At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead exciting projects, ensuring they align with our strategic goals and deliver real impact.
- Company: Join the iconic Waterstones team, a cornerstone of bookselling in the UK and Ireland.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive work environment, competitive pay, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: We value diversity and inclusion, creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team that drives change and innovation in the book industry.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing complex programmes and strong communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 € per year.
Based in The Book Hub, Burton Upon Trent, we are looking for a Programme Manager to join our friendly and dynamic team here at the Waterstones Book Hub in Burton Upon Trent. You will provide the overarching coordination needed when multiple, inter‑dependent projects are running at once. Ensure all projects align to the same strategic goals, manage complex dependencies, and maintain a high‑level view of progress, risks, and priorities. To oversee shared timelines, resources, and decision‑making structures, prevent duplication, minimise delays, and ensure issues in one area don’t derail the wider programme. You will be able to create consistent governance, reporting, and communication across all projects, giving leaders clear, consolidated insight. The programme manager keeps the entire set of projects moving in sync and focused on delivering the intended business outcomes, not just individual outputs.
What you will be doing
- Strategic Alignment: Ensure all projects within the programme align to overarching business goals and desired outcomes. Maintain focus on benefits realisation rather than just project delivery. Identify, map, and actively manage inter‑dependencies across projects. Anticipate risks that could impact multiple workstreams and coordinate mitigations.
- Governance & Decision‑Making: Establish and run governance forums (e.g., Steering Committees, working groups). Escalate issues appropriately and ensure timely decision‑making.
- Integrated Planning & Roadmapping: Build and maintain the overall programme plan, ensuring that timelines across projects align. Adjust sequencing to accommodate changes or delays without impacting critical outcomes.
- Resource Coordination: Oversee shared resourcing across teams, resolving conflicts or bottlenecks. Ensure capacity planning is accurate and sustainable.
- Stakeholder Management & Communication: Act as the central communication point across all projects and leadership levels. Provide clear, consolidated reporting so stakeholders have full visibility of progress and risks.
- Standards, Processes & Quality Assurance: Drive consistency in reporting, RAID logs, change control, and delivery approaches across projects. Ensure each project follows agreed governance and quality standards.
- Benefits Tracking & Value Delivery: Monitor whether the combined programme is delivering its intended commercial, operational, or transformational benefits. Adjust course where necessary to maximise value.
What we need from you
- Demonstrable experience leading complex, multi‑workstream programmes with inter‑dependent timelines.
- Strong track record of delivering business transformation, operational change, or technology‑enabled programmes.
- Cross‑Functional Leadership: Skilled at influencing senior stakeholders and managing governance forums such as Steering Committees. Extensive experience identifying, managing, and mitigating cross‑project risks, dependencies, and resource conflicts.
- Resource & Budget Oversight: Background in managing programme budgets, resource planning, and capacity management across concurrent projects.
- Strategic Planning & Benefits Realisation: Experience developing end‑to‑end programme roadmaps. Ability to track and drive benefits realisation, not just deliverables.
- Change Management Exposure: Experience working with change teams to ensure smooth adoption, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
- Strong Reporting & Communication Skills: Ability to consolidate complex programme information into clear, executive‑level reporting and summaries.
- Professional Certifications: MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), APM PMQ/PPQ, PMP (Project Management Professional), Agile or SAFe certifications.
Person Profile: Strategic, composed, and highly organised leader who thrives in complex, fast‑moving environments. Proactive and calm under pressure, able to spot risks early, connect the dots quickly, and bring clarity where there is ambiguity. Strong communicator and influencer, capable of engaging with stakeholders at every level—from hands‑on project teams to senior executives. Pragmatic yet detail‑aware, balance long‑term strategic thinking with the ability to get into operational detail when needed. Solutions‑focused, delivery‑driven mentality, with the confidence to challenge constructively, make tough prioritisation calls, and guide teams through uncertainty or change. Demonstrate high emotional intelligence, resilience, and a collaborative approach, brings people together, fosters accountability, and maintains momentum across multiple workstreams.
Why work for Waterstones: Waterstones is the cornerstone of bookselling across the UK and Ireland. Joining Waterstones means being an active part in a success story that began in 1982, and books are as popular now as the day we started. Trading across the UK, Ireland and Europe, we are present in over 300 shopping locations, where Waterstones continues to thrive, each year actively pursuing a programme of new bookshop openings. Online at Waterstones.com, we meanwhile mirror the essence of our bookshops, further showcasing the unique enthusiasm and knowledge of our booksellers. If you have the relevant essential experience and you are interested, we would love to hear from you.
Waterstones is committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and is dedicated toward eliminating unlawful discrimination. Our aim is to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel fully respected and to be able to give their best.
Diversity Statement: At Waterstones, we are committed to creating a workplace that is fair and inclusive to people from all backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, and we strive to promote an inclusive work culture. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment processes are free from bias, and our aim is to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel fully respected and able to give their best.
Reasonable Adjustments: We understand that some disabled applicants may, due to the nature of their disability, find some parts of the recruitment process challenging. If you need any reasonable adjustments during any part of the interview process, please make these known either to your interviewer or the person you liaise with when setting up your interview.
Program Manager in Burton upon Trent employer: Waterstones
Waterstones is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant and inclusive work culture at The Book Hub in Burton Upon Trent. As a Programme Manager, you will thrive in a dynamic environment that values collaboration and innovation, with ample opportunities for professional growth and development. Join a company that not only champions diversity and equity but also plays a pivotal role in the literary community, ensuring that every employee feels respected and empowered to contribute their best.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Program Manager in Burton upon Trent
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it relates to the Programme Manager role. Highlight your skills in managing complex projects and inter-dependencies, and don’t forget to showcase your strategic thinking.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our dynamic team at Waterstones. Don’t miss out!
We think you need these skills to ace Program Manager in Burton upon Trent
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in managing complex, multi-workstream programmes. We want to see how your skills align with our needs, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:As a Programme Manager, strong communication is key. Use your application to demonstrate how you've effectively communicated with stakeholders at all levels. We love seeing examples of clear reporting and how you’ve kept everyone in the loop.
Highlight Your Strategic Thinking:We’re looking for someone who can think strategically while managing the nitty-gritty details. In your application, share instances where you’ve successfully aligned projects with business goals and driven benefits realisation.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Waterstones
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the projects you’ll be managing. Familiarise yourself with their goals, timelines, and inter-dependencies. This will help you demonstrate your ability to align them with overarching business objectives during the discussion.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Be prepared to discuss how you’ve successfully managed complex programmes in the past. Highlight specific examples where you identified risks, managed resources, and ensured that all projects were aligned with strategic goals. This will show your potential employer that you can think critically and strategically.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
As a Programme Manager, clear communication is key. Practice summarising complex information into concise points. During the interview, focus on how you would report progress and risks to stakeholders, ensuring they have full visibility of the programme’s status.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Skills
Prepare to discuss your experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing governance forums. Share examples of how you’ve influenced senior stakeholders and resolved conflicts. This will illustrate your capability to lead effectively in a dynamic environment.
