Programme Support Specialist
6 month contract
Reading - Hybrid 2 days per week
Bring structure to change. Enable delivery excellence. Keep transformation moving.
The Portfolio Management Group (PMG) is MBNL’s centre of excellence for programme and project delivery — managing a diverse portfolio of change initiatives and operational improvements to achieve outcomes for internal customers and shareholders.
As Programme Support, you are the engine room of delivery discipline. You ensure governance is robust, reporting is trusted, schedules are controlled, and leadership has the insight required to make confident decisions.
This is more than administration — it’s about enabling high-quality execution across complex programmes.
Why this role matters:
Without strong programme support, governance weakens, reporting becomes unreliable, and delivery risks increase.
This role ensures that MBNL’s transformation portfolio operates with discipline, transparency and control — giving leaders confidence that change is being delivered in a structured, sustainable way. This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 2 days per week in our Central Reading office.
What you’ll be here to do:
You’ll work alongside Programme and Project Managers to ensure delivery stays aligned to time, cost, quality and governance standards. You’ll:
Schedule & Delivery Control
• Continuously monitor and track schedules against agreed controls.
•Provide insight into:
o Deliverables, milestones and critical path.
o Delivery volumes and sequencing decisions.
• Highlight risks to timelines early and support mitigation planning.
Financial Oversight & Insight
• Track budget, actual spend and forecast.
• Ensure financial reporting aligns with delivery plans.
• Understand financial implications for governance decisions.
• Maintain financial forecasts within IFS and associated tracking tools.
Governance & Reporting
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting in line with agreed cycles.
• Facilitate governance and change control processes, including:
o Project Review Board (PRB) packs
o Operational Investment Forum submissions
• Prepare clear, insight-driven executive presentations.
• Ensure reporting focuses on key drivers of delivery success.
SteerCo & Meeting Management
• Organise and support Programme/Project SteerCos and key workshops.
• Develop agendas and packs that highlight critical decisions.
• Coordinate actions and escalate issues where appropriate.
• Maintain decision logs and ensure accountability is clear.
Programme Artefact Management
Own and maintain key project controls, including:
• Integrated schedules and “plan on a page”
• RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies)
• Actions registers and decision logs
• Stakeholder maps and distribution lists
• SharePoint documentation libraries
• Governance documentation and change records
Stakeholder Engagement
• Engage confidently with stakeholders across MBNL, shareholders and suppliers.
• Interpret programme requirements and respond with the right level of support.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve delivery processes and team effectiveness.
Who we’re looking for:
You’re structured, proactive and delivery-focused — someone who thrives on bringing order and clarity to complexity. You’ll have:
• Experience working within a project or programme environment.
• Strong experience producing project plans, status reports and executive presentations.
• Understanding of project financials, budgeting and resource tracking.
• Knowledge of RAID management processes.
• Comfortable engaging with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Strong prioritisation and multitasking capability.
• Confident communicator with energy and presence.
• Resilient under pressure and adaptable to shifting priorities.
• Problem-solving mindset with strong organisational skills.
• Passion for change and continuous improvement.
If you also have the following, we’re especially interested in talking to you:
• Professional project qualifications (P3O, PRINCE2, APMP).
• Knowledge of financial processes and project accounting.
If you enjoy working at the centre of activity, thrive on organisation and clarity, and want to play a visible role in enabling successful transformation, this is a career-defining opportunity within the Portfolio Management Group.