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Role Overview
Role: Director of Strategic Programmes (Technology)
Specsavers is here to change lives through better sight and hearing by delivering outstanding value, being loved by every customer, and creating the place where all colleagues are proud to belong, as we grow our business.
Technology’s purpose is to underpin the long‑term framework by defining, delivering and supporting clear, value‑focused and efficient technology that enables Specsavers to change lives through better sight and hearing.
The strategic programmes team provides the necessary technology capabilities, skills, people and partners to deliver digital transformation of our technology platforms, enabling a seamless blended journey for our customers.
Key Responsibilities
Programme Leadership and Delivery
* Establish and lead the execution of technology delivery for the largest and most complex strategic change programmes (budgets > £10m, resources > 100, multiple 3rd parties) with significant impacts across the organisation, ensuring alignment with Specsavers’ strategic objectives and goals
* Accountable to the Programme Sponsor for successful technology delivery, typically a regional or global executive board member
* Direct line management of technology Heads of Delivery, Programme Managers and Portfolio Delivery Managers, with matrix management of other technology functions
* Manage, motivate and support programme teams to achieve required outcomes, ensuring clarity on accountabilities, roles and responsibilities
* Work closely with business change management teams to ensure the impacts on business functions are considered and understood, ensure strong business ownership of the changes, effective communication and transition support before and after new capabilities are deployed
Stakeholder Management and Governance
* Collaborate with other business divisions and functions to ensure resource availability and capability
* Establish appropriate governance, ensuring effective Programme Steering Boards and timely removal of blockers
* Provide clear insights for decision‑making, presenting options and trade‑offs to reduce delivery risks
* Ensure programme plans align with the Long‑Term Framework, Group Strategy and Target Operating Model
* Work closely with the value streams and programme leadership teams to ensure Business Cases are robust and that the programme vision, scope and required outcomes are clear and agreed
Requirements
* Over 15 years of experience leading programmes, including high levels of management and technology complexity, significant replacement or integration to legacy technology, building new digital platforms, transforming the technology estate and delivering large‑scale business change, shaping activity and stakeholder engagement, multi‑year phased delivery, and significant organisational impact.
o High levels of management complexity: senior stakeholders spanning multiple business Divisions/Countries/Functions
o High levels of technology complexity, including significant replacement of and/or integration to legacy technology
o Building of new digital platforms, transforming the technology estate and delivering large scale business change
o Required significant shaping activity and stakeholder engagement to agree the required outcomes, scope, and programme structure
o Programme Sponsors that were board members
o Management of stakeholders who may not have been aligned to the programme objectives/outcomes during the early stages of the programme
o Budgets of over £10m, teams of >100 people spanning multiple Divisions/Functions and management of multiple 3rd parties including large engineering teams
o Multi‑year deliveries with phased delivery to achieve business value early
o Significant impact on the organisation that requires highly effective communication, training and operational readiness activities
Preferred Education / Qualifications
* Project/Programme Management qualifications (e.g., Prince2, MSP, AgilePM)
* Change Management qualification (e.g., Prosci)
* MBA
Location
Hybrid with 2/3 days a week at our office just outside of Southampton
If you are looking to join an organisation in growth mode that places customers at the heart of decision making, please apply today. We look forward to hearing from you.
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