Industry People Programme Director

The Horseracing Industry People Board seeks a Programme Director to lead the initial implementation phase of its people strategy in 2025. The role requires strong project management skills, financial acumen, and the ability to influence various stakeholders within the British horseracing industry.

Contract Type: Fixed term to end December 2026

Location: Holborn London, Hybrid Working available

Salary: circa £96,000

The Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) was established by the British horseracing industry in 2023, with a brief to formulate, develop and oversee the implementation of an industry people strategy. The strategy, published in February 2025 (HIPB Strategy) is now moving into its implementation phase.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of the people space in one of Britain’s most important sports.

We are now seeking an experienced Programme Director to lead the first implementation phase and oversee delivery of key projects during 2025. The appointee will also lead the planning, funding and delivery phase for 2026.

Reporting into the BHA Director of Strategy and Change and taking direction from the People Board, you will line manage and a support a team of programme leads and functional specialists in areas such as careers marketing and workforce attraction, vocational training, and data specialists.

Your experience is likely to have come from a project management background, working on complex cross-functional or multi-sector change programmes, preferably (but not essentially) including programmes with a people focus. You will be highly organised, able to bring multiple strands of work together into a coherent and manageable plan, as well as ensuring that projects within the programme are delivered on time and on budget.

Financial acumen is essential, as you will manage a budget and be able to assess the value for money of existing and future work, relative to its impact. You will be experienced in navigating funding processes and designing sustainable solutions. You must be able to present work coherently and in a way that ensures industry and funder confidence in your plans.

You will be dependent on a range of organisations within British racing to implement the industry people plan. The ability to influence effectively and empathetically is essential. Knowledge of horseracing and its stakeholder landscape would be an advantage, but not essential, though demonstrating an interest in, or enthusiasm for, the sport when engaging with stakeholders is always helpful

Equal opportunities

We acknowledge that having a diverse and inclusive workforce is fundamental to our success and we actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences. People with disabilities or from ethnically diverse communities are currently underrepresented in the organisation and therefore we welcome these candidates to apply.

For more information, please see the job description below.

To apply for the role, please submit your Cover Letter and CV via the Apply Now button. The closing date for applications is Sunday 9 March 2025. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 5th March and 19th March 2025. Should you require any reasonable adjustments, please contact recruitment@britishhorseracing.com to provide further details.

Job Description

Background 

The Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) was established by the British horseracing industry in 2023, with a brief to formulate, develop and oversee the implementation of an industry people strategy.   

The Industry People Strategy is due to be published in February 2025 and the work is now moving into its implementation phase.   

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of the people space in one of Britain’s most important sports.

Racing has taken the opportunity to review the Industry People Programme and ensure that it is set up for success with the appropriate governance, resources and skills for this next phase.

We are now seeking an experienced Programme Director to lead the first implementation phase to plan and oversee delivery of key projects during 2025, which will have been agreed prior to appointment. Additionally, the appointee will lead the planning and delivery phase for 2026 which is yet to be defined.

This role will report to the BHA Director of Strategy and Change, to ensure alignment with other cross-industry programmes, with directional accountability to the independent Chair of the HIPB.

The Programme Director, who will be responsible for overseeing the overall programme, will manage, and be supported by, a team of programme leads and functional specialists in areas such as careers marketing and workforce attraction, vocational training, and diversity and inclusion.

Alongside detailed planning and delivery of agreed projects the role holder will be responsible for the budget and for securing and reporting against associated grant funding. The work will need to consider how racing’s priorities in the industry people space should be overseen when the HIPB completes its term in April 2026, and the governance and resourcing that this will require.

Financial acumen will be important in reviewing the impact and value of racing’s total spend on industry people initiatives and working with the BHA and its shareholders, as well as with principal industry funders, to identify sustainable funding solutions.  

Key relationships

• Committees and Groups – Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB), Industry Programme Group (IPG), BHA Executive, BHA Strategy & Change Department, including BHA Industry People team, Diversity in Racing Advisory Group
• Stakeholders – BHA shareholder groups (National Trainers Federation, Professional Jockeys Association, National Association of Racing Staff, Racehorse Owners Association, Racecourse Association, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association), principal funders (Horserace Betting Levy Board and Racing Foundation), key industry service providers (racing schools and other training providers, racing charities)
• Project stakeholders and contractors – as appropriate within specific projects, where management of relevant expertise or suppliers may be required

Principal responsibilities

• Delivering the agreed 2025 projects (agreed prior to appointment)
• Managing the development and execution of a phased, budgeted implementation plan for the people strategy, covering delivery of the 2025 agreed projects and detailed planning for 2026
• Leading the way in ensuring joined-up delivery, working with industry leaders and the HIPB to ensure that projects within the strategy/plan, which will be implemented by a range of organisations in the wider racing industry, are regularly reviewed and reported on.
• Working with the Programme Manager and HIPB Chair to plan agendas and coordinate content for HIPB meetings
• Effective reporting of progress to the HIPB, Industry Programme Group and other key industry governance groups
• Line managing the Industry People team, balancing high level direction with autonomy to deliver, so they are motivated and high performing
• Planning and managing the budget for the industry people programme and its associated delivery functions, working with the BHA Finance team
• Building good relationships with the key funders and liaising with them to ensure that funding for the programme is secured, reported against and aligned with grant conditions
• Leading specific projects within the programme, or overseeing cross-cutting HIPB initiatives, e.g., work to consider the future model and funding of the industry’s future work in this area
• Ensuring that work undertaken as part of the strategy is appropriately evaluated for impact, providing recommendations for change or process improvement in future 

Person Specification

• Strong experience leading implementation of strategy programmes and associated projects, and in identifying evidenced-based success measures
• Strong understanding and experience of programme/project management principles and practice, including the development of costed and phased implementation plans and effective management of a programme board
• Experience reporting to oversight boards and committees and managing those relationships effectively.
• Strong record in leading major cross-functional or cross-industry change or transformation programmes or major projects, ideally in a complex multi stakeholder environment
• Proven ability to look across a broad range of complex cross functional areas and link them together, harnessing key subject matter expertise as needed, and deliver outcomes via a coherent and manageable programme
• Proven ability to identify risks and opportunities arising to and from the programme and to determine and manage relevant mitigations and dependencies
• Proven financial acumen, with experience of securing and managing substantial funding and budgets including grant submissions, progress reporting and providing value for money assurance to the industry and its key funders
• Proven ability in supplier procurement processes and supplier performance management, ensuring KPIs are met
• Proven leadership/management consulting skills (and associated gravitas), with the ability to articulate clear direction to multiple stakeholders
• Proven team leadership and performance management capability, ensuring a motivated, effective team with confidence to deliver
• Proven ability to present with clarity, energy and enthusiasm, with experience of presenting at Boards
• Strong interpersonal and influencing capabilities with exceptional emotional intelligence, with demonstrable experience of building strong relationships and trust with multiple stakeholders
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, to assess situations, gather and process relevant information, generate viable solutions, and make decisions / recommendations to get things done
• Previous experience of running delivery programmes related to people-related strategies would be an advantage Passion for the horseracing industry and some understanding of its range of stakeholders and participants would be an advantage