Programme Manager (12-month FTC)

Are you ready to be a catalyst for transformational change at the world’s largest trade book publisher?

We’re recruiting for an experienced Programme Manager to join us on a 12-month FTC, covering a period of parental leave. In this role you will report into one of our Programme Portfolio Directors and play a critical role in our Operational Senior Leadership team.

Join our Strategic Projects team, a critical part of our Operations division here at Penguin Random House UK. As a vital part of our operations, including Technology, Facilities, and Distribution, Strategic Projects drive initiatives that align with our strategic priorities and support essential updates to core processes and systems. From initial conversations and prioritisations to full implementation, you’ll collaborate with departments across Penguin and DK to ensure seamless transitions and lasting impact.

The role

As our incoming Programme Manager, you will be accountable for the end-to-end delivery of assigned programme and project objectives, from inception to close-down. This role encompasses full responsibility for the technology programme deliverables, ensuring their acceptance and the success of each project within their remit. You will shape and manage multiple complex projects within a portfolio of work, ensuring on-time delivery with minimal business interruption.

Key responsibilities include managing a programme budget, overseeing the realisation of programme benefits, and handling programme dependencies. The Programme Manager will also lead and mentor a team of project managers, coordinating multi-party delivery teams both internally and externally. This position demands a strategic approach to managing resources, timelines, and stakeholder expectations, ensuring seamless execution and delivery of projects and projects including process improvements, M&A, and a range of technology hardware, software and data migrations and management reporting.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the entire programme lifecycle from initiation through to successful delivery and Hypercare, ensuring all deliverables are met.

• Establish and define the programme’s organisational structure, governance frameworks, and sponsorship requirements.

• Develop, baseline, and maintain comprehensive programme roadmaps that align with strategic objectives, regularly updating and tracking progress.

• Monitor the programme budget, track expenditures, identify potential risks, and implement mitigation actions to ensure financial control.

• Ensure each project within the programme is resourced with individuals possessing the necessary skills and experience, continuously adjusting allocations as needed.

• Proactively manage and resolve project escalations, risks, and dependencies through timely reviews and swift resolution.

• Oversee vendor management activities, ensuring tight control, appropriate sign-offs, and reviewing and approving vendor statements of work (SOWs).

• Lead, support, and motivate the programme team, fostering a collaborative environment and ensuring project teams meet goals and milestones.

• Communicate effectively with project sponsors, Steering Groups, and stakeholders, translating technical details into business terminology to ensure confidence and buy-in.

• Manage the full programme lifecycle, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, managing scope and changes, and driving feasibility studies and vendor selection.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive programme management experience managing large cross-functional teams.

• Expert knowledge of SCRUM, Waterfall and Agile project management frameworks and methodologies.

• Experience of delivering large-scale system to system migrations, building new pipelines to data warehouses, and development of management reporting.

• Proven success in providing leadership, building, and motivating project teams to meet goals, adhere to responsibilities, and achieve milestones.

• Strong logical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent organisational skills, proactive, and comfortable working in a dynamic project and programme delivery environment.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present and explain technical information effectively to establish rapport and persuade others.

• Awareness of IT frameworks such as ITILv3 and the software development process, including requirement gathering, analysis/design, development tools and technologies, release/version control, testing, and deployment management.

Our approach to hybrid working:

While our offices are places for you to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, having flexibility about where you work is just as important for doing your best work and for your wellbeing. So, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how we work in different teams across Penguin Random House UK.

This is a hybrid role based in our offices in London, with occasional travel to Colchester, as there are activities and meetings that you will need to support in-person. We are happy to discuss hybrid working arrangements with you during your recruitment process.

About Penguin: 

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone. 

Application deadline: Please apply with your CV and cover letter by 11:59PM on Tuesday 5th November.

What you can expect from us:

Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition. Our benefits include:

• Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance

• Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks

• Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme,  free and discounted books

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we're part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can't take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW11 7BW 

Job ID: 274877