At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and deliver strategic programmes, ensuring alignment and execution across teams.
- Company: Dynamic organisation focused on cross-functional collaboration and transformation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, pension contributions, life assurance, and generous annual leave.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team that values agility and innovative problem-solving.
- Why this job: Drive impactful projects and enhance your leadership skills in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing large-scale programmes and strong planning capabilities.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 € per year.
The Programme Manager is responsible for driving the end-to-end delivery of our top strategic programme, moving it from planning into execution, and ensuring workstreams are aligned, sequenced, and delivering against agreed outcomes. This role provides structure, pace and control across a complex, cross-functional programme ensuring dependencies are managed, risks are surfaced early and leadership has clear visibility of progress and decisions required.
Key Responsibilities:
- Programme Planning & Delivery: Build and maintain an integrated programme plan, linking all workstreams into a single coherent view. Translate high-level milestones into detailed, executable delivery plans and sequencing. Drive progression from Level 1 alignment into Level 2 delivery planning and execution. Ensure all MVP-critical milestones and decisions are defined, tracked, and delivered.
- Dependency & Risk Management: Identify and manage cross-workstream dependencies and interdependencies. Proactively surface risks, constraints, and blockers and drive resolution. Ensure assumptions, risks, and dependencies are clearly captured and owned across workstreams.
- Governance & Reporting: Establish and run programme governance (SteerCo, GEC, Board updates as required). Provide clear, concise reporting on progress, risks, and key decisions. Maintain core programme artefacts (PID, WIDs, integrated plan, benefits view) as a single source of truth. Ensure alignment across sponsors, workstream leads, and stakeholders.
- Cross-Functional Alignment: Facilitate structured working sessions to align teams on deliverables, sequencing, and priorities. Drive collaboration across Product, Commercial, Technology, and Operations teams. Challenge and support workstream leads to ensure plans are realistic, joined-up, and deliverable.
- Resource, Capacity & Delivery Readiness: Ensure clarity on resource requirements, capacity, and funding needs across workstreams. Support mobilisation of teams as the programme moves from planning into execution. Track delivery readiness and support go/no-go decisions at key milestones.
- Stakeholder Management: Act as the central point of coordination for programme leadership and stakeholders. Maintain strong relationships with sponsors, workstream leads, and senior leadership. Ensure alignment on priorities, trade-offs, and decisions required to move forward.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Proven experience managing large-scale, cross-functional transformation programmes.
- Strong planning capability - able to move from high-level milestones to detailed, executable plans.
- Track record of managing dependencies, risks, and complex stakeholder environments.
- Ability to drive pace, challenge constructively, and bring structure to ambiguity.
- Strong communication skills - able to simplify complex information for senior audiences.
- Experience working across multiple functions (commercial, product, technology, operations).
Ways of Working:
- Dynamic and pragmatic, able to balance structure with pace and outcomes.
- An agile thinker, comfortable working with ambiguity and adapting as the programme evolves.
- Experienced operating in nonlinear environments, recognising that the programme will continue to change and flex over time.
- Collaborative by nature, comfortable iterating with stakeholders to solve complex problems.
- Able to maintain appropriate process and discipline, without allowing process to become overly restrictive.
- Practical and pragmatic, recognising that as a 300m revenue organisation, we need proportionate, value-adding process.
What we offer:
- Competitive Salary
- Up to 5% matched pension contribution
- 4x annual salary life assurance
- 25 days annual leave plus
Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX in Somerset employer: Essentra
As a Programme Manager at our Oxford location, you will join a dynamic and collaborative work culture that prioritises employee growth and development. We offer competitive salaries, generous leave policies, and a supportive environment where your contributions directly impact our strategic programmes. With a focus on innovation and teamwork, this role provides a unique opportunity to thrive in a fast-paced setting while making meaningful progress in cross-functional projects.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX in Somerset
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work at companies you're interested in. A friendly chat can lead to insider info and even referrals that could get your foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to programme management. We recommend using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and showcase your experience effectively.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills through real-life examples. When discussing your experience, focus on specific projects where you managed dependencies and risks, and how you drove collaboration across teams. This will demonstrate your fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX in Somerset
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Programme Manager role. Highlight your experience in managing large-scale, cross-functional programmes and how you've tackled dependencies and risks in the past. We want to see how you can bring structure and pace to our projects!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since strong communication is key for this role, don’t shy away from demonstrating how you've simplified complex information for senior audiences in your application. Use clear and concise language to show us you can keep everyone aligned and informed.
Highlight Collaborative Experiences:We love a team player! Share examples of how you've worked across different functions like Product, Commercial, Technology, and Operations. Show us how you’ve facilitated collaboration and driven alignment among diverse teams to achieve common goals.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about what we do at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Essentra
✨Know the Programme Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the programme's goals and how it aligns with the company's strategic objectives. Familiarise yourself with the key responsibilities listed in the job description, especially around planning, delivery, and stakeholder management.
✨Showcase Your Planning Skills
Be ready to discuss specific examples from your past experience where you've successfully managed large-scale programmes. Highlight your ability to translate high-level milestones into detailed plans and how you've tackled dependencies and risks in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Cross-Functional Collaboration
Prepare to talk about how you've worked with different teams in the past. Share instances where you've facilitated alignment across various functions like Product, Commercial, Technology, and Operations, and how you overcame any challenges that arose during collaboration.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice simplifying complex information for a senior audience. During the interview, focus on clear and concise communication, especially when discussing your approach to governance and reporting. This will show that you can effectively convey important updates and decisions to stakeholders.
