Programme Manager
DF Capital · Manchester
We’re DF Capital – a specialist bank providing award-winning commercial finance, retail finance, and savings products to consumers and small businesses.
Based in Manchester, we serve thousands of customers across the UK and into Europe, supporting their ambitions with tailored financial solutions.
We help our customers realise their ambitions by doing things differently – combining the agility and innovation of a specialist lender with the security and service standards of a regulated bank. Whether it’s flexible lending structures or straightforward savings options, we focus on what matters most to our customers.
In 2025, we launched DF Capital Retail Finance – a subsidiary of DF Capital Bank Limited – to offer specialist hire purchase solutions to retail customers.
Our goal is simple: to do the absolute best for our customers, our communities, and each other.
Your new role:
Our Programme Manager will lead a team to deliver enterprise wide projects across change and transformation.
You will coordinate related projects, people, and resources to meet our strategic business goals, overseeing planning, governance, delivery, schedules, and budgets while resolving bottlenecks and improving efficiency.
With a pragmatic and delivery focussed approach you engage with stakeholders, whilst operating holistically across our leadership, operations, technology, and commercial teams, as well as our other support functions. Operating within a fast moving business with big growth and business change ambitions, you will have the exciting opportunity to act as the catalyst for control and agility whilst maintaining strong governance and controls.
This role leads the scoping, definition and delivery of change and continuous improvement to ensure outcomes and expected benefits are clearly articulated and that agreed work is aligned to the overall project/initiative.
The role requires the ability to drive and flex between both a transformational agenda and understanding the detail to “do the doing”.
Requirements
DF Capital are passionate about providing employees with the right training and development to help them excel in their roles and future careers. We are confident that an applicant with the right attitude and drive will succeed in this role.
Other duties may be assigned outside of the following duties and responsibilities:
Responsibilities and duties :
Strategic Alignment:
- Driving DFC strategic vision by organising numerous projects that contribute to the organisation’s overall objectives.
- Designing, coordinate, and improving internal and external programs to adhere to organisational goals.
Planning and Governance:
- Developing and overseeing project plans, schedules, and budgets for programme completion
- Establishes programme governance (controls) defines the scope and success criteria.
- Define project / continuous improvement scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical / process / resource feasibility
- Work closely with the business stakeholders to define and manage any risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies within a RAID log to ensure effective running of the project and all mitigating actions and controls are delivered
- Deliver projects within accordance of the standard framework as outlined by DFC and ensure all project documentation is completed and filed correctly
- Develop and manage a detailed project schedule and work plans
- Use appropriate verification techniques to manage changes in project scope, schedule and costs
- Measure project performance using appropriate systems, tools and techniques
Monitoring and Control:
- Proactively monitoring progress, resolving issues, and initiating appropriate corrective actions to ensure the programme stays on track. This includes daily program management throughout the programme life cycle.
- Report updates of project progress and required escalations to the CTO and other key stakeholders
- Ensure that all projects are delivered on-time, within scope and within budget
Stakeholder Management:
- Coordinating and communicating with stakeholders, team members, and external partners to ensure alignment and smooth execution.
- To collaborate with project sponsors/stakeholders to ensure the business case for change is clearly defined, documented and prioritised
- Manage relationships with third parties by assigning tasks and communicating expected deliverables to ensure smooth delivery of the project
Leadership:
- Overseeing teams, providing leadership on major programme launches, and coordinating activities from initiation to completion (cradle to grave)
- Act as a mentor and guide supporting the development of a team of BA’s / Change Analysts including regular coaching and performance management.
- Be seen as an advocate for change working closely with the business stakeholders to identify improvements in current ways of working
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement through delivering operational improvements initiatives
- Complete lessons learnt to enable sharing of best practise across the Change team
Requirements:
Strategic Thinking:
· Ability to align programme objectives with the organisation’s broader strategic goals and vision.
· A solid understanding of the change process and the people impact of change
Leadership and Stakeholder Management:
- Strong interpersonal skills to lead cross-functional teams, manage expectations, and communicate effectively with senior leadership and external partners.
- Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships
- Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal
- Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations
- Resilient and tenacious with a propensity to persevere
- Forward looking with a holistic approach
Risk and Issue Management:
- The ability to proactively identify risks, resolve complex issues, and implement corrective actions to keep the programme on track.
- Demonstrable experienceestablishing and maintaining programme governance, controls, and reporting structures.
Financial and Budgeting Skills:
- Experience in budget planning, financial forecasting, and resource allocation.
Communication and Organisation:
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with a demonstrated ability to work independently, lead projects, prioritise, and manage a high-volume of tasks, deadlines, requirements, and decisions
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
- Excellent active listening skills
- Ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences
Benefits
- Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
- Private medical insurance for you (and your partner)
- Private Dental
- 10% Employer pension contribution
- 30-day annual leave entitlement plus Bank/Public Holidays
- Free Gym Membership
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Discretionary share awards
- Life Assurance
- Income Protection
- Save As You Earn company share acquisition scheme
- Tax-efficient salary sacrifice scheme to obtain bicycles and electric vehicles
- 4 days per year volunteering opportunities to support our local communities
- World class offices based in lively Ancoats