Programme Manager
| Posting date: | 22 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | Competitive |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 October 2025 |
| Location: | Bolton, BL1 1RU |
| Company: | inploi |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 75744026 |
Summary
Grade K £50,269 - £54,495 per annum.
Contract: 18 month Fixed Term Contract, Full Time.
Role specifics Candidates must hold a Degree, or an equivalent professional management qualification.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.
Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process.
If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application
Ask us about flexible working options to fit with your work/life balance - #HappytoTalkFlexible
The Role
Are you ready to lead transformation that makes a real difference?
Bolton Council is searching for a dynamic, driven, and visionary Programme Manager to spearhead complex, high-impact programmes that will shape the future of our borough.
This is more than a job it’s a chance to be at the heart of change, driving projects that:
- Improve lives
- Deliver innovation
- Ensure value for money across our services
You’ll join a close-knit team of Programme Managers who are deployed across the organisation, working at the cutting edge of delivery to support our biggest priorities.
What you’ll be doing
At Bolton Council, we are ambitious for our borough and passionate about delivering the best for our communities. As a Programme Manager, you will:
- Lead large-scale, cross-Council transformation programmes with confidence and clarity
- Collaborate with partners, colleagues, and stakeholders to align projects with corporate priorities
- Drive delivery using structured programme management methodologies
- Provide expert advice to senior leaders and elected Members
- Manage programme performance, risks, finances, and reporting with precision
- Champion a customer-first approach, ensuring our services meet the needs of residents and businesses
- Work on projects that deliver real impact
- Shape services that support thousands of residents and businesses
- Be part of a supportive, forward-thinking organisation that values innovation and collaboration
About You
We need someone who is:
- Experienced in delivering complex programmes in a public service environment
- Skilled at building trusted relationships at all levels
- Confident in managing budgets, risks, and performance
- Passionate about driving innovation and achieving meaningful outcomes
- Adaptable, resilient, and motivated to make a positive difference for the people of Bolton
We’re looking for someone who has the experience, skills and knowledge to hit the ground running.
You’ll need to be a strategic thinker, with a degree and relevant professional qualification with proven experience in programme or project management ideally within a public sector or complex organisational setting.
The successful candidate will bring a proactive, problem-solving mindset with a passion for making things better. You’ll need to bring strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, supported by knowledge of structured methodologies (e.g. PRINCE 2, ITIL) and planning tools.
For a confidential chat about the role, please contact Daniel Robinson on 07385 534 362 during office hours.
Does this sound like you? if this sounds like you, please submit your application by Sunday 5th October with your CV and a covering letter detailing your answer to the following two questions which is linked to the person specification;
1) Describe a programme that you’ve managed where you had to balance competing priorities across multiple projects, and explain how you ensured alignment with strategic objectives and governance requirements?
2) Explain about a time that you’ve managed complex stakeholder groups with conflicting interests. How did you secure buy-in and keep the programme on track?
About Us
This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.
Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents.
As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services.
Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too.
Ready to apply? Then please click Apply and upload your anonymised CV and supporting statement discussing your relevant skills and experience and explain how you believe they make you a strong fit for this role.
Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply.
This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.
This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the comitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.
For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact recruitment@bolton.gov.uk
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