Programme Delivery Manager - SC Cleared at MOD, Abbey Wood/Remote, 5 Months, £Contract Rate

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence, as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

The MOD is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and the single largest customer for UK industry. It currently manages approximately £20 billion of spend on capital investments in equipment and infrastructure every year. Over the next decade the MOD is committed to spending over £190 billion on equipment and support. The MOD’s customers include both the armed forces and national security agencies, and it has a diverse range of requirements, including military fighting vehicles, education services, nuclear submarines and facilities management.

The MOD’s aim is to provide its armed forces with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK’s security and advance national interests, both now and in the long term.

To do this the MOD has an annual budget of almost £53 billion and a workforce comprising 197,000 people. of which 54,000 are civilians working for the UK MOD.

The work really matters; the MOD offers a range of engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services they provide, in many locations across the UK. We support teams working in HR, Primary Health Care, Corporate Services, and many others.

PLEASE NOTE: SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

Job Purpose

The Programme Delivery Manager exists to help The Accelerator and customers convert strategic intent into practical delivery.

The role operates across strategic, operational and organisational initiatives, ensuring that priorities are translated into action, momentum is maintained and outcomes are progressed. The postholder will work directly with leaders, delivery teams and stakeholders to coordinate activity, resolve blockers, support decision-making and contribute to the design and implementation of improvements.

The role is not a traditional programme office or governance position. Whilst governance products, action trackers, plans and reporting may be used where appropriate, they exist only to support delivery. The primary purpose of the role is to proactively help initiatives progress and achieve outcomes.

The postholder is expected to actively contribute to delivery activity, not simply coordinate it. They will participate in organisational development, operating model design, planning activities, stakeholder engagement and implementation work and help others remain aligned and accountable for delivery.

Despite its seniority, this is a hands-on role. The postholder will be expected to undertake substantive work directly, rather than relying on others to deliver it, and to operate proactively on their own initiative with little direction. The role requires a high degree of personal organisation and independent judgement, including the ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, initiate action and drive activity forward.

As a Programme Delivery Manager, your main responsibilities will be:

• Strategic InitiativeDelivery
  • Work with senior leaders to shape and progress strategic priorities.
  • Help translate business objectives into deliverable initiatives.
  • Ensure agreed actions are actively pursued and progressed.
  • Contribute directly to planning and delivery activity.
• Organisational Development
  • Support the evolution of the Accelerator operating model.
  • Develop practical proposals to improve effectiveness, efficiency and service maturity.
  • Contribute directly to business design and implementation activities.
  • Coordinate adoption of agreed improvements.
• Stakeholder Coordination
  • Build effective working relationships with stakeholder communities.
  • Facilitate collaboration between teams and functions.
  • Ensure stakeholders remain informed, aligned and engaged.
• Delivery Leadership
  • Identify barriers preventing progress and take action to resolve them.
  • Challenge inactivity, ambiguity and unnecessary delay.
  • Promote delivery focus and accountability.
  • Create momentum around priority activities.
• Governance and Assurance
  • Provide proportionate governance support where required.
  • Prepare papers, presentations, briefings and decision support materials.
  • Maintain visibility of strategic actions, risks, dependencies and opportunities where doing so supports delivery.

Essential:

• Strong delivery leadership experience.
• Evidence of working successfully in ambiguous and evolving environments.
• Experience working directly with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to influence without formal authority.
• Experience coordinating complex initiatives involving multiple teams.
• Ability to identify actions and work proactively with minimal supervision.
• Experience contributing directly to organisational improvement, change or delivery initiatives.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution.