Programme Director

Programme Lead

Outside IR35 | 4-month initial contract, August-November 2026 | Up to £1,200/day

A well-established UK organisation is seeking an experienced Programme Lead to run the Pre-Discovery phase for a major data platform replacement programme. This is a high-visibility, Board-facing mandate: you'll be accountable for building the evidence base - stakeholder appetite, legal position, cost estimate and delivery plan - that determines whether a significant replacement programme gets the green light in November.

What you'll be doing:

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• Appointing and managing an external consultancy through RFP and delivery
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• Leading stakeholder engagement to assess appetite, funding willingness and concerns around a replacement solution
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• Coordinating legal and commercial analysis on exit and transition considerations
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• Developing the 2027 Discovery & Design phase plan and cost estimate
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• Producing the Board recommendation, paper and mobilisation roadmap
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What you'll bring:

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• Strong track record in stakeholder consultation or market engagement programmes
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• Experience delivering large-scale technology or data programmes, ideally with TOM or major platform deployment experience
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• Comfort managing external consultancies/suppliers as well as internal delivery
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• Confident Board-level report writing and presentation skills
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• Genuine end-to-end programme ownership - this is a "figure it out and drive it" role, not a BAU delivery seat
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Process: Single-stage interview, moving quickly (1-2 weeks' notice acceptable).