Programme Lead - Highways

About the Role

We are seeking a permanent Programme Lead to manage senior direct reports, provide effective leadership, and champion a culture of continuous improvement across all activities. You will coordinate and deliver a major programme, define the delivery environment, assemble the right project team and optimise resources against the bid baseline. You will also act as the programme’s public face, maintain safety, quality and governance standards, oversee documentation, nurture an inclusive high‑performing team, align the programme with business strategy and ensure commercial and ethical viability. • Manage coordination and delivery of a major programme, providing strategic direction and monitoring alignment with vision and objectives. • Define and implement the programme delivery environment, covering people, organisation, process, information and technology. • Assemble the right project team with required skills, experience and technical competency, including external specialists. • Optimise resources and improve performance from the bid baseline by reviewing activities, systems and methodologies. • Serve as the public face of the programme, chair executive steering group meetings and engage external stakeholders. • Direct and maintain safety, quality, cost, sustainability, governance, risk, stakeholder management and compliance standards. • Oversee development and maintenance of programme documentation such as plans, reports, registers and lessons learned. • Create and nurture a high‑performing, inclusive team environment that encourages contribution and recognition. • Convey and connect the wider business strategy to the programme team and promote associated initiatives. • Ensure commercial and ethical viability of operations, influencing business objectives and meeting legislative compliance. • Safety first – champion a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment. • Create opportunity – foster continuous improvement and inspire people to develop.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸programme delivery
• ▸team assembly
• ▸resource optimisation
• ▸stakeholder engagement
• ▸safety governance
• ▸documentation management

What You Bring

Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey. The ideal candidate has proven leadership delivering A and B road diversions, closures and new road construction on complex infrastructure programmes, a strong understanding of highway statutory processes and stakeholder interfaces, extensive experience leading large programme teams through all lifecycle stages, and professional membership with deep infrastructure sector knowledge and networks. • Proven leadership delivering A and B road diversions, closures and new road construction on complex infrastructure programmes. • Strong understanding of highway statutory processes, construction complexities and stakeholder interfaces. • Extensive experience leading large programme teams and delivering major projects through all lifecycle stages. • Professional membership in the infrastructure sector with strong market knowledge and networks. • Client focus – own quality of deliverables and build long‑term client relationships.

Requirements

• ▸leadership
• ▸road diversions
• ▸statutory processes
• ▸program management
• ▸professional membership
• ▸client focus

Benefits

Mace is an inclusive employer that welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and encourages applications even if not all criteria are met. We are open to part‑time, flexible and hybrid working arrangements where suitable. • Inclusive employer welcoming diverse candidates; applications encouraged even if not meeting all criteria. • Flexible working options including part‑time, hybrid and other arrangements where suitable.

Work Environment

Onsite