Programme Manager at Wellcome Trust in London, England, United Kingdom

Programme Manager
Location: London
Salary: £62,640 - £78,300
Closing date:  Monday, 12 October 2026
Contract type: Permanent
Interview dates: 1st stage (5,6 and 9 Nov) online/Remote; 2nd stage: face to face
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships.

We committed to spend £16bn in the ten years to 2032, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and through our ‘Solutions’ programmes we are taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.
These challenges need the bold science we support, but they won’t be solved by science alone.
We are recruiting Programme Managers to join our Strategy Integration team and help turn the priorities of our Solutions programmes into coordinated delivery and impact. These roles combine strong programme management practice with strategic insight, helping teams maintain oversight of delivery, make informed choices and strengthen alignment across Wellcome.
Working closely with colleagues in our Solutions programmes, you will bring structure, insight and momentum to complex work. You will help teams translate strategic choices into deliverable plans, maintain a clear view of progress, risks and dependencies, and work effectively across organisational boundaries.
Where in Wellcome will I be working?
You will be a member of the Strategy Integration team within Wellcome’s Strategy Department, working closely with colleagues across the Solutions programmes and wider organisation.
Strategy Integration connects strategy, planning and delivery. We work alongside programme leaders and teams to clarify priorities, translate strategic choices into deliverable plans, maintain oversight of progress and strengthen alignment across Wellcome.
Our position within Strategy enables us to connect programme delivery with wider organisational priorities, identify dependencies and opportunities across different areas, and bring learning from delivery back into strategic decision-making.
What will I be doing?
You will work with programme leaders and multidisciplinary teams to develop and define strategic priorities then translate this into achievable plans, providing the coordination, insight and structure needed to deliver impact. By bringing together external insight, programme information, managing risks, dependencies and resources, and helping teams make effective use of data and digital tools, you will support informed decision-making, collaboration and continuous learning, enabling programmes to adapt and thrive as evidence, opportunities and organisational priorities evolve.
As a Programme Manager, you will:
Support the development of programmme goals and outcomes to define strategic priorities and measure out impact.
Translate strategic priorities into clear programme plans, milestones and accountabilities, helping teams deliver against shared goals and intended outcomes.
Partner with programme leaders and teams to monitor progress, identify emerging issues and use evidence and learning to inform decisions and strengthen delivery.
Connect work across research, policy, engagement and other functions, building alignment, managing dependencies and enabling effective collaboration.
Lead planning and prioritisation activities that help teams focus effort and resources on the areas where they can have the greatest impact.
Coordinate programme delivery by managing milestones, risks, dependencies, budgets and resource planning, ensuring challenges are addressed and momentum is maintained.
Design and facilitate effective workshops, planning sessions and reviews, while improving ways of working and providing clear information to support communication and decision-making.
Is this job for me?
You will thrive in a role that brings together strategic thinking and practical delivery. You will be confident creating clarity across complex programmes, connecting different perspectives and helping teams make informed decisions and maintain momentum.
You will bring strong judgement, curiosity and a collaborative approach. You will build trusted relationships across Wellcome and be comfortable constructively challenging colleagues to strengthen plans, resolve issues and improve delivery.
To apply for this role please submit an updated CV and answer 2 application questions to demonstrate that you meet the minimum requirements for the role.
Minimum Criteria:
Significant experience managing complex programmes, projects or portfolios involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities and interdependent workstreams.
Demonstrable experience translating strategic objectives into delivery plans, milestones and measurable outcomes, and driving progress against them.
Experience identifying, managing and mitigating programme risks, dependencies and delivery challenges, including escalating issues and supporting their resolution.
Evidence of building effective working relationships and influencing stakeholders across functions, teams or organisations where there is no direct reporting line.
Experience using data, evidence, programme metrics and insight to inform prioritisation, monitor progress and support decision-making.
Applications Questions:
Using examples please provide evidence to demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as outlined in the job description? (Up to 500 words)
Using short summaries please provide specific details of up to two different initiatives or projects you have been directly involved in that are relevant to this role. For each initiative or project please use up to 250 words to describe your role (e.g. team leader, team member), the purpose of the activity (i.e. its aims), and the major contributions you personally made.

You can view the full job description on our website
You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website
Our Hybrid Way of Working
We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best.
At Wellcome we have a hybrid way of working which is 3 days in our Euston Road offices (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.
Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do
Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.
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