Programme Business Manager in Thurso

Are you a strategic leader who thrives on bringing structure, clarity and momentum to complex operational environments? Do you want to shape how essential site services enable one of the UK’s most significant decommissioning programmes while operating within a highly regulated nuclear landscape? This is an exciting opportunity to take leadership of the business delivery area for site services across the Dounreay site.

Site services play a critical role in supporting decommissioning activities and maintaining full compliance with the Nuclear Installations Act Licence Conditions, delivering everything from waste operations, logistics, environmental protection and laboratory services through to vital infrastructure support such as catering, cleaning, building repairs and general site management. In this role, you will focus on the business management of these services, ensuring they are delivered efficiently, effectively and consistently, while leading a small team to embed a disciplined, programmatic approach that drives risk mitigation, performance management, benefits realisation and robust service level delivery.

What You’ll Be Doing

• You will be accountable for ensuring site services consistently meet their delivery commitments while remaining fully compliant with Authority to Operate requirements across site operations.
• Operating at a strategic and operational level, you will shape and embed a programmatic approach that strengthens governance, assurance and risk management, enabling informed decision making and resilient service delivery.
• Working closely with the services leadership team, heads of profession, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, you will oversee integrated business functions and programme interfaces.
• You will balance day‑to‑day issue resolution with long‑term strategic planning, ensuring resources, budgets and people capability are aligned to business priorities while representing Dounreay across the wider nuclear and stakeholder community.
• Direct site services delivery using a structured programme management approach, managing risks, change control, performance reporting and resource deployment across budgets and people.
• Oversee embedded business functions and governance activities, ensuring business cases, procurement sanctions and decisions align with agreed commitments.
• Establish effective data, assurance and coordination processes to support informed tactical and strategic decision‑making, while managing regulatory and stakeholder interfaces.
• Support future capability by developing talent, coordinating site activities and acting as a role‑model, coach and mentor, including fulfilling management authorisations and emergency response responsibilities.

What You Will Bring

• A degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience) with extensive, demonstrable project and programme management experience.
• Professionally grounded, with APM Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) and Managing Successful Programme (MSP) Practitioner status held or a clear commitment to achieving these within your first year.
• Proven line management expertise, with a genuine passion for talent development, capability building and leading people through change.
• Strong strategic awareness and stakeholder influence, with a track record of delivering improvement initiatives within complex, multilayered organisations.

We are looking to hold interviews week commencing Monday 18 May 2026; however, please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. If you require assistance at any point during the recruitment process, please contact careers@dounreay.nrservices.uk at the appropriate time so we can make any necessary, reasonable adjustment.

Some Reasons We Think You’ll Love It Here

Please note: All successful candidates who do not already hold security clearance will need to provide proof of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, and employment/education history (typically covering the last 3–5 years) in line with NRS Baseline Security requirements. Some roles may also require full Security Clearance, which involves additional checks. For details, please refer to Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) guidance.