Programme Manager

Role Purpose

The Programme Manager will lead the definition and mobilisation of Wave 2 of the ServiceNow Next Generation Programme, building on delivery of Wave 1 and ensuring the programme is positioned for successful future delivery.

Working as part of the programme leadership team, the role is responsible forshaping a clear, deliverable scope and approach for Wave 2, grounded in organisational priorities, operational needs and lessons learned from Wave 1. This includes establishinga credible delivery plan, resource model,and governance approach to support subsequentapproval and mobilisation.

The Programme Manager will drive stakeholder engagement at senior levels, ensuring alignment across business and iSolutionsteams, and will coordinate cross-functional activity spanning technology, data, testing, business change,and supplier delivery.

A key focus of the role is to translate learning from Wave 1 into improved delivery confidence for Wave 2, strengthening assumptions, reducing risk,and ensuring the programme is set up for scalable, sustainable delivery.

The role will maintainclear oversight of risks, dependencies, finances,and delivery readiness, providingrobust assurance and enabling informed decision-making at Digital Delivery Board and Digital Committee.

Key Service Responsibilities

ProgrammeLeadership & Governance

• Provide programme-level leadership toshape the design of Wave 2, ensuring alignment with strategic objectivesand organisationalpriorities

• Lead early-stage programmedefinition, ensuring scope,objectivesand foundational assumptions are clearly articulated and evidence based

• Establish governance structures and decision-makingprocesses suitable for the design phase, ensuring transparency, traceabilityand timelyescalation.

• Prepare and present programmeupdates,design decisionsrisks and financial papers to governance boardsand senior stakeholders

• Ensure RAID management with structured escalation.

ProgrammeCulture & Advocacy

• Act as avisiblechampion for the Programmeacross the University, promoting its strategic purpose,andbuilding confidence inthe design of Wave 2

• Communicate progress, risks, insightsand design decisions to ensure stakeholders remaininformed, engagedand aligned

• Engage senior stakeholdersandsuppliers to maintainvisibility and reinforce how the proposed Wave 2 design aligns with organisationalneeds and priorities

• Provide motivating, visibleand cohesive leadership across allprogrammeresources

• Foster a high-performance culture, shared ownership of outcomes and clarity of purpose

• Shape ways of working that encouragecollaboration, momentumand disciplineduring discovery and design activities.

• Promote an evidence-based, lessons learned driven culture by embedding insights from Wave 1 and encouraging openness, reflectionand continuous improvement

DeliveryStabilisation& Assurance

• Assess delivery status across workstreams and identifysequencing risks and blockersthat may impactprogrammedesign

• Recommend and implement stabilisationactions to ensure that discovery and designactivitiesprogress in a controlled and disciplined manner

• Drive delivery discipline, transparencyand structured reporting to support evidence-based choices

Financial & Commercial Oversight

• Monitor budget performanceduringWave 2, ensuring expenditure and forecast-to-completeremain aligned to programmeassumptions.

• Oversee supplier performance and commercial compliance.

• Ownbusiness case developmentthrough clear financial articulation of options, costs, risksand benefits

Stakeholder, Supplier & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build productive senior stakeholder relationships across Faculties and Professional Servicesto ensure programmedesign aligns with organisationalneeds

• Lead integrated delivery across PMs, BAs, Test Leads, Technical and Change teamsto ensure coherent and joined up design decisions.

• Act asthesenior interface with suppliers,ensuring clarity of scope, expectationsand Wave 2deliverables.

Benefits, Readiness & Transition

• Embed benefits management and transition planninginto early design work, ensuring proposed scope and options align with expected outcomes and measurable value

• Oversee transition planning approach, ensuring that initial service acceptance criteria andtransition-to-BAUconsiderations are incorporated into Wave 2 design

Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience - Essential

Professional qualification or equivalent experience:

• PRINCE2 or similar qualification.

• Experience delivering major transformation programmes.

• Managing Successful Programmes MSP experience

• Strong programmegovernance and delivery skills.

Leadership & Communication:

• Influences senior stakeholders and presents complex information clearly.

Planning & Analysis:

• Ability to plan and manage major programmes.

• Strong analytical and forecasting capability.

Service Context

• Services delivered under oversightoftheAssociate Director, Staff Hubs (ServiceNow Business Owner).

• Onsite presence expected 1 day per week- this may need to flextoup to 3as programmedevelops.
• Candidate must live within commuting distance of Southampton

• Supplier determineshow services are delivered and may provide a substitute.

• No line managementresponsibility for universityemployees.
• 3 - 6 months contract

This role profile is outcomes-based, allowing the supplier to determinedelivery methods, supporting substitutionand commercial independence.