Programme Manager

BUSINESS FUNCTION: Programmes

GRADE: ML2/SB2

SALARY: Circa £68,000 per annum

ROLE TYPE: Hybrid

LOCATION: York 3+ days per week with a requirement to visit associated sites of projects located all across the network as and when needed

HOURS: 37 hours per week

Lead the Delivery of Station and Property Projects Across the North

Are you a senior leader with a passion for delivering complex, high impact programmes? We’re looking for a Programme Manager with the leadership experience, commercial insight, and strategic drive to manage a portfolio of Property Projects, overseeing Northern and Third-Party funded initiatives that are central to our long term vision.

This is a senior management role, responsible for leading a team to deliver successful outcomes, shaping cross organisational delivery, adhering to PMO governance and ensuring that station enhancements and property projects are delivered with excellence.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage the end to end delivery of a multi-million pound programme of property and infrastructure projects, aligned with strategic business priorities.
• Act as the senior point of responsibility for programme governance, commercial performance, and cross sector stakeholder engagement.
• Oversee risk, assurance, and compliance to railway standards, ensuring all projects deliver maximum value and impact.
• Manage programme interdependencies across functions, using your influence to drive alignment and efficiency across the organisation.
• Embed a culture of continuous improvement, challenging the status quo and driving innovation in project delivery methods.
  
  
  

About You:

• A senior programme delivery professional with a track record of leading complex capital programmes in the property, construction, or rail infrastructure sectors.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate at all levels and lead high-performing teams.
• Experience with regulated industries or large public/private sector partnerships is highly desirable.
• Commercially astute, resilient, and outcome focused.
• Professionally qualified, ideally with a degree (or equivalent), and recognised project/programme management credentials — such as Membership of the Association for Project Management (MAPM), PRINCE2, MSP, or similar
  
  
  

What’s in it for you?

At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

• Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.
• Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.
• Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.
• Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.
• Holiday Purchase Scheme: Buy up to 5 extra days of annual leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.
• Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.
• Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.
  
  
  

Why Northern?

We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North - connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,500 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment.

Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, after which rail quickly spread across the globe - and this year, we’re celebrating 200 years of the modern railway. As we look back on the historic events that led us here, we also look towards the future as we move into the era of Great British Rail. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.

A place for everyone

The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board.

At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B - we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We're also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.

We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and medical assessment.

No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.

Please note that Northern reserves the right to close recruitment for this role before the published closing date, if high volumes of applications are received.