Adult Social Care Senior Operations Programme Manager

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Operations Programme Lead to provide strategic leadership and oversight across a portfolio of high‑impact projects within Adult Social Care operations. This is a key leadership role, responsible for translating strategic priorities into deliverable projects that improve outcomes for people who draw on care and support, ensure statutory compliance, and deliver value for money.

Salary: circa £71k per annum pro rata

Hours: 18 hours per week

Contract: 2 year fixed term contract/secondment 

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

You will work closely with senior leaders, practice and operational teams, system partners and external stakeholders to drive continuous improvement across ASC operations ensuring risks are well managed and interdependencies.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee continuous improvement across Adult Social Care operations as part of the wider ASC Transformation and Improvement Programme.
• Provide strong project governance, including clear reporting, risk management, benefits realisation and assurance
• Translate policy, CQC inspection requirements and improvement objectives into practical, deliverable improvements for operational teams
• Work collaboratively with operational and practice leaders, finance, digital/systems, transformation leads, commissioning and partner organisations
• Manage programme resources, budgets and interdependencies effectively
• Identify and mitigate risks and issues, escalating appropriately
• Support continuous improvement, innovation and system‑wide change
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to build confidence, ownership and momentum

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will have extensive knowledge and experience of Adult Social Care, be a confident and credible leader with significant experience of delivering complex programmes in Adult Social Care or health.

You will bring:

• Proven experience of leading large‑scale, complex programmes or portfolios
• Strong understanding of Adult Social Care legislation, policy, and operational pressures
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior level
• Robust programme and change management capability
• Experience of governance, assurance, and performance reporting
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills
• A collaborative, values‑driven approach with a focus on outcomes for people

Please refer to the job summary attached for full details about the role.

Other information

Interviews will be held in person on Friday 1st May 2026.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/