Estates Development Programme Manager

Role: Programme Manager – New Site/Room Openings

Reports to: Head of Estate Development

Location: Field-Based

Grade: B18

The Programme Manager is responsible for delivering the project programme in line with all financial, team and guest KPIs specified by the wider Business Change/Estates Development directive. This encompasses the Premier Inn estate as well as business as usual restaurant site openings.

What you will be doing:

• This role will lead and proactively develop a team of New Openings Project Managers to enable the operational execution and delivery of the PI and Restaurants new openings and acquisition pipeline within the UK, as well as for Crown dependency sites
• Act as the key contact between the acquisitions team and Operations for all developments, as well as being the key contact between the construction team and Operations
• Establish standards for relationships with internal teams and external contractors
• Build productive relationships with statutory bodies
• Monitor the effectiveness of relationships between New Openings Managers and site teams 
• Work with the New Openings Managers to ensure agreed operational requirements are achieved  
• Influence and communicate effectively with all statutory bodies, contractors and third parties
• Provide quality and assurance updates monthly to SRO, as well as monthly risk analysis reporting
• Ensure models are effective operationally, support the guest experience and the good night guarantee
• Ensure all hotel extension proposals reflect the current operating model
• Ensure all extensions are aligned with other Capex activity and have operational sign off
• Create, update and own all new openings processes/reporting
• Provide input into budget phasing, sales planning and launch to ensure business case is delivered
• Instigate weekly, monthly and periodic reporting through New Openings Project Managers
• Analyse and consolidate reports to provide insightful and timely high-level information
• Ensure clear alignment of NSO and NME programmes to company vision/objectives

Why we’d love you to apply:

• Strong People Skills – embracing the Whitbread Values and the essence of the Whitbread Leadership Framework
• Genuine rapport with people and can build trust and win support at all levels of the business both internally and externally
• Proven leadership ability – has successfully managed, coached and developed others
• Self-motivated, financially astute and strong commercial acumen
• Enthusiastic, driven and results orientated
• Excellent communicator including preparing written reports
• Strong influencing skills, across peers, senior managers and third parties
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Thrives in an ever-changing environment
• Attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple tasks

Whitbread is an inclusive employer, strongly believing that everyone is unique and there should be no limits to ambition. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We are open to flexible working and, where possible, will try to support this.