London, UK
Senior programme manager
at Design Council
Design Council is hiring a senior programme manager to join its team in London, UK.
Welcome from the Chief Executive Minnie Moll:
I joined Design Council on 1 March this year and feel so proud to be leading an organisation with such an amazing heritage and reputation. The caliber of our people, the extraordinary talent in our unique network of Experts and the impact we have working with our clients, partners and Government is without comparison. It is a real privilege to be carrying the torch as we enter the next chapter for Design Council.
That next chapter will be led by our recently announced new mission, Design for Planet:
The greatest challenge of our era is the climate crisis, so as the national strategic body for design, we will be focusing our efforts on galvanising and supporting the 1.69m people across the design sector to make sustainability central to their work.
Design shapes the world and will have a critical role to play in meeting net zero targets and beyond. As a design organisation we have power and responsibility to make a difference.
At the heart of Design Council are our colleagues. We offer a structured career path, great learning and development, exposure to unique and exciting projects and the opportunity to work with our leading experts. In addition, our pension scheme goes up to a 7.5% employee and employer contribution, 30 days annual leave (including time off for everyone over the Christmas period) and an excellent additional package of benefits including a newly agreed hybrid working policy for all colleagues.
At more than at any other time in our long and distinguished history, now is an incredibly exciting time to be at Design Council.
About Design Council
Design Council’s purpose is to make life better by design. And our new mission is to do that by focusing on Design for Planet. There can be no greater cause than fighting to save our precious planet.
Design for Planet will be a theme through all our work to create better places, better products and better processes, all of which lead to better performance. We commission pioneering evidence-based research, develop ground-breaking programmes and deliver influencing and policy work to demonstrate the power of design and how it impacts three key areas of the economy: business innovation, places and public services. We bring together designers and non-designers – from grassroots to government – and share with them our design expertise to transform the way they work.
Good design is inclusive design. We actively aim to employ a diverse workforce, and we have a commitment to do that (see our black lives matter statement). We encourage conversations around flexibility in terms of location, hours and other arrangement so we can welcome people with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives.
About the delivery team
Design Council is a team of 40 people.
As a small team with a massive remit, we work collaboratively within this structure:
This role fits within the delivery team.
The delivery team is led by the director of place supported by the head of delivery and the delivery manager.
Everyone else in the team actively works on client delivery, in a flat structure with just four types of role:
- leads – have expert knowledge in their discipline and are responsible for driving forward a programme of work to achieve Design for Planet. They generate significant revenue, ensure our quality standards and extend Design Council’s reach and influence. They also personally manage our most complex client work, hold our most significant client relationships and develop a team of managers. For Leads who excel, they move up to head.
- managers – are highly skilled professionals in their field, managing a number of projects working across our programme areas. They have a key role in generating new income and securing new clients, achieving our quality standards and contributing to Design Council’s reach and influence externally. They manage projects of varying scale, hold a number of important client relationships and are skilled at working collaboratively. For managers who excel, they move up to senior manager.
- coordinators – provide technical and administrative support across our programmes of work by supporting the delivery of a number of projects. They organise delivery (workshops etc.), produce communications (presentations, social media activity, draft reports, etc.) and process various transactions (purchase orders, contracts, invoices, etc.). These are our entry level roles for anyone wising to start a career in design or project management. For coordinators who excel, they move up to senior coordinator.
Career progression
Design Council is committed to the learning and development of its colleagues so that they gain the necessary skills to reach their full potential and progress within the profession and within Design Council. We operate a structured career path on set criteria so that colleagues have a clear understanding of how they can progress and be recognised and rewarded.
How to apply
Submit your CV (at least one page, but no longer than four pages) and a covering letter (at least one page, no longer than two pages) to Ishbel Allotey, HR manger via the ‘apply for job’ button below.
The closing date for all applications to be received is 27 October 2021. Design Council is fully committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation. We welcome applications from everyone who meets the criteria. If you need any additional support, please do send in an early alert to [email protected]
Equality and diversity
The Design Council is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community. Public appointments are made on merit with independent assessments, openness and transparency of process.
Reporting to: programme lead
Contract type: FTC 12 months – Infrastructure
Salary band: professional (manager)
Salary range: £40,000 to £45,000
Job description
What does a senior programme manager do?
Our managers are highly skilled professionals in their field, managing a number of projects working across our programme areas. They have a key role in generating new income and securing new clients, achieving our quality standards and contributing to Design Council’s reach and influence externally. They manage projects of varying scale, hold a number of important client relationships and are skilled at working collaboratively.
This role will work with expert professionals in the built environment sector to enable infrastructure providers to create and deliver better places. The senior programme manager will take a lead position on programme delivery, including overseeing the work of others on projects.
A key part of this role will be delivering a learning and development programme for a major infrastructure organisation. As such experience with infrastructure and urban design, including an understanding of project delivery, is critical. Knowledge and/or experience developing learning and development programmes is preferable.
The role includes the following responsibilities
Delivery:
- lead on the development of strategic design-led learning and development programmes
- manage relationships and work closely with clients, subconsultants, project partners and Design Council Experts to ensure exceptional standards of service and content development and delivery
- prepare and deliver training/workshops taking overall responsibility for effective delivery
- produce and add value to all written material, including reports and guidance documents to the agreed and expected specified time and quality standards
- ensure that evaluation data and details are captured appropriately
Programme management:
- manage and coordinate specified projects as part of Design Council’s places (infrastructure) programme, leading on projects and overseeing the work of project managers, taking a senior role on projects and programmes under the supervision of a programme head
- to monitor activity across specified themes, to inform works programme, ensure dissemination of critical information and support business development
- manage the gathering of service data, evidence and resulting insight to support the effective delivery of Design Council services and their continuous improvement and development
Influence:
- establish and maintain relationships with client organisations to ensure we are responsive to their feedback and needs in support of our inclusivity and business development objectives
- establish and maintain relationships with high-profile stakeholders
Other responsibilities:
- contribute to the dissemination of best practice
- support the director, head and programme leads develop strategy and new opportunities
- support in the professional development of colleagues
- undertake any other reasonable tasks/duties as required
Corporate responsibilities:
- demonstrate leadership in the identification and management of risks and financial control which face both the organisation and your specific area of responsibility
- ensure you comply with the Design Council operational policies and procedures including financial and risk management, project management and evaluation processes, brand guide-lines and internal health and safety policy
- to comply with management policy, including GDPR, information security and confidentiality
This role will involve some evening work and travel as required in accordance with the needs of the projects and programmes.
Does this sound like you?
Qualifications and experience:
- academic and professional qualifications in architecture, planning, urban design (or associated discipline)
- excellent project management experience with a demonstrable track record of success with project delivery to quality, time and budget expectations.
- proven experience in professional practice in either the private or the public sector
- experience of design, specifically infrastructure design, including an understanding of the project delivery process.
- experience working with and/or delivering learning and development programmes
- demonstrable experience working collaboratively with a number of high-profile stakeholders and partners
Knowledge:
- an understanding and interest in architecture, urban design, in theory and in practice, and of current and emerging built environment issues
- demonstrable understanding of the principles of people-focused design and the practical delivery of good places, and the ability to convey these through advocacy, training and in critiquing designs and plans
- knowledge of MS office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
- knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite
Skills:
- critical and analytical skills in relation to design issues, and an ability to express ideas clearly and confidently in written and spoken English
- good visual presentation skills
- confident communicator with a client focused approach to managing expectations and project work
- excellent personal organisation and interpersonal co-ordination
- ability to work collaboratively – building creative consensus, and consulting and involving others
- ability to organise own workload, and to work without close supervision
- excellent attention to detail
Career development
Design Council is committed to the learning and development of its colleagues so that they gain the necessary skills to reach their full potential through our commitment to learning and development.
In addition to the above skills and experience our senior programme managers are required to demonstrate:
- reaching the required professional expertise to represent Design Council externally
- representing and raising the profile of Design Council externally through public speaking and presentations
- winning large new income with new clients
- responsibility for major client relationships
- managing complex programme delivery