Program Director

Contract: Until 31 March 2027

IR35: Inside IR35

Rate: Up to £950 per day Umbrella

Location: Hybrid – 2–3 days per week in the office

Office Locations: Croydon, Bristol, Leeds or Manchester

London Travel: Minimum once per week

Security Clearance: SC Clearance Required

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced ERP Programme Director to lead a major Enterprise Resource Planning transformation programme within the UK public sector.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an accomplished programme professional with a strong track record of delivering complex ERP and business transformation programmes spanning Finance, HR, IT and core ERP technology.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across the programme, establish and lead a high-performing delivery team, drive the programme through its Beta Phase and ensure delivery of the outcomes and benefits agreed within the Final Business Case.

The successful candidate will be comfortable operating at executive level, managing complex stakeholder environments and providing clear leadership across multiple technical and business workstreams.

Key Responsibilities

As ERP Programme Director, you will:

• Lead the overall ERP Programme, including Finance, HR, IT and associated transformation projects.
• Establish, resource and lead a high-performing, resilient and delivery-focused programme team.
• Ensure the programme has the appropriate skills, capabilities and resources to deliver successfully.
• Finalise ERP Final Business Cases and secure the required approvals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the organisation.
• Provide clear, effective and transparent communication across the programme.
• Develop, gain approval for and deliver the Beta Phase plan.
• Oversee development, testing, operational readiness and business change activity.
• Manage programme risks, issues, dependencies, milestones and delivery plans.
• Monitor and maximise benefits realisation in line with the Final Business Case.
• Provide effective governance, assurance and reporting to senior leadership.
• Drive delivery across technology, Finance, HR, business change and operational readiness workstreams.
• Maintain a strong focus on outcomes, benefits, adoption and successful business implementation.

Essential Experience

You will need to demonstrate:

• A proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale transformation programmes.
• Significant experience delivering programmes involving ERP, Finance and HR transformation.
• Strong and demonstrable ERP Programme Director / senior ERP programme leadership experience.
• Experience working with Oracle and SAP ERP environments.
• Previous experience delivering complex programmes within the UK public sector.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary programme teams and multiple workstreams.
• Strong senior stakeholder engagement and executive-level communication skills.
• Experience managing programme governance, business cases, delivery planning, risks, dependencies and benefits realisation.
• Experience taking complex transformation programmes through development, testing, operational readiness and business change.

Desirable Experience

• Experience implementing Workday ERP.
• Experience delivering ERP transformation within central government or other highly regulated public-sector environments.
• Experience leading programmes through Beta or equivalent implementation phases.
• Previous experience working in environments requiring UK Government Security Clearance.

Security Clearance

SC Security Clearance is an essential requirement for this position.

Candidates must be willing and eligible to undergo the required security clearance checks.

Given the requirement for a rapid start, preference may be given to candidates who already hold active SC clearance and are able to demonstrate immediate suitability for the role.

Location & Working Pattern

The role is offered on a hybrid basis, requiring approximately 2–3 days per week in the office.

Available office locations include:

• Croydon
• Bristol
• Leeds
• Manchester

Candidates must also be prepared to travel to London at least once per week, as key programme stakeholders are based in London.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a senior, delivery-focused ERP leader who can operate confidently at both programme and executive level.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of:

ERP Programme Leadership + Oracle/SAP Experience + Public Sector Transformation + Finance & HR Transformation + Senior Stakeholder Management + SC Clearance

This is a high-profile transformation programme where the ability to quickly establish credibility, mobilise teams and drive delivery will be critical.

If you are an experienced ERP Programme Director with a strong public-sector background and are available for a contract through to March 2027, we would be keen to hear from you.