At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and deliver strategic programmes, ensuring alignment and execution across teams.
- Company: Join Essentra Components, a global leader in essential industrial components.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous leave, and employee discounts.
- Other info: Hybrid role with opportunities for growth in a collaborative culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving complex projects in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing large-scale programmes and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 β¬ per year.
The Programme Manager is responsible for driving the end-to-end delivery of our top strategic programme, moving it from planning into execution, and ensuring workstreams are aligned, sequenced, and delivering against agreed outcomes. This role provides structure, pace and control across a complex, cross-functional programme ensuring dependencies are managed, risks are surfaced early and leadership has clear visibility of progress and decisions required.
Key Responsibilities:
- Programme Planning & Delivery
- Build and maintain an integrated programme plan, linking all workstreams into a single coherent view.
- Translate high-level milestones into detailed, executable delivery plans and sequencing.
- Drive progression from Level 1 alignment into Level 2 delivery planning and execution.
- Ensure all MVP-critical milestones and decisions are defined, tracked, and delivered.
- Dependency & Risk Management
- Identify and manage cross-workstream dependencies and interdependencies.
- Proactively surface risks, constraints, and blockers and drive resolution.
- Ensure assumptions, risks, and dependencies are clearly captured and owned across workstreams.
- Governance & Reporting
- Establish and run programme governance (SteerCo, GEC, Board updates as required).
- Provide clear, concise reporting on progress, risks, and key decisions.
- Maintain core programme artefacts (PID, WIDs, integrated plan, benefits view) as a single source of truth.
- Ensure alignment across sponsors, workstream leads, and stakeholders.
- Cross-Functional Alignment
- Facilitate structured working sessions to align teams on deliverables, sequencing, and priorities.
- Drive collaboration across Product, Commercial, Technology, and Operations teams.
- Challenge and support workstream leads to ensure plans are realistic, joined-up, and deliverable.
- Resource, Capacity & Delivery Readiness
- Ensure clarity on resource requirements, capacity, and funding needs across workstreams.
- Support mobilisation of teams as the programme moves from planning into execution.
- Track delivery readiness and support go/no-go decisions at key milestones.
- Stakeholder Management
- Act as the central point of coordination for programme leadership and stakeholders.
- Maintain strong relationships with sponsors, workstream leads, and senior leadership.
- Ensure alignment on priorities, trade-offs, and decisions required to move forward.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Proven experience managing large-scale, cross-functional transformation programmes.
- Strong planning capability - able to move from high-level milestones to detailed, executable plans.
- Track record of managing dependencies, risks, and complex stakeholder environments.
- Ability to drive pace, challenge constructively, and bring structure to ambiguity.
- Strong communication skills - able to simplify complex information for senior audiences.
- Experience working across multiple functions (commercial, product, technology, operations).
Ways of Working:
- Dynamic and pragmatic, able to balance structure with pace and outcomes.
- An agile thinker, comfortable working with ambiguity and adapting as the programme evolves.
- Collaborative by nature, comfortable iterating with stakeholders to solve complex problems.
- Able to maintain appropriate process and discipline, without allowing process to become overly restrictive.
- Practical and pragmatic, recognising that as a 300m revenue organisation, we need proportionate, value-adding process.
What we offer:
- Competitive Salary.
- Up to 5% matched pension contribution.
- 4x annual salary life assurance.
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata).
- Employee discounts through MyDiscounts platform.
- Eyecare Vouchers.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
This is a hybrid role, with 3 days per week based in either our Oxford or Jarrow office.
Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX employer: What Jobs
Essentra Components is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide comprehensive benefits including competitive salaries, generous leave, and a supportive environment that encourages professional development. Located in Oxford, our hybrid working model allows for flexibility while being part of a global leader in the manufacturing industry, ensuring that every team member contributes to our vision of being the world's leading supplier of essential industrial components.
StudySmarter Expert Adviceπ€«
We think this is how you could land Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX
β¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or attend industry events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
β¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with yours. This will help you tailor your responses and show you're genuinely interested in the role.
β¨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. The more comfortable you are speaking about your experience and skills, the better you'll perform when it counts.
β¨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and keep you top of mind for the hiring team. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the position.
We think you need these skills to ace Programme Manager - Oxford, OX5 1HX
Some tips for your application π«‘
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Programme Manager role. Highlight your experience in managing large-scale, cross-functional programmes and how you've successfully driven projects from planning to execution.
Showcase Your Skills:Donβt forget to emphasise your strong planning capabilities and your knack for managing dependencies and risks. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to simplify complex information for senior audiences.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We want to see your communication skills shine through, so avoid jargon and make sure your key achievements are easy to spot.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. Itβs the best way for us to receive your application and ensures youβre considered for this exciting opportunity with StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at What Jobs
β¨Know the Programme Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the programme's goals and how it aligns with the company's vision. Familiarise yourself with the key responsibilities outlined in the job description, especially around planning, delivery, and stakeholder management.
β¨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Experience
Be ready to discuss your experience managing large-scale, cross-functional programmes. Prepare specific examples that highlight your ability to drive collaboration across different teams, such as Product, Commercial, Technology, and Operations, and how you've successfully navigated complex stakeholder environments.
β¨Demonstrate Your Risk Management Skills
Since risk management is crucial for this role, come prepared with examples of how you've identified and managed risks in previous projects. Discuss how you proactively surfaced issues and drove resolutions, ensuring that dependencies were clearly captured and owned.
β¨Communicate Clearly and Concisely
Strong communication skills are essential for simplifying complex information for senior audiences. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely, focusing on how you can provide clear reporting on progress, risks, and key decisions during the programme.