Programme Director - Highways & Transport

Programme Director – Highways, Transport & Parking (Capital Programme)

Location: Hybrid
Contract: Initial 6 months
Day rate: £985 per day (Inside IR35)
Start: ASAP

 

Overview

We are supporting a Local Authority with the appointment of an Interim Programme Director to lead delivery across a high-profile Highways, Transport and Parking capital programme.

This role will provide senior leadership across a complex portfolio of projects, including highways infrastructure, traffic management, and parking-related initiatives, ensuring effective delivery, robust governance and strong stakeholder engagement.

You will play a critical role in strengthening programme grip, ensuring schemes are delivered to time and budget, and maintaining confidence at senior officer, Member and stakeholder level.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of a large-scale highways, transport and parking capital programme, ensuring alignment with strategic transport objectives
• Provide oversight across a portfolio of schemes including:
  • Highway improvements and maintenance
  • Traffic management and network optimisation
  • Parking services and enforcement programme initiatives
• Establish and maintain strong programme governance, reporting and assurance frameworks
• Lead programme boards and support decision-making at Executive, Cabinet and Committee level
• Drive programme performance across delivery teams, consultants and contractors
• Oversee programme budgets, forecasting and financial performance, ensuring value for money
• Manage risks across the programme including delivery, reputational and financial risks
• Work closely with Highways, Transport and Parking service leads to ensure integration between operational services and capital delivery
• Ensure effective management of external contractors under relevant frameworks (e.g. NEC contracts)
• Engage proactively with key stakeholders including elected members, external partners and the public

 

Experience & Skills Required

• Proven experience operating at Programme Director level within highways, transport or infrastructure environments
• Strong track record of delivering transport / highways capital programmes within a local authority or similar public sector setting
• Experience of overseeing programmes including:
  • highways infrastructure
  • transport schemes
  • traffic or parking-related initiatives
• In-depth understanding of local authority transport governance and decision-making processes
• Strong experience of programme governance, reporting and assurance
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including working with Cabinet Members, senior officers and external partners
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including experience managing contractors under NEC or similar contracts
• Ability to operate effectively in a complex, high-profile and politically sensitive environment

 

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within Highways Authorities or Combined Authorities
• Knowledge of DfT funding, transport business cases and capital programme approvals
• Experience of parking services transformation or transport network optimisation initiatives

 

Key Attributes

• Visible and credible leader with strong delivery focus
• Able to quickly establish control and drive performance
• Confident operating at pace in a politically sensitive environment
• Strong communicator, able to influence at senior level

 

Summary

This is a critical interim leadership role focused on highways, transport and parking programme delivery, requiring an experienced Programme Director who can bring immediate oversight, strengthen governance and ensure successful delivery of a complex capital programme.