Programmes Directorate Business Manager in Manchester

The Programmes Directorate Business Manager is the Director of Programmes' senior coordination, integration, and business management lead, responsible for ensuring Directorate priorities are translated into coherent actions, high-quality governance outputs, and measurable delivery improvements. The role acts as the day-to-day integrator across the Programmes Directorate and the wider Observatory, breaking down silos between technical, programme, commercial, financial, assurance, operations, science, and corporate functions. It ensures Directorate activity is coordinated, decision-driven, forward-looking, and aligned to SKAO's strategic priorities.

The postholder will operate with delegated authority from the Director of Programmes to coordinate Directorate outputs, manage the Directorate's governance rhythm, drive closure of actions, elevate emerging issues, and lead business improvement activity where cross-functional ownership is unclear or fragmented. This senior enabling role is intended to increase the effectiveness, tempo, and coherence of the Director of Programmes, the Programmes Directorate Senior Leadership Team, and the Directorate's contribution to Observatory-wide delivery.

The SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation with a global footprint, building and operating advanced radio telescopes across the UK, South Africa, and Australia. The Observatory's mission combines major scientific ambition, international collaboration, advanced engineering, software, data, and long-term operations. The Programmes Directorate operates in a complex environment involving construction, systems integration, software delivery, engineering assurance, in-kind contributions, host-country interfaces, financial constraints, evolving operations readiness, and external governance by Member States. The Business Manager must therefore operate across technical, organisational, and political boundaries, ensuring that Directorate outputs are timely, coherent, decision-useful, and aligned to the needs of internal and external governance.

This is a fixed-term role to the end of March 2030 and is based at the SKAO Headquarters at Jodrell Bank, UK. SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory. There may be occasions where this role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

• Act as the principal day-to-day coordinator of Programmes Directorate outputs on behalf of the Director of Programmes.
• Establish and maintain an effective Directorate operating rhythm, including forward agendas, action tracking, decision logs, briefing cycles, escalation routes, and governance preparation.
• Maintain a Directorate-level view of key commitments, actions, risks, issues, decisions, and upcoming governance obligations.
• Ensure Directorate priorities are converted into clear deliverables with named owners, deadlines, dependencies, and completion criteria.
• Proactively identify and resolve gaps, overlaps, duplication, and friction across Directorate teams and between the Directorate and wider Observatory functions.
• Build strong working relationships with Engineering, Software, Telescope Delivery Teams, Operations, Science, Assurance, Finance, Commercial, HR, Legal, IT, and external partner-facing teams.
• Lead coordination of Programmes Directorate inputs to key internal and external governance bodies, including Executive Group, Council, Committee of Council, Finance Committee, Science and Engineering Advisory Committee, Construction Programme Board, and other relevant forums.
• Ensure governance materials are decision-focused, evidence-based, concise, forward-looking, and aligned to the expectations of each forum.
• Maintain a forward governance calendar for the Directorate, identifying upcoming decisions, papers, briefings, risks, and engagement opportunities.
• Coordinate Directorate briefings, papers, presentations, speaking notes, dashboards, and action responses for the Director of Programmes.
• Ensure external governance engagement is proactive rather than reactive, with clear what, who, when, why, and decision-required framing.
• Track and coordinate closure of governance actions, ensuring commitments made to senior bodies are followed through.
• Support the Director of Programmes in preparing for senior stakeholder engagements, including Member-state, partner, contractor, and advisory body interactions.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, streamline, or improve Directorate processes, governance, reporting, and management information.
• Lead targeted business improvement initiatives where the issue cuts across teams or where ownership is unclear.
• Improve the quality, consistency, and usefulness of Directorate reporting, dashboards, briefing materials, and management information.
• Support Directorate planning cycles, including annual planning, quarterly reviews, external governance preparation, strategic priorities, and major Directorate interventions.
• Support integration of programme controls, risk, finance, workforce, technical, and stakeholder information into coherent Directorate-level advice.
• Coordinate preparations for major Directorate events, planning days, reviews, audits, governance sessions, and senior visits.
• Assist the Director of Programmes in maintaining delivery tempo, action closure, and leadership focus.
• Coordinate Directorate messaging for internal and external audiences, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with Observatory priorities.
• Prepare or coordinate high-quality written material for the Director of Programmes, including briefings, notes, presentations, summaries, and action responses.

Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in a relevant discipline such as business management, programme/project management, engineering management, public administration, science administration, strategy, operations, or organisational management.

Significant experience in business management, programme coordination, chief of staff, PMO leadership, executive office, strategy implementation, or complex operational coordination roles. Experience operating directly with senior executives or senior leadership teams. Experience coordinating complex cross-functional activity in a matrix organisation. Experience preparing, coordinating, or quality-assuring senior governance materials, executive briefings, reports, papers, or decision packs. Experience driving action closure, business improvement, and organisational follow-through across multiple teams. Experience working across organisational silos and influencing without direct authority. Experience handling sensitive, ambiguous, or politically complex issues with discretion and sound judgement. Experience improving business rhythms, governance processes, reporting cycles, or operating models.

Experience in a large science, engineering, infrastructure, software, defence, aerospace, research, or intergovernmental environment. Experience in international or Member-state governance environments. Familiarity with major programme delivery, systems integration, technical assurance, software delivery, or construction-to-operations transition. Familiarity with programme controls, risk management, change control, configuration management, or benefits/impact tracking. Experience supporting senior committees, boards, advisory bodies, or external governance structures.