Location: London / Hybrid – Please note, office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need. For home-based staff, some occasional travel to London and wider afield is likely required. You’ll be required to participate in an on-call rota for cyber incidents. This will involve an out-of-hours commitment for which a separate allowance is paid.

Fixed term for 12 months

About us

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government.

We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems.

We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to challenges present and emerging, and support improvement across the sector.

We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role.

About the role

Do you have a passion for building digital capabilities in local government? The Local Government Association (LGA) is looking for a dynamic Programme Manager – Digital Capabilities to lead an expanded programme of work. This role is crucial for helping councils develop the skills, culture and technology needed to deliver modern, efficient public services.

This is a unique opportunity to help councils build their digital capabilities. You will work with practitioners and leaders to foster a culture of digital fluency, helping to create clear digital career paths and building a strong talent pipeline.

In addition to building people’s skills, you’ll manage a broad portfolio of technical and infrastructural capabilities to support councils. This work includes critical areas like cybersecurity, addressing legacy technology and cloud adoption, and improving system components.

You will work closely with practitioners across the sector, including through communities of practice, while also engaging directly with the government to address their high-priority agenda for supporting councils with digital products and services. This is a chance to make a tangible impact on the foundational technology that powers public services.

As one of six team leaders in the LGA’s Cyber, Digital and Technology Programme, our new Programme Manager for Digital Capabilities will champion digital evolution. You will provide strategic leadership to help councils develop the skills, culture, and technology they need to build modern, efficient, and citizen-focused public services.

As the Programme Manager for Digital Capabilities, you will lead a team to deliver the objectives of a government grant. Your responsibilities will include:

Lead the Digital Capabilities pillar of the LGA’s Sector Support Programme for Cyber, Digital and Technology, focusing on critical areas like digital skills, cloud adoption, cybersecurity, legacy systems, and core components.
Shape the LGA’s work on digital capabilities, with a focus on digital transformation, systems thinking, and citizen-centred design.
Collaborate across the LGA to align on mutual objectives and mainstream digital thinking into leadership programmes, graduate schemes, and broader workforce strategies.
Engage with councils, central government, and sector partners to find new ways to support the sector’s skills agenda and modernise public services through technology.
Manage a small, high-performing team while working effectively with colleagues across the LGA to deliver impactful, future-focused work.
Produce high-quality briefings, reports, and presentations for senior audiences, including LGA leadership, elected members, and Whitehall officials.
Represent local government in crucial national conversations about innovation, reform, and digital transformation.
Monitor programme impact and report on outcomes, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with sector needs.

About you

As a Programme Manager, you’ll lead the design and delivery of key projects under our Digital Capabilities umbrella. This work focuses on critical areas like cybersecurity, legacy technology modernization, and cloud adoption. A core part of your role will be to address the digital skills gap within the local government workforce. This means you will explore how to enhance the visibility of digital tools and methods and promote the adoption of secure, modern technology to improve public services.

This role is for a strategic leader who can build high-level partnerships with councils, central government, think tanks, and other skills and innovation bodies. Your collaborative skills will be essential for shaping future-ready organisations and ensuring local government is equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the coming decade. You’ll need a strong track record in strategic planning, delivery, and evaluation.

We’re looking for an individual with experience managing complex programmes and partnerships. You will be genuinely passionate about empowering transformation, bridging the skills gap, and driving innovation from within to ensure adaptability and future readiness.

Ideally, we’re looking for someone with experience in digital transformation, preferably within local government or the broader public sector. A strong understanding of digital tools and technologies would be highly beneficial, along with knowledge of key concepts like agility, cost optimisation, scalability, resilience, and innovation.

This role requires someone who is politically astute, with excellent communication and influencing skills. You will represent local government in senior-level forums, ensuring its voice is central to national reform and innovation agendas.

You should thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and be adept at working with senior stakeholders, both internally and externally.

You must have the right to work in the UK, the LGA are unfortunately unable to offer sponsorship visas. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria for the role before the closing date.

We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria:

Deep understanding of local government and the wider public sector, including reform and innovation agendas.
Experience in methods of delivering digital transformation programmes.
Proven experience in leading complex, strategic programmes with multiple stakeholders.
Strong leadership and team management skills, with a commitment to collaboration and staff development.
High level of political awareness and the ability to operate with discretion and diplomacy.
Excellent strategic thinking and foresight, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and complexity.

Closing Date: 5pm, 30 September 2025

Interview Date: TBC, Interviews will be virtual

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates’ identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates’ applications which includes names.

At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.

The LGA are proud to be awarded a “Disability Confident Leader”. Please contact us via Recruitment@local.gov.uk if you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have.

Our benefits

LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years’ service and to 33 days after five years’ service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).*
Flexible & agile working – office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.
Future development – face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals
The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.
Family friendly policies

For more of LGA’s benefits and working with us, please view our webpage https://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga

Our values & behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand:

how we work with each other
how we work with our members and stakeholders
our expectations for ourselves and each other

Our values are:

Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.

Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.

Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.

Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.

Programme Manager - Digital Capabilities