Leadership Development Programme Manager in City of London

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

About the Role

We’re looking for a highly organised and experienced Programme Manager to lead the delivery of Howden’s flagship leadership development programmes. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a proven track record of managing large-scale face-to-face learning from end to end. You’ll be the operational backbone of these programmes, ensuring every detail is executed meticulously and flawlessly, and every participant, especially senior leaders, has an exceptional experience. You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders across the business, acting as a trusted partner and point of coordination. This is a hybrid role involving a blend of time in the office, off-site and working at home.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Delivery
  • Lead the planning and execution of complex, multi-cohort leadership development programmes both within the UK and globally.
  • Ensure all programme components - logistics, communications, materials, and stakeholder engagement - are delivered to a high standard.
  • Act as the central point of coordination between internal teams, external suppliers, venues, and facilitators.
• Face-to-Face Learning Logistics
  • Manage all logistics for in-person modules, including venue coordination, room setup, catering, tech requirements, and materials.
  • Be on-site during key events to oversee delivery, support facilitators, and ensure a smooth delegate experience.
  • Coordinate travel and accommodation for support staff and facilitators where needed.
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement
  • Liaise confidently and professionally with senior leaders across the business.
  • Meticulous attention to detail to communications and logistics – ensuring that they reflect the expectations and needs of senior-level participants.
  • Support leadership teams with timely updates, clear documentation, and proactive issue resolution.
• Participant Experience
  • Manage the nomination process, working closely with multiple stakeholders to sign off the names of participants’ to be invited.
  • Manage invites, pre-work, joining instructions, and logistical queries with clarity and warmth.
  • Be a visible and approachable point of contact during events, supporting registration, social activities, and day-to-day needs.
  • Track attendance, engagement, and feedback to continuously improve the experience.
• Programme Planning & Governance
  • Maintain detailed programme plans, trackers, and calendars.
  • Schedule programme dates, co-ordinating with senior stakeholders diaries to ensure their attendance.
  • Schedule supplier meetings, including prep sessions and module run-throughs.
  • Monitor budgets, timelines, and risks, escalating issues as needed.
• Post-Programme Follow-Up
  • Coordinate feedback surveys and summarise insights into actionable reports.
  • Support debrief sessions and help identify follow-up actions.
  • Organise and share programme outputs (e.g. photos, slides, programme materials) with relevant teams.
• Engagement & wider leadership development Support
  • Curate and maintain a digital leadership library of resources, tools, and materials for alumni access.
  • Deliver targeted communications campaigns to keep leaders engaged and reinforce leadership behaviours.
  • Organise and manage follow-up masterclasses and clinics to support ongoing development.
  • Comfortable working with different systems and learning platforms (e.g. Workday) to manage registrations and track participation, feedback, and progress to inform future programme enhancements.
  • Help shape wider leadership/manager development offerings, and create learning as required (e.g. toolkits and webinars for managers).

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience managing large-scale, learning programmes, with a strong focus on face-to-face elements.
• Strong programme management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple workstreams and deadlines and an excellent eye for detail.
• Comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders and managing high-profile programme delivery.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset and a passion for delivering high-quality learning experiences.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with shifting priorities.
• Experience of helping to shape, design and deliver leadership learning.

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.