Programme Manager

Some programmes start with a blank sheet of paper.  Others start with a vision!

This one starts with one of the most exciting venue openings in the UK.

We're looking for a Programme Manager who can take a complex, fast-moving pre-opening programme and turn it into a well-oiled machine. Someone who loves bringing order to complexity, spotting what others miss, and keeping multiple moving parts heading in the same direction.

You'll be at the heart of YTL Live's journey to opening day, working across commercial, operational, technology and regulatory workstreams to ensure every milestone, dependency, decision and deliverable lands exactly where it needs to.

This isn't about sitting on the sidelines producing reports. It's about making things happen. You'll challenge, influence, coordinate, anticipate risks before they become problems and help ensure YTL Live opens safely, compliantly, commercially and confidently.

If you enjoy building programmes from the ground up, thrive in complex environments, and get an unhealthy amount of satisfaction from seeing a plan come together, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll do

• Take a thousand moving parts, a hundred competing priorities and one huge ambition and turn them into a programme that gets YTL Live to opening day.
• Build the master plan that everyone rallies behind, making sure milestones are clear, dependencies are understood and nobody is discovering surprises at the eleventh hour.
• Connect the dots across operations, technology, commercial, regulatory and support teams, making sure every workstream is pulling in the same direction.
• Be the person who can see around corners, identifying risks, issues and bottlenecks before they become tomorrow's problem.
• Create a delivery rhythm that keeps momentum high, decisions moving and actions landing.
• Ask the awkward questions that need asking, challenge constructively and help workstream leaders stay focused on outcomes, not activity.
• Turn programme complexity into crystal-clear updates that help leaders understand where things stand, where decisions are needed and what comes next.
• Make sure "ready" actually means ready by coordinating assurance, evidence, testing and readiness reviews that prove the business can operate with confidence from day one.
• Keep a firm grip on programme risks, decisions, assumptions, changes and dependencies without drowning people in process.
• Coordinate the handover from opening programme to operational reality, ensuring teams, suppliers, systems and processes are ready to perform when the doors open.
• Help shape one of the most exciting chapters in YTL Live's story and play a key role in bringing an iconic venue to life.

What you'll need

• You've successfully led large, complex programmes where ambiguity was high, priorities changed and failure simply wasn't an option.
• You know how to build structure where little exists, creating plans, governance, controls and delivery disciplines that give confidence and drive results.
• Critical paths, RAID logs, dependencies, readiness gates and executive reporting aren't just project terminology to you, they're tools you've used to deliver successfully.
• You're comfortable operating at executive level and can confidently challenge, influence and engage senior stakeholders when it matters.
• You combine organisation with pragmatism, knowing when to dive into the detail and when to focus on the bigger picture.
• You can hold people accountable without creating friction, building relationships that achieve progress rather than politics.
• You understand the commercial realities behind delivery decisions and can balance risk, cost, value and operational impact.
• You've worked in complex operational environments such as live events, hospitality, venues, technology, infrastructure, transportation, large-scale mobilisation or major transformation programmes.
• You remain calm when deadlines tighten, priorities shift and pressure increases because that's usually when you're at your best.
• You're an exceptional communicator who can simplify complexity, tell the story behind the data and help leaders make informed decisions.
• A recognised programme or project management qualification would be great, but proven delivery in a complex environment is what really counts.
• You're curious about how digital tools and AI can improve planning, analysis and decision-making while understanding that accountability always stays with people.

What you'll receive

• A combined pension contribution of up to 20%.
• Career progression and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
• A car allowance.
• Performance-related bonus.
• The opportunity to sell up to five days of holiday every year.
• The opportunity to buy up to ten days of holiday each year (subject to conditions).
• A healthcare package that allows you to claim back healthcare costs.
• Life assurance of up to eight times your salary.
• The opportunity to lease a new electric car through salary sacrifice (subject to conditions).
• Cashback and discounts from more than 3,000 retailers.
• One paid volunteering day each year.
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements.
• Access to an interactive health and wellbeing platform.
• Support from trained mental health first aiders.
• A £1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone who is successfully recruited by us.

Who we are

YTL UK is part of the international YTL Group based in Kuala Lumpur. The UK companies include:

• Wessex Water – one of the top-performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West
• YTL Developments – a major UK developer currently redeveloping a 450-acre former airfield into an award-winning, exciting mix of houses, apartments, schools, commercial space, restaurants and hotels, to make a truly sustainable new community
• YTL Construction UK – a top 20 UK contractor providing fully integrated services to infrastructure, residential, commercial, industry, energy and environmental sectors
• YTL Live – the development and operation of an entertainment complex that includes a 20,000 capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space
• plus a number of other retail, environmental and specialist businesses.

Our people tell us that YTL UK is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have a unique opportunity to develop and progress your career within such a diverse group.

We are passionate about diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please inform a member of our Recruitment team.