Programme Manager – Cybersecurity and Governance

Act as the Programme Manager within a key UK water sector client engagement, leading a significant cybersecurity and compliance improvement programme.

Develop and maintain integrated programme and project plans, ensuring alignment with delivery objectives, milestones, dependencies, and regulatory priorities.

Establish and drive effective governance arrangements, including steering groups, progress reporting, RAID management, decision forums, and executive-level updates.

Lead coordination across client stakeholders, SMEs, operational teams, project managers, suppliers, and third parties to ensure aligned and effective delivery.

Manage programme risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies, ensuring they are identified early, tracked appropriately, and escalated where required.

Support the shaping and delivery of remediation and improvement plans arising from cybersecurity assessments, compliance reviews, or assurance activity.

Monitor programme budgets, resource requirements, and delivery forecasts to support controlled and cost-effective execution.

• Ensure that deliverables are produced to the required quality standards and align with client expectations, regulatory obligations, and Expleo delivery principles.

• Work closely with cybersecurity and operational stakeholders to ensure business, IT, and operational considerations are reflected in planning and delivery decisions.

• Contribute to the continued growth of the Expleo Cybersecurity Practice through knowledge sharing, delivery insight, and support to broader capability development.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A degree, or equivalent practical experience, in Programme Management, Business Change, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Recognised project or programme management qualifications such as PRINCE2, APM, MAPM, PMP, MSP, or equivalent.

• Familiarity with cybersecurity governance, assurance, or compliance frameworks such as CAF, eCAF, NIST CSF, or ISO/IEC 27001 is highly desirable.

• Understanding of regulated environments and critical national infrastructure expectations is desirable.

• Evidence of continued professional development in programme delivery, governance, or cyber-related domains would be advantageous.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Strong experience in programme governance and structured delivery management across large and complex programmes.

• Proven ability to develop direction, delivery strategy, and long-range plans for multi-workstream programmes.

• Good understanding of cybersecurity, governance, compliance, assurance, and control improvement concepts.

• Practical experience supporting or managing programmes involving CAF and ideally eCAF-aligned activity.

• Strong understanding of delivery methodologies, with the ability to apply discipline and control in regulated environments.

• Ability to manage and coordinate multidisciplinary teams across business, IT, operational, and third-party stakeholders.

• Strong people leadership and self-management skills, with the ability to work autonomously and maintain delivery momentum.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior client leadership.

• Proficiency in the Microsoft Tool Stack and standard programme reporting and governance tools.

• Delivery focus, attention to detail, and a strong quality mindset.

DESIRED SKILLS

• Experience delivering programmes in the water, utilities, energy, or wider critical national infrastructure sectors.

• Familiarity with the challenges of delivering cybersecurity improvement across IT and operational/OT environments.

• Experience supporting regulatory, assurance, or compliance-driven programmes in operationally sensitive environments.

• Understanding of resilience, service continuity, and the practical realities of security improvement within live operational estates.

• Experience working in consultancy-led environments and building trusted relationships with client stakeholders.

• Exposure to supplier coordination, third-party assurance, or cross-functional transformation activity.

• Ability to support the translation of high-level cyber objectives into structured plans, governance outputs, and delivery workstreams.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in programme or project delivery roles, with a strong track record of leading complex technology, compliance, or business change initiatives.

• Proven experience in delivering large-scale programmes involving governance, reporting, stakeholder management, and multiple workstreams.

• Demonstrated experience in cybersecurity-related delivery, including one or more of compliance uplift, assurance activity, remediation planning, governance, or policy implementation.

• Experience of working across complex stakeholder landscapes, ideally involving business, technology, operational, and supplier communities.

• Prior experience in CNI-regulated sectors such as water, energy, utilities, transport, or similar environments is highly desirable.

• Familiarity with programmes involving infrastructure, systems delivery, operational resilience, or transformation activity would be beneficial.

• Experience of client-facing delivery in a consultancy or professional services environment would be advantageous.

WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY

• You must have the right to work in the UK.

• A strong background in programme delivery, with proven experience in complex governance-led environments.

• Demonstrable cybersecurity delivery experience, particularly in relation to compliance, assurance, governance, or resilience improvement activity.

• The ability to lead confidently in a client-facing role and operate effectively across senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.

• A collaborative and delivery-focused mindset, with a strong appreciation of quality, structure, and regulated environment expectations.

BENEFITS

• In a collaborative working environment, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients and our peers through good times and challenges.

• We empower passionate technology professionals by enabling them to expand their skills and take part in meaningful and high-impact projects.

• Expleo Academy, supporting your development through a suite of accredited training courses and learning opportunities.

• Competitive company benefits.

• A culture where people are encouraged to think big, challenge the status quo, and contribute to continuous improvement.

• As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we have committed to:

• Ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible.

• Communicating and promoting vacancies.

• Offering an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job.

• Anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required.

• Supporting any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

Thank you for your interest in this role. Please also share your CV at Vedika@lsarecruit.co.uk and if suitable, we will get in touch with you to discuss further.