Programme Manager

Can you lead the successful delivery of complex transport, active travel, local authority or construction programmes?

Have you delivered inclusive projects or consultations that meet the needs of diverse communities and turn policy into practical outcomes?

Are you a collaborative leader who can develop high-performing teams and communicate complex issues clearly and effectively?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

We are a passionate and supportive team that values innovation, inclusion and continuous improvement. By combining strong project and programme management with effective governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement, we help deliver positive outcomes for communities across the country. We are committed to fostering a culture where people can develop, contribute and thrive, while ensuring the needs of different communities are considered at every stage of project development and delivery.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at ATE:

Active Travel England roles: ATE – Careers , Civil Service Careers

Active Travel England is the government agency responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more accessible across England. Working closely with the Department for Transport, local authorities and national partners, we support the delivery of active travel infrastructure through expert advice, funding and policy leadership. This is an exciting opportunity to lead high-profile projects, influence national priorities and help shape the future delivery of active travel at scale.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Lead the planning and delivery of programmes and projects, establishing clear scopes, plans and governance frameworks.
• Develop business cases with project leads, subject matter experts and cross-agency partners.
• Build and manage effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify, manage and escalate risks and issues, driving solutions where needed.
• Ensure projects deliver strategic benefits through effective governance, assurance, contract and grant management.
• Monitor programme performance, resources, timelines and delivery outcomes.
• Communicate programme objectives, progress and priorities to stakeholders and internal forums.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to manage dependencies across ATE, DfT and partner organisations.
• Use data and digital tools to support decision-making, performance management and delivery.
• Embed equality, inclusion, environmental and social value considerations throughout programme design and delivery.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1250-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:
• Good understanding of local transport planning and delivery.
• Knowledge of street design standards and active travel infrastructure and/or behaviour change initiatives that support active travel.
• Skilled in project management, governance, contracting and/or grant management.
• Experience leading teams, developing colleagues and building strong relationships.
• Strong communication skills with a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The sift will take place week commencing 07/09/2026

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Working Together
• Technical – Project Delivery Profession Framework - Planning (Practitioner Level)
• Strengths

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviour Leadership. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 21/09/2026

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.