Strategic Project Director - Transition and Transformation in London

We are looking for a Strategic Programme Director with deep expertise in large, complex outsourcing environments and a proven ability to lead across the full bid‑to‑delivery lifecycle. From shaping winning propositions and supporting bids, through to leading delivery and managing the transition of new contracts into operation, you will play a pivotal role in driving programme success. DV clearance is essential, alongside the capability to lead high‑value, high‑risk programmes across multiple clients and geographies. This role is hybrid variable, within a commutable distance to our London office and travel to client sites is expected.

What you’ll be doing

• Understand business requirements and nuances of programmes as they relate to relevant sectors, customers and key service offerings.
• Support the Sales and Bid teams in securing successful business for the client and Sopra Steria by leading the overall solution design, programme shaping and case creation, including systems architecture, cost, commercial and contractual viability and identification of risk levels.
• Ensure that all projects are appropriately constructed and delivered within the time frame expected by the customer and the commercial team, handling client expectations and providing thought leadership and management to team leaders.
• Lead the commercial elements of projects (internal costs, external suppliers) to identify and drive the best commercial delivery option and to manage delivery within agreed tolerances, ensuring all parties are fully aware of costs.
• Record and deliver the customer’s quality expectations of an entire programme and the constituent results, ensuring that suppliers and team members understand, are committed to and deliver those expectations.
• Ensure all partners are committed to the programme and have complete awareness of the critical path to be followed, including the status of projects against agreed criteria.
• Raise awareness of and mitigate risks, issues and change in a cost‑effective and timely manner.
• Sell the complete range of Sopra Steria products and services at every opportunity either personally to clients or by supporting others in preparing sales presentations.
• Co‑ordinate an extended team, agreeing, driving delivery, reviewing and approving projects and applying a wide management capability including setting objectives.
• Ensure effective client engagement and stakeholder management by reviewing, assessing, motivating and leading team performance.

What you’ll bring

• Formal programme and project management accreditation, such as PRINCE2, MSP or an equivalent recognised methodology.
• Proven experience leading the delivery of large, complex outsourcing or managed service programmes, operating across multiple clients, geographies and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrable expertise across the full programme lifecycle, including supporting bids and solution development, mobilisation, delivery, and the successful transition of new business wins into live service.
• Strong track record of leading high‑profile, high‑risk programmes and portfolios, delivering to agreed time, cost, quality, governance and revenue objectives.
• Experience operating within highly regulated environments, ideally within public sector or central government settings.
• Strong technology‑enabled change or IT services background, with the ability to lead across large, complex organisational landscapes.
• Current DV clearance.

Employment Type: Full‑time/Permanent

Location: South East

Security Clearance Level: DV

Internal Recruiter: Amy

Salary: Competitive

Benefits: 10% bonus, £6,600 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private medical, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund.

Although this role is advertised as full‑time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase your motivation, reduce stress and improve performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. If you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

We embrace difference as a source of creativity, innovation and competitive advantage and are striving to become a more diverse organisation. We welcome applications from people with a diverse variety of backgrounds and identities. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status.

We have partnered with Vercida, the UK's largest diversity and inclusion focused careers site, where all our vacancies are available in an accessible format. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, please let us know when completing your application.

We participate in the Disability Confident scheme and are committed to offering an interview to any candidate with a disability, who meets the minimum criteria for the role. If you believe this could apply to you, please let us know when completing your application.