Help Shape the Future of Mental Health in York

The City of York has a well established Mental Health Partnership and transformation programme- Connecting Our City. We are looking for an exceptional Programme Manager to lead the delivery of this high-profile programme that brings together partners, communities, services and stakeholders, leading the local implementation of the national mental health reform agenda and improving the mental health of York residents,

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic and experienced programme leader who can turn ambition into action, build effective partnerships and deliver lasting change for our communities.

About The Role

As Programme Manager, you will provide leadership and oversight of the Connecting Our City programme, ensuring that projects are delivered effectively, on time and within budget. You will have a commitment to co-production and the importance of the voice of lived experience. You will work across organisational boundaries, engaging with senior leaders, partner agencies, voluntary sector organisations and local communities.

You Will Be Responsible For

Leading the planning, coordination and delivery of the Connecting Our City programme.
Ensuring Co-production is at the heart of the programme.
Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key partners and stakeholders.
Managing programme governance, reporting, risks and performance.
Securing commitment and collaboration across a diverse range of organisations.
Identifying opportunities for innovation, service improvement and community engagement.
Ensuring the programme delivers measurable benefits for residents and communities.
Managing programme resources and budgets effectively.

About You

We are seeking a passionate and highly motivated individual with:

Significant experience of successfully managing complex programmes or large-scale projects.
Excellent co-production, stakeholder engagement and partnership-building skills.
Strong leadership, communication and influencing abilities.
Experience of working within NHS, local government, public services, voluntary sector and partnership environments.
A track record of delivering change and achieving outcomes in complex settings.
Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.
The ability to motivate teams and bring people together around a shared vision.

Why Join Us?

York is a vibrant, historic and forward-looking city. By joining City of York Council and working on behalf of the partnership you will play a pivotal role in delivering meaningful improvements for residents and helping to shape the future mental health of our city.

If you are an experienced programme professional with a passion for improving mental health and the vision, drive and collaborative approach to lead transformative work across our city, we would love to hear from you.

This post is suitable as a job share opportunity.

As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level B1: Can exploit a wide range of simple language flexibly to express much of what they want. Can keep going comprehensibly, even though pausing for grammatical land lexical planning and repair is very evident, especially in longer stretches of free production.

If you are an internal candidate interested in applying for this job as a secondment opportunity, please discuss with your current line manager before submitting your application.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for this role. Each role at CYC is different and your working arrangements will be determined based on the requirements of the role and in collaboration with you and your needs as part of the recruitment process. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team.

City of York Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We require the successful candidate to undertake an enhanced Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Please note, we do not have a sponsorship licence to sponsor individualsfor visas to work in the UK, therefore we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

The Council is committed to investing in the talent and wellbeing of our staff and can offer a generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, comprehensive Health & Wellbeing initiatives and a reward package which recognises your contribution. We can offer flexible working practices, community engagement and volunteer activities and, as part of our commitment to you, promote continuous Learning & Development. In addition we also offer a growing range of discounts, rewards and savings.

For an informal conversation please contact Michael Melvin, Programme Director- Connecting Our City

michael.melvin@york.gov.uk

Tel. 07836380774

Closing date: Sunday 25 October 2026 at 12 midnight

Interview date: Friday 6 November 2026

City of York Council

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