Director of Projects, Programmes & Change Management

Director of Projects, Programmes and Change Management 

Up to £119,000 - £140,000 dependent on experience plus excellent benefits including a company car or car allowance, private healthcare and more (see our benefits section of the advert) (Work Level 3)

Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office (find out more about our hybrid working policy at jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy) 

We’re reshaping our Digital, Technology and Data function for the future — creating new opportunities, strengthening our capability, and building clearer, more resilient ways of working so we can deliver even better services for our Co-op, our colleagues, members and customers.

We’re looking for a Director of Projects, Programmes & Change Management to lead our Projects, Programme and Change Management Practice function in Digital Technology & Data and help us deliver complex, transformational change across Co-op.

In this senior leadership role, you’ll bring together projects, programmes and change management activities, providing the direction and oversight needed to turn our strategic priorities into meaningful outcomes. You’ll work across our business, building trusted relationships with senior leaders and helping teams navigate complexity, competing priorities and dependencies. 

Why this job matters

We’re delivering significant change across Co-op, and how we bring that change together will be critical to achieving our ambitions. You’ll help us connect change across the organisation, making sure we’re focused on the right priorities and delivering sustainable value. You’ll also strengthen our delivery capability, helping teams use the right approaches while providing clarity and direction when things get complex. 

What you’ll do

• Lead and shape a portfolio of complex projects and programmes across Co-op, making sure they’re aligned to our strategic priorities and deliver meaningful outcomes

• Work in partnership with technology directors to bring together project and product-led change, helping teams use the right delivery approach and creating a joined-up view across the organisation

• Bring industry leading change management approaches so complex change is adopted and embedded across the organisation

• Work with senior leaders and sponsors to manage priorities, sequencing, resources and dependencies across a complex change environment

• Identify and resolve cross-cutting risks and delivery challenges, stepping in early where programmes or projects need additional support

• Provide oversight and assurance across our change portfolio, using clear measures to understand delivery performance, value and where intervention is needed

• Bring strong commercial judgement to decisions, balancing our ambitions with the practical and commercial realities of delivering change

• Lead, coach and develop experienced delivery and change professionals, deploying their expertise where it can make the biggest difference

• Strengthen delivery capability across Co-op, championing straightforward and proportionate ways of working that help teams deliver change successfully 

What you’ll bring

• Significant experience leading complex projects, programmes and transformational change across a large, commercially focused organisation

• Experience delivering change across business, technology and multiple domains, with a strong track record of achieving tangible outcomes and successfully embedding change

• A strong understanding of project, programme and product-led ways of working, including modern and digital delivery approaches, and the judgement to know when different approaches are appropriate

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the commercial awareness and systems thinking needed to quickly understand a complex organisation and navigate competing priorities

• An authentic, patient and straightforward leadership style, with the ability to work through ambiguity, bring people together and create clarity without introducing unnecessary complexity

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)

• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 

• Company car or a car allowance 

• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions 

• Private healthcare

• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) 

• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands 

• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it 

• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice 

• 24/7 colleague support service 

• Training and support for your development and career progression

• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion