Programme Manager - Made Smarter

Programme Manager - Made Smarter

Department: Growth, Business and Skills

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Sheffield Head Office

Reporting To: Strategic Lead - Investment Zone (Paul Johnson)

Compensation: £55,949 - £59,907 / year

• Hours: 37 hours
• Contract: Permanent
• Salary: Grade 12 £ 55,949 - £59,907
• Location: Sheffield (This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office)

Applications must be accompanied by a cover letter to detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role (please see role profile attached). Please note, all applications should be made directly via our careers portal.

Interviews are planned to take place 10-12 February 2026.

Please note South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority does not hold a sponsorship licence and cannot provide Skilled Worker sponsorship for any roles advertised.

Made Smarter is an ambitious programme seeking to digitise manufacturers and embed Industry 4.0 to enable regional businesses to become more productive, less wasteful, and more competitive with their continental counterparts.

As Made Smarter Programme Manager you’ll develop strong working relationships with representatives from the combined authorities, local authorities and other key partners that make up Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber, including the manufacturing sector, business associations and representative bodies, and central government departments.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide project oversight and input into collaborative projects linked to Made Smarter.
• Lead the engagement with Government departments for Made Smarter and be advocate for its extension.
• Provide leadership to the programme, managing the staff resource within SYMCA.
• Shape and deliver the overall Made Smarter programme strategy, ensuring all partners are informed and in agreement with the direction of delivery.
• Develop proposals and a plan for any potential future programme delivery.
• Work closely with other SYMCA colleagues on Made Smarter evaluation, monitoring, contracting, and reporting.
• Develop, prepare, and deliver Highlight Reports for Made Smarter meetings with internal and external partners

You will have good knowledge of economic development within the manufacturing sector with an understanding of the wider national economic landscape, including technological, environmental, and social factors. You will have significant knowledge and understanding of sub‑region/city region and regional agendas including the workings of Combined Authorities and Local Authorities and the way in which these interact with local partnerships and approaches.

We’d love to hear from candidates with the following experience:

• Understanding of public sector funding streams.
• Substantial experience of regularly writing strategic and highly complex reports in a clear, concise manner and to a high standard.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to achieve consensus and develop solutions to complex and politically sensitive issues.
• Substantial experience of identifying and building critical networks and relationships at a high level.
• Ability to create positive working relationships – both within local authorities and outside and an ability to deliver shared agendas.
• The ability to communicate complex and contentious information, both orally and in writing, to a range of audiences in a clear, articulate, balanced and succinct way.
• Experience of managing resources and projects and/or programmes.
• Substantial experience of leading and/or managing individual projects and providing leadership and oversight to a complex programme of activity.

For more detail, please see criteria listed in the role profile attached.

All colleagues have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well‑placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.

In…