Location:
Glasgow, Darlington or Llandudno
Pension:
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Advert Closing Date:
11.59pm, Friday 17 April 2026
Is it time you unlocked your potential?
Student Loans Company is a non‑profit making Government‑owned organisation to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK. Since 1989, we have enabled our customers to invest in their futures by delivering secure, accurate and efficient assessment, payment and repayment services.
Our Values
Culture is at the heart of everything we do at SLC and we are guided by our five values which help make SLC a great place to work:
* Honesty: We act with integrity and transparency, sharing information openly and addressing challenges with courage.
* Empowerment: We enable people to take initiative, make impactful decisions, and continuously learn and grow.
* Accountability: We deliver on commitments, own our successes and mistakes, and strive for quality outcomes.
* Respect: We value diverse perspectives, actively listen, and create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs.
* Trust: We collaborate across teams, build dependable relationships, and work as one to deliver for our customers.
About the Role
As Programme Director, you will lead the delivery of large, complex and multi‑year transformation programmes that are critical to strategic outcomes, operating at pace across technology modernisation, target operating model change, process improvement and data evolution. You will be accountable for mobilising, governing and delivering programmes within highly complex environments, working confidently with executive and board‑level stakeholders across multiple organisations and delivery partners.
You will bring deep experience of operating in regulated environments, applying strong judgement and discipline to balance pace, risk, compliance and value for money. A core focus of the role is rigorous financial control, with responsibility for managing and forecasting significant budgets, developing robust business cases, and ensuring every investment delivers measurable benefits against tightly governed cost and savings targets.
You will establish clear and effective programme governance, proactively managing risk, issues and dependencies to enable informed decision‑making and successful outcomes. As an experienced people leader, you will lead and develop teams of programme and project managers, creating a high‑performing, accountable delivery culture. You will use data‑driven insight to resolve complex problems, challenge ways of working and drive continuous improvement. Above all, you will combine strong commercial and delivery expertise with an understanding of public‑sector accountability, delivering complex change with credibility, pace and impact.
This is a senior, high‑impact leadership role where you’ll shape and deliver complex, nationally significant transformation, build enduring executive relationships, and leave a visible legacy while strengthening your profile and progression at the most influential levels of programme delivery.
What you bring:
* Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide teams in achieving programme objectives.
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence a diverse range of stakeholders across various levels.
* Demonstrated ability to manage programme budgets and financial resources effectively.
* Effective analytical and problem‑solving skills, capable of making data‑driven decisions.
* Excellent risk management, analytical and problems‑solving skills.
* Able to challenge ways of working to identify opportunities for improvement.
* Ability to build, establish, and maintain influential relationships to drive effective decision making.
* Proven experience in leading large, complex transformation programmes, with a deep understanding of programme management methodologies, tools, and techniques.
* Proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale transformation programmes within complex organisational environments.
You can expect more from a career with SLC.
We support colleagues to unlock their potential through our Career Pathways development programme and offer an excellent benefit and rewards package that includes:
* 28 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays
* Option to buy/sell annual leave
* Flexi‑time and enhanced flexible working options available
* Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme
* Life insurance cover for 4 x annual salary
* Enhanced company sick pay and family leave including maternity, paternity and adoption
* Contributory lifestyle benefit options including discounts at hundreds of retailers, cycle to work scheme, access to the Civil Service Sports and Leisure Club for discounted gym memberships, and an optional dental insurance scheme
The Legal Bits
We’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If we offer you a job and you accept, there are some background checks we need to complete before you can start with us. This will include employment history, criminal record check, credit reference check and fraud check.
SLC are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are inclusive for all candidates and will make reasonable adjustments for those who consider themselves to have a disability or long‑term condition in line with the Equality Act 2010. Our application process provides candidates with the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments but if you would like to discuss this in more detail, please email ask_recruitment@slc.co.uk.
#J-18808-Ljbffr