Job Description

We are working with a public sector organisation who are looking for a Programme Control Officer to provide hands-on programme support within a live, well-governed infrastructure programme, focusing on maintaining delivery cadence, ensuring high-quality programme controls and reducing administrative overhead for the Programme Manager and Project Managers.

The role is focused on operating and enforcing established governance, with particular emphasis on RAID discipline, meeting effectiveness and proactive stakeholder coordination.

Duration: Initially 3 months (extendable)

Location: Primarily remote with occasional on-site attendance as required in Birmingham

Day Rate: £300/day plus agency fees

Start Date: ASAP

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance & Delivery Support

Support established governance forums (not set-up), including scheduling, agenda preparation, minute-taking and action tracking

Attend Programme Manager and Project Manager meetings to capture key outputs, risks and actions

Ensure governance cadence is maintained and adhered to across all workstreams

Proactively follow up on actions and ensure timely completion

RAID & Programme Controls (Critical Focus Area)

Own the maintenance and quality assurance of the programme-level RAID log and action trackers

Ensure all RAID entries are up to date, clearly articulated, and decision-ready

Work closely with PMs to ensure consistent quality and structure of RAID inputs

Challenge vague or incomplete entries and enforce quality standards

Proactively drive RAID updates across PMs, ensuring no gaps in weekly governance inputs

Track and manage dependencies across projects and workstreams

Reporting & Tracking

Consolidate PM inputs into programme-level reporting (highlight reports, dashboards) for the Programme Manager

Maintain and manage existing Excel-based trackers ensuring accuracy and completeness

Track delivery progress against milestones and highlight risks to delivery

Meeting & Coordination Support

Provide direct support to 1 Programme Manager (main) and 2 Project Managers

Take high-quality minutes (AI-assisted where appropriate, but reviewed and cleansed)

Act as a central coordination point across delivery teams and SMEs

Ensure timely submission of governance inputs

Artefact & Document Management

Maintain SharePoint and ensure artefacts are current, structured and version-controlled

Manage storage and accessibility of key programme documentation

RAID OPERATING MODEL (EXPECTATION OF THE ROLE)

The PCO/PSO will be responsible for running RAID as a disciplined weekly control process, not just maintaining the log.

Ownership Model

Project Managers (PMs): Own RAID content (risks, issues, mitigations, updates)

PCO / PSO: Own RAID management, quality, and governance discipline

Weekly Cadence

Pre-governance:

Chase PM updates

Review and challenge RAID entries

Ensure entries are complete and coherent

Ensure established governance is consistently applied, and adapt processes where required to support delivery

Governance meetings:

Capture updates, decisions, and escalations

Ensure key RAID items are clearly presented

Post-governance:

Update RAID logs and trackers

Track actions and follow-ups

Escalate gaps or non-compliance

Expectation

Maintain a single version of truth at programme level

Ensure RAID is accurate, current, and actionable

Drive consistency and proactive management across all workstreams

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Strong experience as a PCO / PSO within large IT infrastructure or transformation programmes

Proven experience supporting Programme Managers and multiple Project Managers directly

Strong understanding of RAID management as a governance discipline

Strong Excel skills (comfortable managing and maintaining complex trackers)

Experience working within established governance structures (delivery phase, not just setup)

Ability to operate in a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment

Excellent organisational, communication and stakeholder engagement skills

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

Infrastructure, cloud, or security programme exposure

Public sector or highly governed environment experience

Familiarity with PRINCE2, MSP, or similar frameworks

DELIVERABLES

Accurate and high-quality programme RAID logs and trackers

Governance packs (agenda, minutes, actions)

Weekly reporting inputs and dashboards

Maintained and reliable programme artefacts and trackers

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at (url removed)