Planning & Programme Manager

Ocean Park House, Cardiff 37 hours Perm £40,596 rising to £44,163 21/09/26

At ACT, our Behaviour Framework shapes everything we do. We are looking for a Planning and Programme Manager who demonstrates genuine Respect, communicates with Openness & Honesty, and brings Innovation & Creativity to strategic planning, problem-solving and organisational improvement. You will be motivated to Empower colleagues and teams to deliver ACT's strategic priorities, while maintaining Clarity in your planning, decision‑making and communication.

If you are resilient, adaptable and committed to using insight and effective governance to drive continuous improvement and organisational success, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Planning & Programme Manager to lead ACT’s strategic planning, programme management, organisational risk governance and business insights functions.

This is a key role within our Strategy & Planning function, providing the opportunity to influence how ACT plans, delivers and monitors its strategic priorities. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation, supporting departments to translate strategic priorities into effective plans and ensuring progress, performance, risk and insight are clearly understood by senior leaders and the Board.

Lead ACT's annual strategic planning cycle and support departments to develop and deliver strategic objectives.

Oversee ACT's strategic project and programme portfolio, ensuring effective governance, prioritisation and delivery.

Lead the development and implementation of ACT's organisational risk governance framework and corporate risk register.

Oversee the Business Insights function, ensuring data and reporting provide meaningful insight for decision-making.

Produce strategic performance, risk and assurance reporting for Senior Leadership and Board.

Lead and develop the Strategy & Planning team, building capability and promoting consistent approaches across ACT.

Build strong relationships across the organisation and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Please see the full Job Description and Person Specification for further information about the role.

ACT is committed to promoting the Welsh language for both staff and learners, and whilst it is not considered essential criteria, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this role.

At ACT, people are at the heart of everything we do. As Wales’s largest training provider, we’re passionate about making a real difference through high-quality learning — and we’re just as committed to supporting our staff to grow, develop and succeed.

We’re proud to be an Investors in People Platinum organisation, accredited for over 25 years, and recognised in the Best Companies 2025 awards as one of the UK’s top employers — ranked 26th Best Large Company to Work For and 5th in Wales.

At ACT, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of respect, fairness, and dignity for all. We believe in creating an inclusive environment where every individual feel valued and empowered to thrive.

FREDIE has been central to promoting and recognising exceptional commitment to equality and diversity. FREDIE stands for Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement, and these values are at the heart of ACT’s philosophy, shaping our approach to both staff and learners.

ACT is dedicated to fair and safe recruitment practices, ensuring equality for all applicants and staff. We do not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.

Our questioning and collating of information are intended to help us maintain equal opportunities best practice and identify barriers to workforce equality and diversity. The information collated from you will not be used in any decision affecting you.

We are happy to consider an reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, please drop us an email with your requirements.

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