Deputy Director Capital Works, National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) Programme

As Deputy Director, Capital Works within the NBC programme, the key immediate challenge will be to act as overall client-side lead for enabling and infrastructure works to clear and prepare the site for the main construction to begin in 2027, of long-term infrastructure to support go live of the new facilities, and for the delivery of future maintenance and critical works to keep the Weybridge site operational until NBC delivers.

The urgency of the re-development at Weybridge means that these must be achieved to meet the Defra strategy for the site. This will be a critical role given the complex interdependencies on a site which must remain operational throughout the works.

The post-holder will work closely with the NBC Programme Director and project sponsors acting as the primary civil service conduit for formal governance, ensuring that investment decisions, financial payments, approvals and change control are exercised. They will manage key relationships with stakeholders within Defra and across Government.

They will lead on benefits management, monitoring and realisation across the portfolio, ensuring any associated business change is planned, tracked and embedded, and will maintain strong stakeholder engagement within the main end users - APHA and Defra Group Property.

They will maintain, evolve and implement the workforce strategy and associated recruitment needed to build the long-term capability required for Weybridge, and will ensure upward visibility of progress, risks and issues through the programme and into Defra and Government-wide reporting. The postholder will be the critical link between the Programme and the machinery of Government.

This is a specialist Deputy Director role that will operate within the Defra Group Project Delivery Profession. Reporting to the NBC Programme Director with specific responsibility for sponsorship of the delivery of defined capital works, they will be a key part of the NBC Senior Leadership team, working closely with the NBC Programme Executive, the main Internal Governance Board for the Programme.

• Acting as overall client-side lead for capital project delivery on behalf of the NBC Programme Intelligent Client Function (ICF). They will be responsible for a portfolio of projects including assurance of investment and procurement decisions and payment approvals. This primarily encompasses enabling projects, infrastructure and site logistics in the near term, as well as Weybridge site wide critical works and future maintenance, but other capital projects may form part of the role/portfolio in future.
• Working with the Programme Director and Project Sponsors to support the development of project delivery strategies, collaborating with supply chain partners to integrate all enabling, infrastructure, and early works including energy, power, services and logistics.
• Assure compliance with planning conditions for all projects within the portfolio.
• Ensuring projects remain aligned with programme constraints (e.g. clearing the footprint on time), focusing on value-for-money exercising financial approvals and change control across the portfolio, leading benefits realisation throughout the project throughout their lifecycle, and reporting progress, issues, risks and mitigations to the Programme Executive and Board.
• Building and maintaining respected and trusted relationships with APHA, Defra group Property, government stakeholders and key regulators to ensure safety, ethical, and biosecurity standards are met.
• Acting as a member of the Senior Leadership Team for NBC, leading the development of the workforce strategy and associated recruitment to build the long-term capability required by the Programme, and supporting the delivery of corporate objectives for

Essential Criteria

• Experience of overseeing the delivery of major complex construction projects from within an Intelligent Client function, working alongside scientific, engineering and construction delivery professionals across a diverse, complex organisation.
• Experience of managing design, construction, benefits realisation and business change within of complex, technical design-led programmes, which may include multi-discipline high containment laboratories, scientific facilities or other complex infrastructure.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills with a track record of building trusted relationships across high-calibre, multi disciplinary teams (across multiple suppliers) and diverse customer groups to deliver against demanding timescales
• Experience of the governance, assurance and oversight requirements associated with leading a complex public sector project, such as those within the GMPP Portfolio or similar, including handling upwards governance reporting.
• A sound understanding of the regulatory, legal and financial approval processes relevant to complex, technical, design-led programmes and experience of engagement with regulatory authorities.
• Experience of developing and implementing workforce strategy and leading recruitment to build long-term capability within a complex programme or organisation.

Desirable

• Professional membership of a recognised accrediting body relevant to programme or project delivery, governance or business change, such as APM, the Change Management Institute or equivalent.
• Accreditation at senior or master practitioner level under the government project delivery profession scheme or working towards it or a willingness to achieve such accreditation, supported by the Department.