Head of Strategic Program Management Office at UCB · Slough

Make your mark for patients

We are looking for a Head of Strategic Program Management Office who is strategic, collaborative and delivery-focused to join our Patient Solutions team, based in Belgium or the United Kingdom, with Belgium preferred.

About the role

You will establish and lead the program management office for a highly visible enterprise digital transformation across Patient Solutions. You will create portfolio-level visibility across eight interconnected workstreams and multiple projects, enabling disciplined prioritization, stronger decisions and measurable value. Acting as a trusted partner to senior leaders, you will connect strategy to execution, strengthen vendor accountability and help the organization move from tactical coordination to sustainable, outcome-focused delivery.

Who you'll work with

You will be working in a team that brings together Patient Solutions leadership, research, digital, data, finance, strategy and enterprise architecture colleagues. You will lead an initial team of three to four direct reports, while coaching and influencing a broader network of project managers and workstream leads. You will also partner closely with external vendors and consulting teams to ensure aligned, high-quality delivery across a global portfolio.

What you'll do

• Build and lead the program management office operating model, governance cadence, standards, templates and reliable single source of truth.
• Integrate plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, resources and decisions across eight workstreams and multiple projects.
• Provide concise portfolio insights that support rapid prioritization, resource allocation and evidence-based decisions by senior leadership.
• Track delivery, budget, vendor performance, benefits and value through clear executive dashboards, reporting and proactive escalation.
• Challenge and support workstream leaders to connect deliverables and performance measures to strategic outcomes and highest-value priorities.
• Lead and develop the core team, while coaching project managers and strengthening sustainable program delivery capabilities across the portfolio.

Interested? For this role we're looking for the following education, experience and skills

• Proven leadership of a complex program management office or enterprise portfolio with multiple interdependent workstreams and senior stakeholders.
• Strong pharmaceutical or life-sciences experience, ideally within research, research operations or a closely related scientific environment.
• Demonstrated digital and data transformation experience, including governance, strategic planning, risk management and organizational change.
• Experience managing external vendors, budgets, performance measures, benefits realization and executive-level reporting or dashboards.
• People leadership experience, with the ability to coach teams, influence without formal authority and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• Fluent English, strong analytical communication skills and confidence operating in evolving, ambiguous and globally connected environments.

Are you ready to ‘go beyond’ to create value and make your mark for patients? If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!

About us
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science.

Why work with us?
At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential.

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on EMEA-Reasonable_Accommodation@ucb.com. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.