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Job Title


Capital Sub Programme Sponsor


Company : Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Location : Weybridge, England


Created : 2025-07-24


Job Type : Full Time


Job Description

Join to apply for theCapital Sub Programme Sponsorrole atDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 3 weeks ago Be among the first 25 applicants Join to apply for theCapital Sub Programme Sponsorrole atDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provided pay rangeThis range is provided by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more. Base pay rangeJob summary Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. The National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) Programme is an ambitious, 10–15-year programme working towards safeguarding and future-proofing the UK’s animal health science capability. The programme has recently secured significant funding towards transforming the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Weybridge scientific campus. This is an exciting opportunity to join a priority Defra programme on the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio, of significant national importance. The Role The National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) Programme is an ambitious, 10 year programme which will transform the UK’s global centre of expertise on animal health at the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Weybridge scientific campus. We are looking for an experienced Capital sub programme sponsor for a portfolio of critical projects which will pave the way for the main science facilities at the Weybridge site – total portfolio value in excess of £100m, as part of an overall £1bn+ programme. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the team that delivers a cutting edge science campus which keeps the UK at the forefront of expertise on animal diseases, protects human and animal health, safeguards our food and farming sectors, and secures a large volume of our trade. As Capital sub programme sponsor you will be the client side lead on a number of capital projects, and lead a team developing the strategy, solutions, and overseeing the subsequent delivery of those capital projects, to ensure each is successfully delivered on budget and on time. This represents a considerable responsibility for assuring delivery through our partners, and supply chain, in line with the strategic constrains of the programme – timely delivery, and delivery within cost parameters are critical for UK resilience to disease threats. If you have experience in leading and sponsoring construction and infrastructure projects, safeguarding client requirements, working in partnership with supply chain partners we want to hear from you. Key responsibilities Positively model and advocate a strong Health and Safety culture across NBC Programme and Weybridge. Provide collective Team leadership and management of direct reports as required. Mobilise, develop and motivate project teams within your portfolio. Act as project sponsor for the relevant sub programme (or projects), providing direction and overseeing delivery of, and the NBC Programme delivery partner’s work on, component projects, which are critical to the overall timely delivery of NBC Programme, and realisation of NBC Programme benefits. Scope, mobilise, and lead a portfolio of projects through development, into delivery and on to completion, including governance and business case approvals, and assuring client-side requirements – including budget, schedule, control of scope and risk management - are adhered to over the lifecycle of a project. Manage procurement to ensure that the most capable, best value delivery partners are selected and engaged with sufficient lead time to support delivery. Involves understanding of the importance of clear, high quality tender documents, working with Programme senior leadership and Commercial colleagues to set commercial strategy, and careful balance of risk in recommending an approach. Work collaboratively with Defra group Property, APHA, and colleagues in NBC Programme (including partners) as ‘One Weybridge’ to drive successful delivery and ensure that interfaces are managed. Adopt and embed best practise in delivery in collaboration with the NBC Programme Central PMO. Provide upwards reporting to senior managers within Defra covering project performance, personally fronting up the resolution and escalation of risks and issues ahead of time and developing credible mitigation measures. Opportunity to develop specialisms on key aspects of the work and take on highly complex responsibilities, providing advice and guidance as a lead expert in the field / function, developing appropriate solutions to problems within policy / best practice guidelines. Deliver maximum value to the business whilst ensuring regulatory compliance; ensure that solutions have a whole life focus so that future maintenance costs are reduced as far as possible. Ensure projects stay within capital budget including providing regular forecasts, tracking spend, ensuring future spend is properly considered when committing funds. Note: An employee may be required to carry out additional duties within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence and training. Person specification Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following experience 'skills: Significant experience in a senior programme/project sponsor role within the construction sector. A proven track record of delivering a programme or portfolio of multi-year projects with heavy cross-dependencies involving a supply chain. Experience of project financial leadership and financial management, including cost estimation and cost control. Ability to make decisions about future strategy and setting team standards. Proven leadership and team management, including developing team members and fostering an environment which promotes delivery of client requirements, on time and on budget. The ability to manage a broad range of responsibilities and thrive under pressure. Professional qualification in a construction related field or a Construction Professional with equivalent experience. Qualifications Professional qualification in a construction related field or a Construction Professional with equivalent experience Seniority levelSeniority level Mid-Senior level Employment typeEmployment type Full-time Job functionJob function Purchasing Industries Government Administration Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by 2x Get notified about new Program Specialist jobs inWeybridge, England, United Kingdom . 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