Lead, Programme Management

Overview

In this role you will lead Pearson’s government contract delivery programme, unifying multiple workstreams into one coherent delivery view. You’ll drive risk-aware, end-to-end execution and maintain credibility with the STA through clear, client-focused communication. You’ll establish programme rhythms, connect activities across teams and provide senior governance with reliable readiness and progress insights. This is a chance to shape large-scale assessment delivery and improve services for schools, educators and learners across the UK.

Pay / Benefits

• benefits under Pearson UK scheme
• flexible/hybrid working
• competitive rewards
• diverse teams and family-friendly policies

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain the integrated delivery view across the programme, linking workstream plans, milestones and dependencies
• Translate strategic priorities and contractual commitments into executable delivery plans
• Challenge assumptions, identify emerging risks and drive timely action
• Provide assurance, risk management and performance reporting to senior governance forums
• Coordinate readiness, capacity and contingency planning across assessment cycles
• Lead incident response, service recovery and lessons learned to drive improvements
• Strengthen operational controls, scalability, service resilience and continuous improvement
• Foster collaboration across workstreams and hold teams accountable for shared outcomes
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, suppliers and the STA
• Keep schools, educators and learners at the centre of operational decisions and communications

Key requirements

• Proven experience leading large-scale operational, programme or service delivery in a complex environment
• Strong track record of integrating plans, managing dependencies and using risk and readiness management to protect delivery
• Excellent stakeholder-management, influencing and client-facing skills with credibility to engage senior leaders
• Data-led approach to performance, governance and continuous improvement
• Strong people skills, ability to motivate teams and navigate challenging conversations
• Calm, decisive and customer-focused when priorities shift or issues emerge

• stakeholder-management
• leadership
• communication
• risk management
• readiness and performance reporting
• dependency management

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