Programme Delivery Manager - Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales. Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service. Transformation Transformation are responsible for continuing to drive forward simplifying the delivery of legal aid. We want to improve the experience for the people who apply for legal aid, the providers who deliver the services and those of us in the LAA who administer the scheme, while ensuring the LAA remains a great place to work. Transformation Team This team is leading the transformation of our organisation through innovation, collaboration and inclusion. Originally established in May 2020, the Transformation Team has grown rapidly over the last five years. We are a hybrid team of business change and project delivery experts, and working in partnership with others is at the heart of what we do. We work together with teams across the agency, with the LAA Digital team, MoJ Project Delivery Function experts, MoJ Policy teams and wider stakeholders across the justice system and government. The transformation portfolio spans multiple services, systems and functions, with significant impacts on:

• Front-line operational teams
• Policy design and implementation
• Digital systems and data
• External providers and partners, The Programme Delivery Manager (PDM) plays a central role in coordinating and driving delivery across the Legal Aid Agency's unified portfolio, covering Recovery, Transformation, Policy, and related cross-cutting initiatives. The role ensures the delivery of prioritised outcomes, supports strengthened governance, and provides high-quality reporting and assurance into the LAA Portfolio Delivery Board and associated governance forums.
The PDM will play a central role in enabling the team to achieve its goals by providing clear direction, creating the conditions for high performance, and actively removing obstacles to progress. They will foster a collaborative, supportive environment, coaching and motivating colleagues and wider teams, encouraging continuous improvement, and ensuring everyone is focused on priorities that deliver the greatest impact. Where needed, they will take a hands-on approach to delivery, stepping into tasks to maintain momentum, model expected behaviours, and ensure quality and consistency across deliverables. This role is around leading by example, is comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels, and is committed to helping the team succeed collectively., 1. Portfolio Delivery & Integration
• Lead the day-to-day orchestration of activity across Recovery, Transformation, Policy-linked work, and other strategic change priorities, ensuring alignment to the unified LAA Change Portfolio.
• Consolidate plans, milestones, risks, assumptions, dependencies, and resource positions across workstreams to support the integrated portfolio roadmap. Ensure there is a capability to continuously update and track the plans - and for the position of the outcomes to be reported on against the agreed cadence.
• Maintain visibility of all in-flight initiatives and backlog items via the LAA Portfolio Initiative Log and contribute to unified portfolio planning and prioritisation.
The value of horizontal views across plans
• A horizontal view brings together interconnected dependencies, risks and assumptions across Recovery, Transformation and Policy delivery. Rather than looking at plans in isolation, it creates a unified picture of how activities influence one another, showing where decisions in one area accelerate or constrain progress in another. This supports better sequencing, avoids unintended impacts, and enables leaders to make genuinely portfolio-wide trade-
• It also strengthens implementation into live, by surfacing cross-team pinch points, shared milestones, and critical path items that sit between vertical workstreams. This is essential where multiple teams must contribute to the same end-to-end outcome, as highlighted in which shows how teams' work overlaps across user journeys, data flows, security and policy-driven requirements.
• Finally, horizontal views are there to help keep the user at the centre. By seeing the journey end-to-end, not just through a single team's part of the process we can identify friction points, hand-offs, policy constraints, and technical dependencies that impact real-world user experience. It ensures that planning and prioritisation decisions reflect what matters most: delivering coherent, usable services for providers, caseworkers and citizens.
1. Programme Management & Delivery Assurance
• Ensure all programmes and initiatives within scope follow consistent lifecycle stages, delivery standards, and change control processes.
• Support definition and delivery of the Recovery scope, Transformation outcomes, and Policy delivery commitments; ensure clarity of ownership, scope, milestones, and deliverables across workstreams.
• Identify and escalate risks, issues, constraints, and cross-portfolio impacts to the Portfolio Delivery Board and relevant governance forums.
1. Governance, Reporting & Decision Support
• Coordinate and prepare high-quality inputs, packs, and reporting for the LAA Portfolio Delivery Board and the steering committee, ensuring accuracy, alignment, and readiness for decision.
• Lead consolidation of programme status (progress, risks, issues, decisions, blockers, dependencies) to produce coherent portfolio-level reporting and updates.
• Support triage of commissions and reporting requests to ensure they align with portfolio priorities and governance pathways.
1. Planning, Prioritisation & Backlog Management
• Lead the development and ongoing refinement of portfolio-level plans, including short-term recovery baselines and medium to longer-term transformation roadmaps.
• Coordinate identification of unplanned activity, backlog items not currently in delivery, and dependencies that affect cross-team scheduling.
Support the management of prioritisation cycles, ensuring inputs are ready for decisions and that changes are controlled through the Portfolio governance model.
• Where plans deviate from agreed baseline, to assess for change exception submission, with resultant impact assessment to reset milestones.
1. Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Team Collaboration
• Work closely with digital, policy, operational and PMO colleagues to ensure coherent planning, delivery integration, and forward visibility of needs across teams.
• Maintain strong relationships with Service Owners, initiative leads, planners, Recovery leads, and Policy teams to ensure shared understanding of deliverables and impacts.
• Facilitate collaborative working across Digital and LAA teams to embed joint ownership of outcomes and to break down siloed delivery.
1. Benefits, Outcomes & Change Readiness
• Support benefits identification, tracking, and realisation at programme and portfolio level.
• Own the integrated benefits and work with the Head of Transformation to align to the financial view across the portfolio, ensuring it aligns with ERP readiness, Recovery workstreams, and policy implementation timelines.
• Challenge inputs from plan owners to ensure accuracy, realism, and evidence-based benefit profiles.
• Identify early warnings where delivery risks, policy delays, or supplier performance may impact benefits or spend.
• Ensure programme transitions are planned effectively, with operational readiness, service management, and business change requirements considered and documented.
• Contribute to consistent adoption of portfolio-level change standards, including change initiation, triage, and exception handling., The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes. The LAA's goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities. Reasonable Adjustments We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you. Complaints procedure If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days. Additional Information Working Arrangements & Further Information The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended). Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy., As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos. Diversity & Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. Redeployment Interview Scheme Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'. MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.


• Experience leading or coordinating delivery across multi-disciplinary programmes in complex environments (digital, operational, policy) - where delivery is undertaken through Agile.
• Strong understanding of governance frameworks, reporting standards, and portfolio level controls.
• Ability to work with ambiguity and shape clarity around scope, deliverables, and accountabilities.
• Skilled in consolidation of complex information into structured, decision ready reporting.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, capable of influencing across seniority levels.
• Familiarity with risk, dependency and assumption management; resource planning; and roadmap development.
Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills
• Experience in public sector transformation, recovery programmes, or policy implementation.
• Knowledge of MoJ, LAA or government portfolio governance models.
• Understanding of digital delivery methods and cross-functional service teams., Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, structured reporting for senior stakeholders
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and incomplete information and respond quickly to shifting priorities
• Strong networking skills and ability to apply a collaborative and inclusive approach, valuing different perspectives, in person and virtually
• Attention to detail in order to ensure accuracy, consistency and high-quality outputs
• Strong influencing skills, and experience of building and maintaining positive relations with key stakeholders across functions
• Ability to operate in a value-driven style consistent with the values of the public services and specifically with MoJ and wider Civil Service values
• Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness
Assessment approach,
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential. For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important in a work environment. We would also expect examples of action they have taken to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding for self or others) or improve inclusion at a cross departmental or organisational level.

The national salary range is £71,381 - £80,419, London salary range is £75,674 - £85,257. Your salary will be dependent on your base location Working Pattern Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working Vacancy Approach Cross Government, The MoJ offers a range of benefits: Annual Leave Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. Pension The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. Training The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities. Networks The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Eligibility Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition. Vacancies advertised "cross-government" are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules. Support
• A range of 'Family Friendly' policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.