• Future Suffolk / Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX, Hybrid working
• Salary: £74,716 – £84,404 per annum
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment until 31 March 2028

Suffolk’s councils are working together on one of the most ambitious change programmes the county has ever seen. Through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we’re creating three new unitary councils and building the foundations for the future of local services across Suffolk.

We’re looking for talented people to join our programme team and play a key role in making that happen.

As our Head of Programme Management Office (PMO), you’ll lead the day-to-day delivery of the programme, turning strategic direction into practical action. You’ll oversee programme governance, controls and reporting, while providing the leadership and coordination needed to keep this ambitious programme moving forward at pace.

Your role and responsibilities

You’ll lead a newly established PMO, bringing together the people, processes and information needed to deliver this programme successfully.

Working closely with the Programme Director, you’ll maintain oversight of activity across the programme, helping ensure workstreams remain connected, informed and focused on shared priorities.

You will:

• Lead the operational delivery of the PMO, acting as the link between strategic priorities and operational delivery across the wider programme.
• Establish and maintain the delivery frameworks, including reporting, risk and issue management, dependency tracking and board cycles.
• Provide leadership and oversight to Project Managers and other PMO resources.
• Ensure the programme operates through a clear rhythm of reporting, governance and decision-making.
• Maintain visibility of progress, risks, issues and dependencies across multiple workstreams, ensuring resources remain focused on programme priorities and emerging challenges.
• Build a relationship-led, proactive and future-focused PMO culture that is recognised as a trusted point of coordination across the Suffolk system.

You will need

We’re looking for a credible and experienced programme professional who can lead delivery in a fast-paced, complex environment, with a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for Suffolk’s residents and communities.

We hope you’ll bring:

• A strong understanding of local government.
• Significant experience delivering complex change or transformation programmes, including across multiple organisations and stakeholder groups.
• Experience operating at service, organisational and system-wide levels.
• The ability to build trusted relationships and work effectively with senior leaders, corporate functions and partners.
• A strong governance mindset, with the ability to balance pace, assurance and effective decision-making.
• A process-driven and organised approach, with the ability to maintain oversight across multiple priorities.
• The ability to remain calm under pressure and navigate complexity with confidence and sound judgement.
• A collaborative, proactive and solutions-focused approach.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

Although hosted by Suffolk County Council, this is a genuinely system-wide role working across the full LGR system, bringing together multiple councils, disciplines and partners behind a single shared objective. The team will act on behalf of all Suffolk councils and be accountable to the Future Suffolk Implementation Board.

You’ll join a newly established programme team, united by a shared commitment to delivering change that protects services for residents and creates strong, sustainable new councils.

For more information on LGR in Suffolk, please visit the Three Councils for Suffolk and the Future Suffolk websites.

Applications from Suffolk’s five councils

Colleagues currently working for one of Suffolk’s five councils are encouraged to apply. Where possible, appointments will be made on a secondment basis, allowing you to retain your substantive role.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Lysanne Eddy, Programme Director for LGR, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by emailing Lysanne.Eddy@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 – Please upload the following to your application:

1. An up-to-date copy of your CV
2. A supporting statement (maximum 500 words) outlining what you would bring to the Suffolk LGR Programme and how your approach would help you succeed in a complex, multi-organisational environment.
3. Case studies (up to three examples, maximum 250 words each) demonstrating where you have led or played a key role in delivering a significant programme, project or transformation initiative. Please include the scale and complexity of the work, your role and contribution and the outcomes achieved.

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 8 September 2026

Provisional interview date: Week commencing 14 September 2026 (subject to change).

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid #FutureSuffolk