Digital Transformation Programme Manager (Collaborative)

Location of Role: North Kent Police Station or Chelmsford FHQ

Advert Closing Date: 12/10/2026

Starting Salary: £69,687.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Temporary

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri

Weekend/Evening Working: No

This is an excellent opportunity to lead the first stage of one of the most significant corporate transformation programmes across Kent Police and Essex Police.

We are looking for an experienced change, transformation or programme professional who is ready to take on a major strategic assignment. You may already be operating as a senior programme manager, or this may be the right next step in your career, providing the opportunity to apply your organisational knowledge, leadership experience and change expertise to a complex, high-profile programme.

The six-month assignment will help shape the future of how both forces manage their people, finances, procurement, payroll, contracts and corporate services. You will work at a senior organisational level and contribute to investment decisions affecting more than 13,500 officers, staff, volunteers and partners across Kent and Essex.

The current SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system has supported both forces for over two decades. A comprehensive review is now required to identify the most appropriate future solution. This is not simply a technology project. It is a major business transformation initiative with significant organisational, operational and financial implications.

You will lead the discovery, options appraisal and business case phase, working with senior leaders, business stakeholders and an external delivery partner. You will help establish the programme’s vision, scope, costs, risks and anticipated benefits, bringing together business, operational, commercial and technical perspectives to support informed decision-making at Chief Officer level.

This opportunity would suit someone who can demonstrate a strong track record in organisational change and is ready to lead a substantial, cross-force assignment. You will need the confidence to work with senior stakeholders, navigate complex organisational priorities and turn detailed information into clear recommendations.

You do not need to have previously held an identical programme manager role. We welcome applications from experienced change professionals who can demonstrate the leadership, strategic thinking and organisational credibility needed to step successfully into this assignment.

Although initially offered as a six-month appointment, this role forms the first phase of a much wider transformation journey. Subject to approval of the resulting business case and recommendations, the forces anticipate moving into procurement, implementation and delivery. The successful candidate will therefore have a valuable opportunity to influence the programme from its earliest stage and help establish the foundations for future delivery.

At shortlisting, we will be looking for clear evidence of:

Essential

• Experience of leading organisational change, transformation activity or complex programmes, with the ability to step into a senior programme leadership role.
• Experience of developing options, recommendations or business cases to support organisational investment and decision-making.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders and governance bodies, providing clear advice, assurance and constructive challenge.
• A strong understanding of complex dependencies, risks and cross-organisational impacts.
• The ability to bring together business, operational and technical perspectives and translate complex information into clear, meaningful recommendations.
• Line manager endorsement.

Desirable

• Experience of ERP, core business systems, or large corporate platforms within complex organisations.
• Experience of supporting or leading large‑scale procurement activity and managing delivery partners or suppliers.
• Experience working in, or closely with, public sector or policing environments.
• Familiarity with structured business case approaches, such as the Five Case Model.

Whilst this role is primarily home‑based, there is expectations of your flexibility to travel to locations across Kent and Essex as required to meet with the stakeholder group. Travel will also be expected to meet with the Delivery Partner or suppliers as part of the Business Case build, and may also be required for Reference Site Visits as part of the research and procurement stages.

If you would like further information on this role please contact Alex Allen - [email protected].

Kent Police offer incremental increases within this salary band, therefore the salary for this position will rise to a maximum of £78,429.00.

For the full Kent job description please click here.

For the full Essex job description please click here.

Kent Police and Essex Police have separate salary grading systems therefore the salary for this position will be dependent on which home office force you are appointed to. This will be discussed with the successful applicant before a final offer is made.

Your application for this role will be shortlisted on the content you provide within the “reason for application” question, within the application form itself. CV’s, covering letters or attachments are not included in the shortlist. Within your “reason for application” answer, please refer to any experience, skills, and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for this role, based on the role criteria stated in the job advert or job description. Please provide as much detail as possible as insufficient content may mean you do not meet the shortlisting criteria, however please note this question is limited to 9000 characters and this system will count spaces and blank lines as characters. This count may differ from the Microsoft Word word count function therefore you may wish to use a different online character counter to check the characters used.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at [email protected] stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

Essex Police is a Disability Confident Leader, we:

• have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to external challenge and validation
• are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping other employers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.

Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.

Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.