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
- 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
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