Technical Programme Manager in Gloucester

UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to higher education. UCAS is the world’s leading shared admissions service for higher education. We provide application services for UK universities and colleges as well as delivering a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers. We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We're committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers — they're at the heart of everything we do.

Business Unit Description

The purpose of our People and Change team is to motivate and mobilise our people to deliver organisational change, enabling us to stay ahead of customer expectations and provide exceptional service. We aim to create an environment which brings together diverse thinking, passion and expertise to work together in delivering our mission and strategy. We shape the culture and ways of working, identify and hire the right capabilities and talent, help people use their strengths and potential to learn and grow, and measure and monitor success so we know our work is having a positive impact. We want UCAS to be a great employer where colleagues are enabled to reach their fullest potential and our team is at the heart of this ambition.

About The Role

Contractual Hours: 35.00

To plan, execute, and complete a programme of work to achieve UCAS’ strategic objectives. Overseeing individual projects directly as well as coordinating the duties of one or more project managers, creating an environment where individual initiatives can succeed.

Key accountabilities

• Plan, execute, and complete multiple large and complex streams of work to achieve a common goal and business objectives, in accordance with UCAS project management principles.
• Facilitate the writing of business cases, including helping to define objectives and scope to secure the required operational and financial resources to prevent conflicts or delays.
• Coordinate and supervise the duties of one or more project managers to ensure quality of service.
• Coach and develop team members.
• Work with project managers, senior and executive management, and cross-functional teams to plan schedules, budgets and goals.
• Coordinate multiple teams across different professional disciplines to create programme timelines and milestones.
• Identify and manage dependencies, working closely with the product-focused multi-disciplinary Teams (MDTs) to negotiate and prioritise the work within the product roadmaps within the required timeframes via the Demand Management Forum.
• Manage programme level risks implementing innovative and pragmatic solutions to risks and issues as they arise.

Skills, Qualifications, And Experience

• Strong background in managing large-scale, complex technical projects or programmes to completion (background in networks and Cloud infrastructure would be beneficial).
• A background in software development, data science or engineering where you’ve spent time as a technical or data professional.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts and challenges to non-technical audiences.
• Proven track record of utilising different project management approaches and methodologies in a blended way to deliver successfully (formal project management qualification preferred).
• Extensive experience of working in Agile/Scrum environment (essential).
• Experience of managing and developing a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with an ability to influence stakeholders up to Director level, and across the organisation.
• Experience of managing offshore/onshore teams of resource.
• Substantial experience of budget and supplier management to ensure control of spend and value for money is achieved.
• Possesses tenacity, drive and a proactive approach to recognise, intercept and address challenges early.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key project stakeholders to establish support and minimise resistance to the change.
• A high degree of personal initiative, with the drive and ability to meet challenging goals.

Package

• Salary – up to £65,000.
• Purpose-driven work in a charity-led organisation connecting people to education and opportunity.
• Internal training, mentoring, and access to industry-recognised certifications through our development academies.
• Hybrid working model built on trust and flexibility, with a 35-hour week and flexible contracts.
• 30 days annual leave, 3 concessionary days over Christmas, bank holidays, and the option to purchase additional leave.
• Everyday wellbeing support through Perkbox, offering discounts and wellness tools.
• Onsite facilities including a free gym, subsidised café, and free parking at our Cheltenham office.
• Inclusive culture supported by employee networks, wellbeing champions, and Mental Health First Aiders.
• Recognition and reward through our quarterly employee scheme and an ex-gratia bonus for going above and beyond.

Studies have shown that some groups of people are less likely to apply to a role unless they tick every box. At UCAS, we recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to delivering a fair and equitable recruitment process where applicants have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills.