Custom Programme Team Lead

About this role

Department: Custom Solutions
Location: Home based with occasional travel as required
Reports to: Head of Custom Solutions
Hours: 37.5 per week
Salary: (Depending on experience)

A quick note before you apply: This role is strictly UK-based and must be performed entirely within the United Kingdom; we do not employ remote staff overseas, nor do we offer relocation support. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment. While we hold a sponsor licence, visa sponsorship is only considered in exceptional circumstances and is not available as standard for this vacancy
Role Overview
As a Custom Programmes Team Lead at Cambridge Spark, you will join the Custom Solutions Business Unit, reporting to the Head of Custom Programmes. You will be responsible for leading and managing a team of Programme Managers, overseeing the project management of custom programmes from the initial go-ahead, through to delivery.
A key part of your role will include driving the operational success of our programmes, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to scope.
In addition to your management responsibilities, you will retain hands-on project ownership, working closely with a cross-functional team to deliver your own portfolio of programmes.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Line Management

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Programme Managers, providing guidance, day-to-day support, and performance feedback.

• Allocate project resources effectively and ensure the team is aligned with strategic objectives and delivery timelines.

• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment, ensuring seamless communication between programme managers and other teams.

• Support the professional development and growth of direct reports.

• Conduct regular 1-2-1s and performance reviews with direct reports, addressing underperformance proactively.

Project Lifecycle Management & Delivery

• Oversee assigned projects through their lifecycle, ensuring gold standard delivery of custom solutions programmes.

• Support the team in developing robust plans for on-time and on-budget delivery, serving as the owner for project organisation artefacts.

• Lead the project, organising module KO calls and ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on scope and deadlines.

• Manage risk effectively outlining expectations around communication, response times, and issue flagging.

• Ensure the successful launch of programmes by verifying all assets (blueprints and programmes) are correctly uploaded to KATE.

• Drive the closure of projects by ensuring the scope defined in the brief has been fully actioned by contractors.

• Ensure a seamless handover process in partnership with Solutions Engineering, guaranteeing full alignment on curriculum blueprints before launch.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the senior operational escalation contact for enterprise clients, establishing a premier bespoke delivery standard and maintaining a "Gold Standard" of customer service to drive high customer satisfaction and client retention.

• Partner with internal teams, clients, and enterprise sponsors to capture qualitative feedback, track learner engagement, and deliver high-quality impact reports proving ROI, while supporting account growth and expansion opportunities.

Financial & Contractor Management

• Manage the day-to-day tracking of project budgets and allocation on a workflow level.

• Oversee the raising of Purchase Orders and share them with content developers, ensuring financial processes are followed.

• Support the maintenance of the external contractor database, identifying resource gaps based on project pipelines.

• Track contractor performance, identifying if work is subpar or requires quote revisions, and maintain records of such incidents.

• Orchestrate the onboarding, scheduling, and administrative setup for external associate faculty and contractors to support program execution.

Quality Assurance & Execution

• Define QA timelines, assign QA tasks, and ensure resources are allocated effectively.

• Ensure issues are logged, prioritised, and resolved within project deadlines.

• Oversee the visual clarity and presentation of content, ensuring the learning design execution meets the required standards.

Candidate Specification

Essential

• Proven experience as a Project Manager in an Agile environment, with demonstrated leadership or mentoring experience (experience in a consulting or agency background preferred).

• Experience in line management and developing team members.

• Strong skills in project planning, with the ability to create detailed timelines, manage critical paths, and deliver projects on time and within budget.

• Proficient in budget tracking, resource allocation, and vendor management.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to manage risks, determine escalation points, and resolve issues under pressure.

• Effective in cross-functional collaboration, particularly in working alongside Product Managers to execute technical and content requirements.

• Exceptional communication skills, capable of liaising with external contractors and internal stakeholders to ensure project completion.

• Skilled in managing QA processes, including quality control processes, prioritisation, and ensuring scope completion.

• Proficient in the use of technical collaboration tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack) and project management software.

Desirable:

• Formal Project Management certification (e.g. APM PMQ, Agile Practitioner).

• Familiarity with Learning Management Systems and content development workflows.

• Experience managing projects in Notion

• Interest in Education & EdTech.

Company Benefits:

• Pension with 4% matched contributions, opportunity to opt into salary sacrifice scheme

• 25 days holiday + Flexi bank holidays + 1 day off on your birthday

• A day for volunteering

• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave

• Health & Wellbeing…