Programme Lead: Place-Based Regeneration in St Helens

Making a Difference

Whatever stage of your career, working in the public sector puts you at the heart of communities. Our workforce provides services to our residents day in and day out, making a positive impact on people’s lives. We could not do this without the dedication, professionalism and strength of our workforce. There are so many reasons to choose to work at St Helens Council including the fantastic range of employee benefits and rewards on offer.

Shape the future of St Helens Borough

St Helens Borough is delivering one of the most ambitious regeneration programmes in the region. Our town centres, neighbourhoods, and community assets are undergoing major transformation — strengthening local pride, unlocking economic growth, and creating places where people want to live, work, visit, and invest. To drive this change, we are recruiting three Programme Leads to join our Growth Delivering Prosperity Team. Each role will be the lead for a flagship programme, working with partners, communities, and delivery teams to turn bold plans into visible, high‑quality outcomes. These are high‑profile, career defining roles in an award winning team, offering the chance to make a tangible impact on the borough’s future.

About the roles

Each Programme Lead will take responsibility for a major place‑based programme, ensuring strong governance, effective delivery, and alignment with the borough’s long‑term ambitions.

• Programme Lead – Earlestown: Leading the transformation of Earlestown town centre — a heritage‑rich, strategically important market town with significant potential. You will oversee improvements to public realm, transport connectivity, market revitalisation, and development opportunities that will reshape the town’s identity and unlock new economic growth. The team have been successful with several funding streams meaning that these improvements are already in delivery, ready for building upon, and maximising positive outcomes for Earlestown.
• Programme Lead – Pride in Place Newton‑le‑Willows: Working with the established Neighbourhood Board, the Programme Lead will be focused on a community led approach to strengthening local pride, improving neighbourhoods, and enhancing the everyday experience of residents. You will coordinate investment in public spaces, community assets, and local centres to create a more vibrant, connected Newton‑le‑Willows.
• Programme Lead – Pride in Place Town Centre East & Fingerpost: Following appointment of the Neighbourhood Board in Summer 2026, the Programme Lead will be focused on fostering a sense of pride in the community through projects which are meaningfully shaped by the community, and will make a real difference to how they feel about their local area.

You will be a part of a team leading some of the most transformational regeneration programmes in the Northwest. This is a really exciting time to be part of the St Helens journey. The Strategic Growth Department leads St Helens Borough Council’s ambition to build a stronger, greener, more prosperous future. Bringing together regeneration, economic development, planning, housing, transport, and place‑shaping, the department delivers the programmes and policies that drive sustainable growth and improved opportunities for residents. These Programme Lead roles sit at the heart of this mission, within the Growth Delivering Prosperity section of the department — offering the chance to make a visible impact and contribute directly to the borough’s transformation.

Who we’re looking for

We are seeking programme leaders who are:

• Experienced in meaningful, ongoing community consultation.
• Experienced in place‑based regeneration, capital delivery, or complex programme management.
• Skilled at building strong partnerships and leading Boards.
• Confident in leading multidisciplinary teams including managing external teams.
• Able to translate strategic ambitions into clear delivery plans and measurable outcomes.
• Passionate about creating vibrant, inclusive, sustainable places.

Please contact Mary Jefferson or Robert Gatensbury at maryjefferson@sthelens.gov.uk or Robertgatensbury@sthelens.gov.uk for an informal discussion.

St Helens Council is officially recognised as one of the region’s leading fair employers, achieving accredited status under the Liverpool City Combined Authority Fair Employment Charter. The Charter recognises the ongoing commitment to fair pay, secure work, training & progression & staff well-being whilst celebrating employers who go above and beyond for their workforce providing an inclusive and supportive environment.

Equality & Diversity

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our organisation. The Council guarantees an interview to disabled applicants who demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria for the job, as detailed on the Person Specification, and will, for qualifying disabled candidates, make reasonable adjustments within selection. All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan Principles.

You can review full Job Description and Person Specifications as attachments with this advert. Be scam aware: St Helens Council will never ask applicants to share payment information or charge recruitment fees when applying for vacancies. If in doubt, contact recruitment@sthelens.gov.uk.