Description
At UK Biobank, delivering world-leading health research relies on more than extraordinary data. Behind the scenes sits a complex portfolio of strategic initiatives, technical programmes, and organisational improvements that ensure the organisation continues to evolve and deliver impact at scale.
We’re now looking for a Portfolio and Planning Lead to bring portfolio-level insight, coordination, and assurance across this work. This role will play a key part in helping leadership teams understand priorities, capacity, and trade-offs, ensuring strategic change remains realistic, affordable, and deliverable.
As a welcoming and inclusive organisation, we value thoughtful analysis, collaboration, and people who enjoy bringing structure and clarity to complex programmes.
This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping how UK Biobank plans and coordinates change across the organisation.
Can you do it?
UK Biobank delivers a wide range of strategic initiatives spanning technology, infrastructure, and organisational improvement. Ensuring these programmes progress effectively requires clear planning, strong portfolio oversight, and high-quality insight for decision-makers.
As Portfolio and Planning Lead, you will provide the portfolio-level view needed to support executive decision-making. You’ll bring together planning assumptions, capacity modelling, programme milestones, dependencies, risks, and costs to create a joined-up understanding of organisational delivery.
Working closely with Programme Managers and senior stakeholders across the organisation, you’ll help shape priorities, sequence work effectively, and maintain the standards and frameworks that support successful programme delivery.
You will be responsible for:
* Building strong, collaborative relationships with Programme Managers and senior stakeholders across the organisation.
* Owning and maintaining the organisation’s portfolio-wide change capacity model.
* Providing forward-looking planning scenarios and affordability analysis.
* Maintaining a portfolio-level view of programmes, milestones, dependencies, risks, and costs.
* Providing insight to support cross-programme prioritisation and Director-level trade-off decisions.
* Developing and maintaining portfolio management standards, frameworks, and templates.
* Supporting consistent and proportionate application of delivery standards across programmes and projects.
Is this you?
To be successful, you will have:
* Experience working in portfolio, programme, or complex project environments.
* Strong understanding of portfolio planning, coordination, and delivery insight.
* Proven ability to provide high-quality analysis that supports senior leadership decision-making.
* Experience developing or maintaining portfolio or programme management frameworks and standards.
* Experience leading or developing professional teams.
* The ability to collaborate with senior delivery leaders while providing constructive challenge and assurance.
Working hours are 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday with some flexibility, 3 days onsite with hybrid working available. Located in Greater Manchester (initially based in Stockport with a move to Manchester Science Park in mid- to late 2026).
Our passion for diversity and equality means creating a work environment for all employees that is welcoming, respectful, engaging, and enriched with opportunities for personal and professional development.
Your Wellbeing Matters to Us
People who thrive at UK Biobank often highlight the sense of purpose in their work, supportive leadership, and a culture where wellbeing and work–life balance are genuinely valued.
We’re proud to offer a benefits package that supports your health, financial security, and development from day one:
* 🗓️ 26 Days’ Annual Leave - Plus Bank Holidays, increasing with length of service.
* ➕ Holiday Buy Scheme - Purchase up to one additional week of leave per year.
* 🎂 Birthday Leave - Enjoy a paid day off to celebrate your birthday.
* 🏦 USS Pension Scheme - Hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution pension plan.
* 🏥 Healthcare Cash Plan - Claim back costs for everyday health expenses.
* 👶 Enhanced Family Leave* - Subject to eligibility.
* 🚴 Cycle to Work Scheme - Save on a new bike and accessories.
* 🚆 Season Ticket Loan - Interest-free loan to help with commuting costs.
* 📄 Professional Subscriptions - Reimbursement where applicable.
* 📚 Learning budget - Annual funds for courses, books, or anything else that fuels your personal and professional growth.
* 🏋️ Free On-Site Gym - Stay active with access to our gym facilities.
* 🍽️ Subsidised Canteen Lunches - Enjoy healthy meals at reduced prices.
* 🚗 Free Car Parking - On-site parking available for staff.
* 🛍️ Employee Discounts Portal - Access to savings across retail, travel, and more.
* 📞 Employee Assistance Programme - Confidential support for personal and work-related issues.
* 💉 Annual Flu Vaccination - Stay protected with free flu jabs.
* 🛡️ Life Assurance Cover - Financial protection for your loved ones.
#LI-Hybrid
The job advert closing date may change, so early applications are encouraged.
UK Biobank is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing in-depth genetic and health information from half a million UK participants.
The database, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the world, is anonymised and made widely accessible by UK Biobank to global researchers who use it to find new scientific discoveries about common and life-threatening diseases – such as cancer, heart disease and stroke which strike in mid-later life.
UK Biobank is an innovative organisation with over 350 staff across four sites in the UK that fosters an engaging environment and supports the development of our staff. Our dedicated teams work alongside the world's leading biomedical scientists in our joint mission to improve public health.