Programme Support Officer

Contract: Initial 6 months (with likely extension)
Location: Midlands - Hybrid, with 1-3 days per week on-site
Day Rate: £300 - £350
IR35 Status: Umbrella or Limited Company

We are supporting a high-profile organisation delivering a major strategic transformation programme across the transport sector. As part of this complex and high-impact initiative, we are seeking an experienced Programme Support Officer to provide proactive and organised support to the Programme Director and wider programme team.

This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in a large-scale change programme, ensuring effective governance, planning, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and programme administration. You will work closely with senior leadership and contribute to the successful delivery of a programme that will shape future transport services across the region.

• Maintain and update programme plans using Microsoft Project, ensuring milestones, dependencies and critical paths remain accurate.
• Support the production of programme reports, highlight reports and governance updates.
• Monitor progress against key deliverables and identify potential risks to delivery.
• Provide timely and accurate programme information to support decision making.

• Maintain programme risk registers, ensuring risks are clearly documented, reviewed and updated.
• Manage programme issue logs and support escalation where required.
• Track programme actions through to completion and ensure accountability across stakeholders.
• Support robust governance processes and maintain comprehensive audit trails.

• Coordinate complex diary commitments for senior stakeholders.
• Organise governance meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes and action tracking.
• Support workshops, decision-making forums and programme meetings.
• Build effective relationships with senior leaders, project teams and external partners.

• Provide high-quality administrative support to the Programme Director and wider team.
• Maintain programme documentation, filing structures and version control.
• Support onboarding, procurement and contract administration activities where required.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, data protection requirements and confidentiality standards.

We're looking for a highly organised and proactive individual who has experience working within project, programme or PMO environments and is confident engaging with senior stakeholders.

• Experience supporting projects or programmes involving transformation, change, service improvement or digital initiatives.
• Experience maintaining risk registers, issue logs and action logs.
• Proven experience using Microsoft Project to maintain project or programme plans.
• Experience supporting directors, executives or senior stakeholders, including diary management.
• Experience producing programme documentation, reports and governance packs.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Project, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work professionally and confidentially in sensitive environments.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with the ability to anticipate issues before they arise.

• Experience supporting complex or large-scale transformation programmes.
• Previous experience within a PMO or structured programme environment.
• Knowledge of recognised project delivery methodologies such as PRINCE2 or MSP.
• Experience working within the public sector or other regulated environments.
• Exposure to benefits tracking, financial monitoring or resource planning activities.
• Experience supporting regional transport or infrastructure programmes.

• Degree educated or equivalent relevant experience.
• Project or programme support qualifications such as PRINCE2 Foundation or APM PFQ would be advantageous.

If you are an experienced Programme Support Officer, PMO Analyst or Project Support professional looking to join a high-profile transformation programme and work alongside senior stakeholders, we'd love to hear from you.