This is a people management role. You will be responsible for day to day management of the team and for defining roles and responsibilities. You will develop your team through sharing information effectively, coaching and communicating a clear vision to ensure that your staff are productive, engaged and motivated to deliver the area's aims. This will include setting clear goals and smart stretching objectives that are aligned to those of the team, division and directorate. You will also be responsible for managing all staff-related matters that may arise.

As the Programme Director, you will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of a complex pan-industry programme with key public milestones in 2023 and 2024. You will possess deep transformation and delivery experience, combined with the knowledge and gravitas to engage at the most senior levels within the Bank. You will also be required to oversee engagement with a significant array of external stakeholders including Direct Participants. The role requires the leadership skills to engage and motivate the whole programme team in a challenging delivery environment.

This is a complex programme involving the implementation of critical national infrastructure, leading a large programme team   of over 200 people, leading the relationship with our Technology Delivery Partner with a similar sized team and a managing a substantial budget.  This programme has a very significant technology component and therefore a key aspect of the role is driving collaborative delivery with internal and third party technology teams. The effective management of stakeholder relationships both internally and with an extensive number of impacted industry partners will be critical. So, as the role holder, you will need to lead the programme teams to ensure internal business readiness and that the associated business change is well implemented within the Bank, as well as assuring external readiness.
 

As the Programme Director, you will be responsible for driving the delivery of the Programme on a day-to-day basis including:

• End-to-end delivery, leading the Programme’s delivery to time, cost and quality, proactively monitoring the Programme’s overall progress, resolving issues and initiating corrective action as appropriate
• governance and controls including programme delivery functions such as planning and RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies), management of the business case and financials  and reporting
• escalating issues to the appropriate, including Governor level, committees, and presenting to these senior stakeholders
• internal and external stakeholder management, supporting internal business areas with expertise to ensure successful business change takes place
• leadership of the Programme ensuring engagement and motivation and well-being, providing a supportive team environment and supporting their personal and professional development. Acting as a role model and ambassador for the Bank’s Values and driving an ethos of collaborative working and empowerment.
• managing the relationship with the Bank as Supervisor of FMIs to ensure the Supervisors are able to provide non-objections at the appropriate points in the Programme lifecycle
• Lead the contract and relationship with Accenture, the Programme’s technology delivery partner. Oversee other third party service providers or vendors associated closely with the Programme. Closely monitor their delivery against well-defined cost, time and quality parameters.

The role involves close collaboration across Technology and Business divisions, who are key to creating and ultimately running and operating the new system.    This is a senior leadership role within the Bank’s Payments Directorate and the Programme Director is expected to play a full part in the wider senior management team.

Number of direct reports: 6

Role Requirements

Essential Criteria

• A consistent record of leading complex programmes, with a cross-industry element.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of building, developing, and leading and motivating teams
• Ability to take an inclusive approach to leadership, bringing out the best in and developing the talents of each individual given a variety of different backgrounds.
• A track record of leading and supporting Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and encouraging others to do the same
• Experience in delivering complex, intellectually demanding projects; and building strategic direction.
• A record of successful Programme delivery throughout the entire lifecycle, handling budgets in excess of £20mn.
• Business change management experience gained from successfully leading the organisational, cultural and stakeholder challenges of a transformation Programme.  Experience of all aspects of Programme management including Programme planning, estimating, budgetary control and RAID management,
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence business decisions to Senior Executive Level with a proven ability to lead a highly complex matrix of stakeholders, in this case within the Bank and across major banks and payment systems.
• Strong organisation skills, with the ability to handle conflicting deadlines and priorities,
• Able to use judgement and provide sound justification for decisions, tailoring approach to delivery based on experience
• Able to work collaboratively across an organisation, building a network of contacts both internally and externally
• Excellent interpersonal skills, significant personal impact and credibility alongside the ability to successfully influence and negotiate in order to advise staff and engender trust with key internal and external stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria

• A background of leading Programmes within the financial sector, and experience of underlying payments technology delivery.
• Experience of organisational design and Target Operating Models
• A recognised Programme or programme management qualification e.g. MSP or PMP.
• Knowledge of the payments industry
• Strong presentation skills to lead events and inspire and motivate the industry to deliver.

The Bank values diversity and inclusion – we want to reflect the society we serve better, we want the best people to work for us and we want our workplace to be inclusive.  We value all forms of diversity, including but not limited to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation.  One way we support diversity and inclusion is through our staff-run networks, 

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive working environment, and are open to considering how the role might be carried out with flexible working.  This role is therefore open to flexible working patterns. 

Where a role can be carried out from home, we are working towards colleagues spending at least half of their time in the office, so that we can all benefit from working together in person, while maintaining the flexibility offered by home working. We expect colleagues to spend a minimum of 40% of their working time in the office per month.  Subject to that minimum requirement, individuals and managers should work together to find what works best for them and their team.

We are also committed to making adjustments for candidates and employees where possible, and have partnered with external expert organisations to support us in this.  We are a member of the Disability Confident scheme, summarised here, and people who wish to apply under this scheme should check the box in the ‘Candidate Personal Information’ under the ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ section of the application.

We anonymise applications so hiring managers will not be able to see your personal information when reviewing your submission, including your CV. Please fully complete the application form questions as requested, as any incomplete submissions may not be reviewed.

The Bank of England is a distinctive institution and our rewards are one of the things that set us apart. As well as enjoying a competitive salary you will work in a collaborative, inclusive environment, with a subsidised restaurant, flexible working opportunities and plenty of wellbeing initiatives.  

This specific role offers a competitive salary, along with our comprehensive benefits package as follows:

•    A non-contributory, career average pension giving you a guaranteed retirement benefit of 1/95th of your annual salary for every year worked. There is the option to increase your pension (to 1/50th) or decrease (to 1/120th) in exchange for salary through our flexible benefits programme each year.
•    A discretionary performance award based on a current award pool.
•    A 7% benefits allowance with the option to take as salary or purchase a wide range of flexible benefits.
•    25 days annual leave with option to buy up to 13 additional days through flexible benefits.
•    Private medical insurance and income protection.