Inspiring Innovation Programme Lead

Salary: Grade 6, £67,238 per annum

Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 31 October 2028

Closing date: 9 October 2026

Transformation is how we respond to the challenges and opportunities facing our communities, services and organisation.

At Somerset Council, Inspiring Innovation is our organisation-wide transformation programme, helping us reimagine services, embrace digital opportunities, strengthen our culture and create a more sustainable future for residents and communities.

We're looking for an exceptional Inspiring Innovation Programme Delivery Lead to help turn ambition into reality.

About the Role

Somerset Council has no shortage of ambition. Across the organisation, leaders are driving change to improve services, strengthen communities and create a more sustainable future. Working across the council's transformation portfolio, you'll help turn that ambition into delivery, leading strategic change spanning service transformation, digital, organisational development, culture change, customer experience and financial sustainability.

As the Inspiring Innovation Programme Delivery Lead, you will help create the momentum, clarity and discipline that enables the programme to succeed.

How You'll Make a Difference

• Lead delivery across the Inspiring Innovation Programme, maintaining momentum and ensuring priorities remain clear.
• Coordinate activity across multiple transformation initiatives, helping teams stay focused on outcomes, dependencies and delivery priorities.
• Support and challenge senior leaders to make confident, evidence-based decisions that enable successful transformation.
• Create visibility of progress, benefits, risks and opportunities across the programme, ensuring leaders have the information they need to make informed decisions.
• Identify issues early and work collaboratively across services and professional disciplines to remove barriers to delivery.
• Help create the conditions for sustainable transformation, continuous improvement and lasting impact for residents, communities and colleagues.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for an experienced programme, transformation or change leader who thrives in complexity and ambiguity and understands how to turn ambition into measurable outcomes. You'll bring:

• Significant experience leading complex transformation, programme delivery or organisational change.
• A track record of turning ambition into measurable outcomes.
• Strong organisational awareness and the ability to navigate complexity.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing and relationship building skills.
• Experience managing programme governance, risk and benefits realisation.
• The ability to create focus, momentum and accountability across large-scale change activity.
• Strong judgement and confidence in addressing difficult issues constructively.
• A leadership style built on challenge, collaboration, trust and support.

Why Join Us?

This role offers a rare opportunity to help shape and deliver change at a whole-council level. You'll have visibility across the breadth of the organisation, working alongside colleagues from transformation, digital, data, organisational development, finance and service delivery, to help shape priorities, solve complex challenges and deliver lasting improvement for Somerset's residents and communities

Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, you'll be joining a council that is building a more resilient and adaptable future while offering excellent opportunities to develop your career and make a meaningful impact.

• 33 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most enhanced and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Find out more about working at Somerset Council:
https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Further Information

• This role offers flexible hybrid working arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance.
• Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
• Interviews are currently scheduled to take place during the week commencing 19 October 2026.

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

Application Guidance

We encourage you to use the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when providing examples in your application. Please demonstrate how your experience relates to the role requirements and the impact you've delivered.

You can find a copy of the job description here:  RP319 Inspiring Innovation Programme Lead.pdf 

Please read the job description and person specification carefully, paying particular attention to the essential and desirable criteria, which will be used during shortlisting.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Sara Cretney, Service Director and Transformation Director via email: sara.cretney@somerset.gov.uk

Come and help create the confidence, momentum and collaboration that turns inspiring ideas into lasting impact.