About the Role
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is seeking an experienced Senior Programme Manager (Housing Options) to lead the delivery of the Housing Options Workstream within its ambitious Housing Digital Programme. You will drive the transformation of digital experiences for both Residents and Housing Staff, overseeing complex programmes from design through to implementation. Leading cross-functional teams, you will ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to high standards, while embedding best practice programme governance and reporting. Key responsibilities include managing programme portfolios, mitigating risks, producing senior-level reporting, and building strong relationships with Residents, senior leaders, and internal/external partners. You will act as a key advisor on complex, often sensitive issues, ensuring services meet resident expectations and deliver measurable improvements. We are looking for a strategic, delivery-focused leader with strong programme management experience across large-scale change and digital initiatives within the social housing sector. You will bring excellent stakeholder engagement, particularly with Residents, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Join us to play a pivotal role in shaping innovative, resident-focused housing services.
Responsibilities
- Lead on analysing service requirements and the creation of business cases for digital projects for Residents and Staff.
- Act as the key interface between Housing services and corporate Digital and Technology teams on digital projects being delivered within the Housing Digital Programme.
- Manage and deliver complex digital transformation programmes and projects on time and within budget, to include the procurement and implementation of a Choice-based Lettings (CBL) solution.
- Build and maintain senior stakeholder relationships (Residents, Directors, partners, external organisations, including 3rd Party software providers).
- Exercise political awareness and judgement in complex environments.
- Lead and support continuous improvement, innovation, and service transformation initiatives.
- Ensure effective communication and reporting across projects and programmes at senior and operational levels.
Requirements
- Proven experience managing complex programmes, portfolios, and business and digital change initiatives within a Housing Options and Support service covering functional areas that include Choice-based Lettings, Housing Register / Waiting List, Allocations, Homelessness, Temporary Accommodation).
- Proven experience of implementing systems that support these functions.
- Ability to influence and lead across matrix organisations without direct authority.
- Strong stakeholder management, including Residents and senior leaders.
- Experience of handling complex, contentious, and politically sensitive issues.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and high workloads effectively.
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
- Professional certification in programme/project management desirable: PRINCE2, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), Agile methodologies.
- Must already hold a form of UK work authorization that does not require sponsorship.
Skills
- Programme management
- Digital transformation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Political awareness
- Communication
- Reporting
Location
- London
Work Type
- Full-time
- Fixed-Term Contract
Experience Level
- Senior
Education Level
- Degree level or equivalent experience
Salary/Compensations
- £68,784 - £72,399
Benefits
- Good Work Standard employer accreditation
- Flexible working arrangements considered
About the Company
- Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work.
- We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities.
- Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.
- London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers.
- This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.
- We are a Home Office–licensed sponsor; however, for this specific role we are not able to provide Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
Equal Opportunity
- Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff.
- The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population.
- We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace.
- The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all.
- Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.
- To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting.
- The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first.
- This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme.
- We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments.
- Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council.
