importance.
✨Emphasise Agile Methodologies
Since the role requires expertise in agile delivery frameworks, be ready to discuss your experience with Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe. Share how you've embedded these practices in previous roles to improve efficiency and outcomes.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Management Questions
Given the emphasis on stakeholder engagement, think about how you've built relationships with various teams and C-Suite executives in the past. Be prepared to share strategies you've used to align priorities and resolve conflicts effectively.