Senior Responsible Owner

Job number: SP04820

Profession: Programme Management

Location: Sellafield, West Cumbria

Contract type: Permanent contract

**Salary**: Negotiable

Posting date: 19/06/2023

Closing date: 03/07/2023

The Senior Responsible Owner is accountable for a Programme meeting its objectives, delivering the required outcomes, and setting up for successful benefits realisation.

Sellafield Ltd’s purpose is to create a clean and safe environment for future generations. The business is managing a period of unprecedented change with the completion of reprocessing operations and the shift of focus to high hazard retrievals, risk reduction and broader decommissioning activities. Accelerating hazard and risk reduction programmes is a significant Government priority and the number one regulatory priority for the Office for Nuclear Regulation. Sellafield is a complex environment with a wide range of uncertainties and interdependencies, making programme and project delivery challenging. A wide-ranging programme of improvement activity is underway to enable more effective initiation and delivery of the programmes and projects required for NDA and Sellafield to realise their strategic objectives and benefits, alongside the new PPP commercial model. This will re-set our strategic approaches to portfolio, programme, and project delivery (P3D), grow functional capability and capacity to complement our deep operational expertise, and develop an enabling environment which supports the achievement of successful outcomes. The introduction of the SRO role is a full-time role, reflecting the importance NDA and Sellafield aspiration for driving improved programme performance, although flexibility will be required as the operating model and portfolio of major projects in Sellafield evolves.

Principal Accountabilities
- The Senior Responsible Owner:
- Provides overall leadership, decisions, and direction.
- Collaborates with Head of Profession, Programme and Projects and on the design of the programme and temporary organisation needed to deliver it.
- Delivers the programme objectives and projected outcomes and oversees and drives benefits realisation, including ensuring benefits ownership following closure of the project.
- Provides strategic guidance to the programme team and Head of Projects and sets key strategic delivery parameters.
- Owns the business case, ensures and assures ongoing viability. Must refer any significant concerns about feasibility, value for money, regularity or propriety to the CEO and relevant accounting officer.
- Secures sanction against the business case throughout the life of the programme.
- Contracts with the Heads of Professions across the Enterprise to secure the resources necessary for successful delivery.
- Influences and manages the environment into which the programme/project outcomes will be delivered, including relationships with key stakeholders, business owners and impacted parties.
- Manages strategic risks in the operating environment.
- Ensures appropriate programme governance is in place and chairs the Programme Board.
- Ensures arrangements for external reviews are in place to ensure successful.
- Ensures appropriate assurance and agrees the level and frequency of assurance reviews for internal assurance.
- Secures and works collaboratively with the business-as-usual environment (Operations) to define the programme outcomes and design in line with client expectations.
- Available to the Programme Manager to coach, advise, provide strategic direction, assist with conflict resolution, and make timely decisions.
- Agrees and owns the programme vision and success criteria with the Programme Manager.
- Deploys skills in reviews and assurance and ensures an appropriate level and frequency are adhered to.

Authorities
- Owns the budget within agreed delegations and applies strong financial controls in line with requirements of Treasury guidance on “Managing Public Money” and Cabinet Office spending controls.
- Accountable to the AO (Accounting Officer) and responsible to their Director.
- To accelerate significant concerns about feasibility, value for money regularity or propriety to the NDA Accounting Officer and where appropriate to the primary BEIS Accounting Officer (GMPP - Government Major Projects Portfolio).
- To participate in regular briefings and participate in Executive/Board governance forums at Sellafield Ltd, NDA, Treasury, BEIS and Ministers (as appropriate).
- To recommend pause, reset or termination of the programme in a timely manner to the Sellafield Board, NDA Accounting Officer and BEIS (where appropriate).
- Senior Responsible Owner Job change letter issued by the CEO.
- Job profile specifying the authorities issued via the relevant profession (i.e. Programme Management.
- Owns the overall design of the programme organisation and detailed plan, working in collaboration with Head of Profession, Programme and Projects to appoint and/or develop the Programme Manager and ens