Program Lead

Programme Lead – AI-Enabled HR Transformation

Day Rate: £600–£650 per day (Inside IR35)

Duration: 6 months (strong likelihood of extension)

Location: Hybrid – 1 day per week onsite in Leeds

The Opportunity

We’re seeking an experienced Programme Lead to take ownership of a critical AI-enabled HR transformation programme. This is a hands-on, senior delivery role — ideal for someone who can quickly establish control, build trust with senior stakeholders, and lead complex change in a politically nuanced environment.

You’ll be responsible for shaping the programme structure, driving discovery and early delivery, and ensuring strong governance, pace, and value realisation. The role requires confidence operating at senior levels, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to align HR, Digital/IT, and operational teams around a shared vision.

What You’ll Be Doing

Programme Leadership & Direction

• Shape and clarify the programme vision, roadmap, and success measures
• Define benefits, KPIs, risks, dependencies, and organisational impact
• Ensure alignment with organisational strategy, operating models, and AI governance
• Bring structure, focus, and momentum to a complex and evolving programme

Senior Stakeholder Engagement

• Build trusted relationships across HR, Digital/IT, Operations, and senior leadership
• Navigate organisational politics with diplomacy and emotional intelligence
• Influence decisions without direct authority, aligning diverse perspectives
• Act as a calm, credible, and authoritative presence throughout delivery

Discovery, Design & Early Delivery

• Lead discovery activities to understand current HR processes and pain points
• Drive the design and prototyping of AI-enabled HR journeys and service models
• Work closely with architects, product owners, AI engineers, and service designers
• Use insight and data to test hypotheses and identify high-value pilot opportunities

Governance, Control & Delivery

• Establish and run programme governance, reporting, and decision forums
• Coordinate multiple workstreams, delivery teams, and suppliers
• Manage risk, scope, financial controls, and delivery dependencies
• Maintain business cases and track benefits to ensure programme viability

What You’ll Bring

Essential Experience

• Demonstrable experience leading large, complex programmes in enterprise or public-sector environments
• Highly credible and emotionally intelligent, with a track record of operating in politically complex organisations
• Strong programme management capability across governance, risk, finance, and benefits realisation
• Consultancy-level skills: able to diagnose problems quickly, generate insight, and shape pragmatic solutions
• Solid understanding of automation, workflow digitisation, and AI-enabled service models
• Confident discussing AI capability, data readiness, risks, and governance with both technical and business stakeholders
• A collaborative, inclusive leader who builds trust and followership quickly