Programme Manager - Nature Towns

Programme Manager – Nature Towns and Cities

Salary £47,181 to £50,269 plus £3,203 car benefit allowance
Hours Full Time
Contract Contract/Temporary (Fixed Term/Secondment for 24 months)
Organisation Luton Borough Council
Placed On Thu 18th December, 2025
Closes 12:00am - Fri 16th January, 2026

This position is available as a secondment opportunity for 24 months. If you are a permanent LBC employee, you must have written approval (an email will suffice) from your manager prior to applying and a copy will need to be submitted with your application.

Please note:

we will not be able to proceed with your application form without your manager's permission.

We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Programme Manager to lead and deliver Nature Towns and Cities - Roots to Healthy Places:
Nature Connections in Luton, an ambitious new initiative funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This flagship programme will strengthen connections between people and nature across Luton, with a particular focus on supporting underrepresented communities, including young people, people with disabilities and South Asian communities, to access, enjoy and shape their local green spaces.

The project will engage communities who currently face barriers to using and benefit ting from green spaces, offering opportunities to co-create improvements and take part in a range of cultural and physical activities that enhance health and wellbeing. It also includes a full survey of council-owned land to inform nature recovery priorities and develop new opportunities for investment in nature.

As Programme Manager, you will lead and coordinate all aspects of this multi-partner initiative. This includes managing delivery, building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders, overseeing community engagement, and ensuring all National Lottery Heritage Fund requirements are met. You will line manage a Volunteering Officer and contractors, lead project communications, and identify new income streams for nature conservation, such as biodiversity credits.

You will also be responsible for programme monitoring, evaluation and reporting within the Climate Change Service.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

You will be an experienced and confident project and programme manager, with a proven track record of delivering projects on time, within budget, and in line with value-for-money principles. You have demonstrable experience in managing, commissioning, and overseeing projects, including heritage or biodiversity-related initiatives, and in leading project teams, motivating others and driving consistent performance. You are skilled in programme and change management, maintaining quality assurance systems, performance frameworks, and transformational change projects.

You are adept at developing clear project plans, business cases, and contract or project documentation, and can produce dashboards and workflows to ensure compliance and performance. You can prepare and deliver clear, compelling reports and presentations, and possess strong knowledge of relevant policy and legislative requirements. You bring a strategic yet practical approach, ensuring projects achieve key performance targets while delivering meaningful outcomes for communities and stakeholders.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

• From 25 to 32 days' annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x…