We're aiming to reach 10 million people by 2011

Programme Manager (9-month contract)

Job reference: FC00045

Salary dependant on skills and experience

Reports to: Chief Executive

Contract: interim appointment for 9 months - full time, based Canary Wharf, London

Background

The Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) is an independent body, created in April 2010 by the Financial Services Act. CFEB formerly operated as a division of the FSA, helping promote public understanding of the financial system.

CFEB has been given new statutory objectives to help consumers understand financial matters and manage their money better. This is an exciting time for us and we have developed an ambitious long-term strategy and are preparing to launch a national financial advice service. At the same time we are establishing ourselves as an organisation that is operationally independent from the FSA and with its own, new, corporate identity.

To deliver this we are now embarking on a major change programme which incorporates a number of significant workstreams. We are looking for an excellent Programme Manager, working to our senior management team and reporting to our Chief Executive.

Purpose

The Programme Manager is the individual responsible for ensuring the programme delivers to time, cost and quality and co-ordinates the underlying workstreams. The post holder will be responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of the programme, will be managing the programme on a day-to-day basis and will work closely with those leading the individual workstreams and strategy development to ensure that the programme is aligned to our vision and overall strategic direction.

In addition to the above, which forms the central purpose for the role, we are also looking for the Programme Manager to identify and establish our immediate and longer-term project and programme-management framework and infrastructure.

Key accountabilities

  • Responsible for the overall planning and designing of the programme and proactively monitoring its overall progress, resolving issues and initiating corrective action as appropriate.
  • Preparing the programme initiation documents and business case.
  • Appraising options and submitting for approval.
  • Working closely with the senior management team to ensure that the programme activities are consistent with the strategic direction of CFEB.
  • Ensuring an appropriate change programme management framework is in place and managing the programme's governance arrangements.
  • Identifying and managing risks to the programme's successful outcome including the development of contingency plans.
  • Ensuring that there is efficient allocation of resources and skills for successful delivery.
  • Managing the programme's budget, monitoring the expenditures and costs against delivered and realised benefits as the programme progresses.
  • Managing both the dependencies and the interfaces between work streams, with other change initiatives and ensuring appropriate alignment with ‘business as usual’.
  • Initiating extra activities and other management interventions wherever gaps in the programme are identified or issues arise.
  • Reporting progress of the programme at regular intervals to key stakeholders, including the senior management team and the Board.
  • Establishing the organisation’s ongoing project management needs, frameworks, processes, structure, resources and capabilities and implementing any new or changed requirements.

Key criteria

  • Substantial experience of setting up and running major programmes and providing direction to colleagues and stakeholders.
  • Ability to find ways of solving or pre-empting problems.
  • Experience of promoting the benefits of Programme and Project Management and providing expert advice and consultancy.
  • Ability to command respect and to create a sense of community amongst the workstreams and key stakeholders.
  • Demonstrates integrity at all times.
  • Evidence of developing mutually supportive relationships and encouraging team and partnership working by identifying, involving and influencing stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes and resolving conflicts and fostering an inclusive working environment.
  • Excellent knowledge of techniques for planning, monitoring and controlling programmes.
  • Excellent knowledge of project management approaches, such as PRINCE2.

Application processn

As part of the application process, you should submit your CV and answers to the following application questions quoting the job reference number to [email protected]

Q1. Explain how you meet the essential criteria for this role (in no more than 300 words).

Q2. Are you eligible to work in the UK?

Q3. What is your current or most recent salary?

The closing date for applications is 3 December 2010.