Assistant Director Major Programmes Delivery

About the Team

The Major Programmes Delivery team is part of the Change and Continuous Improvement (C&CI) function, which oversees the central coordination and management of change across the NMC through:

• better analysis and prioritisation of learning and improvement ideas to support local learning within teams and inform priorities in the Corporate Plan;
• Improved co-ordination, planning, resourcing and implementation of initiatives, ensuring EDI implications are considered from the outset, and that the sequencing of delivery takes account of the organisation's capacity to absorb change;
• better quality reporting to support the Portfolio Board to manage delivery against the Corporate Plan, with the greatest areas of delivery risk escalated to the Executive Board together with proposed mitigations.
• The Major Programmes Delivery team is currently responsible for delivering two business-critical priority programmes for the NMC, focused on improving the performance of our Fitness to Practise function.

About the Role

This is a Fixed Term Contract role for a period of 18 months. Over the next 18 - 24 months, the NMC's top priority is improving the performance of our Fitness to Practise (FtP) function. Having a realistic plan that is accessible and meaningful to colleagues inside and outside the organisation, and agile in response to learning and events, is critical to the delivery of the NMC's refreshed Corporate plan and the organisation's transformation. This is a vital role leading on the development and delivery of the FtP programme plan, which includes long-awaited plans to roll out a new Case Management System.

The postholder will be expected to work with colleagues to ensure there is clarity on the scope of activity, the risks and interdependencies with other activities (including within the wider Corporate Plan). They will also oversee the collation and analysis of plans, enabling pinch points in delivery to be identified and addressed.

The successful candidate will work in partnership with key stakeholders including Executive Directors, the Executive Board, and senior leaders across the NMC. They will lead a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of project, programme, change, and portfolio management specialists to deliver high-impact initiatives that will drive a step change in the NMC's performance of Fitness to Practise. The successful candidate will be the primary point of contact, providing a single, accountable touchpoint for the planning, execution, and delivery of these initiatives.

About You

The successful candidate will have the following skills and experience:

Qualifications and experience:

• Demonstrated ability to manage and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership, frontline teams, and external partners, fostering trust and collaboration to achieve shared goals.
• Proven ability to define, communicate, and drive a clear and compelling strategic vision for transformation, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and inspiring teams to deliver meaningful change.
• Extensive experience of leading and managing multiple and complex change initiatives (including business and technology projects), with proven track record of delivering tangible high quality results, within challenging timescales and through the application of proven business change methodologies.
• Change / Project / Programme Management accreditations - Prince 2, Agile Methodologies / PMP, MAPM, MSP, CMP or equivalent.
• Knowledge of digital transformation principles and emerging technologies, with experience in leveraging digital tools and strategies to enhance operational effectiveness and customer experience.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Highly developed communication and influencing skills; able to establish credibility at all levels inside the NMC and with external partners
• Confident and adept at working in a fast-paced environment, able to manage multiple demands and prioritise effectively
• Ability to think critically and analytically to contextualise information and data and draw out sound conclusions
• The ability to matrix manage multi-disciplinary teams, Excellent interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, and performance managing
• Creative approach to problem-solving with the ability to focus on details while maintaining the "big picture" view.