Connected Place Transformation Manager (18 Months FTC)

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. Our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.

About the role

As Barnet’s Programme Manager for Connected Places and IoT, you will lead one of the council’s most ambitious and strategically important transformation agendas. This role positions you at the forefront of digital infrastructure, smart city innovation and technology driven service improvement in one of London’s largest and most complex boroughs. You will take responsibility for an established, fully funded programme and drive forward its delivery, shaping how Barnet leverages telecommunications, data and emerging technologies to improve quality of life, support economic growth and future proof council operations.

You will lead the Connected Places team and be accountable for a broad suite of workstreams—including gigabit broadband, 4G/5G networks, public Wi-Fi, IoT solutions, imagery analytics, cyber security and major corporate wide integration programmes. Working across departments—from street services and housing to libraries, town centres and adult social care—you will deliver cross cutting transformation that enhances resident experience, unlocks operational efficiencies and supports meaningful digital change.

A central part of the role is shaping the future direction of the Connected Places agenda. You will take a leadership role in refreshing the programme, ensuring it remains aligned with organisational priorities and delivers maximum value from infrastructure and limited funding. You will manage a £2.35m budget, secure additional grants and investment, navigate commercial negotiations, and maintain strong relationships with providers, partners and stakeholders across the public, private and regional ecosystem.

This position also plays a wider leadership role within Barnet’s Strategy & Innovation directorate. You will model best practice, drive cross council collaboration, and support the delivery of broader digital, data and technology outcomes. You will champion a user focused, ethically aware and secure approach to smart city development—embedding high standards of data governance, cyber security, interoperability, accessibility and inclusive design.

This is a newly created role with significant scope to shape how Barnet adopts new technology, and offers the opportunity to influence strategy, set standards, and deliver meaningful impact for residents. It is a hybrid role – you will be expected to be in our Colindale offices an average of once a week.

About you

You are an experienced and visionary programme leader, capable of operating in complex environments and driving transformation across multiple services and stakeholder groups. You bring strong experience in either telecoms infrastructure deployment or digital adoption and organisational change, with a proven ability to deliver ambitious programmes at pace and at scale. You combine strategic insight with hands on programme management expertise—able to coordinate multiple workstreams, manage budgets, lead teams, develop business cases, and secure tangible outcomes across a diverse technical and organisational landscape.

You are commercially astute, confident in procurement and negotiation, and able to manage key relationships with vendors, suppliers and delivery partners. Your leadership style is collaborative, supportive and influential. You can inspire and guide multi-disciplinary teams; confidently engage with senior leaders, elected members and external bodies; and communicate complex programmes in ways that build understanding, trust and alignment.

You bring experience of people management, stakeholder engagement at all levels, and steering organisations through large scale change. You are comfortable navigating emerging and advanced technologies, even without being a technical specialist. You can translate technological complexity into meaningful outcomes, enable teams to deliver complex projects, and ensure adherence to standards including the GDS Service Standard, Technology Code of Practice, Electronic Communications Code and NCSC Connected Places Cyber Security Principles.

You bring political acumen, excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a public sector environment—including operating within the democratic process and engaging confidently with residents, businesses and partners. You combine strategic thinking with strong organisational skills, resilience and the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards.

What we offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
• Access to Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents
• Work-life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part-time
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well-being training programs including confidential employee assistance

How to apply

Read the job description and person specification before clicking ‘Apply’ to commence the online application form. If you would like any further information about the role before applying, please contact Dave Worley, Head of Digital Strategy, dave.worley@barnet.gov.uk.

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.

We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply. All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed. Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible. Please ensure you regularly check the email account (including JUNK MAIL folders) that you use to submit your application, as any further communication regarding your application will be sent electronically. Should you not hear from us within four working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.