Programme Manager (Local Government Transformation) – Paying up to £750 Per Day, Inside IR35, Based in Reading, Hybrid Working (2 or 3 days per week on site), To Start ASAP, 6 Month Contract

Your new company

Step into a pivotal leadership role within a large, forward-thinking Upper Tier Authority delivering a high-profile Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This is a once in a generation transformation that will reshape how services are delivered, bringing together multiple councils into a single, modern, unitary organisation. This ambitious proposal is focused on creating a simpler, more efficient model that improves outcomes for residents while strengthening financial sustainability and operational resilience. As the programme now moves from proposal into delivery, there is a strong demand for Programme Managers who have already been involved in recent LGR activity, particularly during the early-stage conversations and proposal development phases within other local authorities. This experience is seen as critical in ensuring momentum and delivery confidence from day one.

Your new role

This is a senior Programme Manager role leading one of the core workstreams within a complex LGR programme. You will be responsible for translating strategic intent into structured delivery, ensuring your workstream progresses from planning through to implementation in line with programme objectives. You will take ownership of delivery across key areas such as systems, finance, procurement, relationships or customer experience, ensuring that plans, milestones and dependencies are clearly defined and actively managed. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will bring structure, pace and clarity, ensuring work moves from workshops and design into tangible, deliverable outcomes. A key requirement for this role is prior involvement in recent LGR programmes within the last 6-9 months, particularly where you have contributed to early conversations, shaping proposals or supporting submissions. This experience will enable you to quickly understand the context, anticipate challenges and accelerate delivery as the programme progresses. Candidates with this background will be strongly prioritised. Operating within a multi-council environment, you will manage complexity across different organisations, systems and ways of working, ensuring alignment and consistency while navigating local variation. You will play a critical role in identifying risks, resolving cross-cutting challenges and ensuring dependencies across workstreams are understood and managed effectively. You will also contribute to programme-level decision-making, providing clear updates, options and recommendations to senior leadership, ensuring that delivery remains on track and aligned to the broader transformation vision. This is a highly visible role where your ability to drive progress and maintain grip will be key to success.

What you'll need to succeed

You will bring significant experience leading complex programmes or workstreams within local government, with recent, hands-on involvement in Local Government Reorganisation activity being absolutely critical. We are specifically looking for candidates who have been involved in LGR programmes within the last 6-9 months, particularly those who have supported councils through the early-stage conversations, proposal development and submission phases. This experience is highly valuable as the programme moves from proposal into delivery and candidates with this background will be prioritised. You will have a strong track record of translating strategy into delivery, managing multiple priorities and working across organisational boundaries without direct authority. Experience managing interdependencies across systems, finance, procurement or service delivery functions is essential. You will be confident engaging senior stakeholders, influencing decisions and holding teams to account, with a clear focus on outcomes and delivery pace. Strong risk management capability, structured programme planning and excellent communication skills are key, alongside the ability to remain calm and effective in complex, fast-moving environments. Local government experience is a strict prerequisite for this role.

What you'll get in return

This role offers the opportunity to play a central part in delivering one of the most significant transformation programmes in the region. You will have direct influence over how services are shaped in the future, working at the heart of a high-profile programme with strong senior visibility. Alongside a competitive day rate, you will benefit from flexible working and strong potential for contract extension as the programme evolves.

What you need to do now

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