At Dyson we believe everything could be better. Fuelled by a frustration with things that don’t work properly and a relentless obsession with making them work better, we’ve spent the last 25 years pioneering inventions and continually improving.
We’re growing fast. And our ambition is huge. But it’s not simply about more people and more profit. Dyson is all about better ideas and new technologies. It’s about inventing the future.
Our philosophy remains the same as it was 25 years ago when James Dyson invented the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner. We remain family-owned. We don’t bow to outside shareholders or report to the stock exchange. Instead we plot our own path, unshackled from conventional thinking.
Dyson is seeking an exceptional Senior Programme Manager to lead all project and programme management within the Global Retail Design & Experience team. This is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring clarity, focus, prioritisation and delivery across a highly complex and fast‑moving global portfolio.
With 150+ live projects at any given time, spanning direct retail stores, third‑party retail design, NPD fixtures, visual merchandising, 2D design, digital in retail, retail innovations and concepts, this role acts as the central operational backbone of the team. Given Dyson’s constant innovation and frequent product and timing changes, the Senior Programme Manager is a key enabler of speed, accuracy and commercial impact.
The role leads a small, high‑performing team of Project Managers and Senior Project Managers, each aligned to different product categories and project types, and works closely with global and regional stakeholders to ensure the right work is happening at the right time.
Key Responsibilities
Programme & Portfolio Leadership
Own and lead the end‑to‑end programme management function for Global Retail Design & Experience
Maintain a clear, constantly updated view across the entire portfolio of live and pipeline projects
Establish and run robust governance, prioritisation and reporting frameworks that support rapid decision‑making
Act as the single source of truth for project status, risk, dependencies and critical path impacts
Strategic Prioritisation & Focus
Ensure the team is continually focused on the most critical projects, aligned to business priorities, launches and market needs
Rapidly assess and re‑prioritise work in response to product changes, timing shifts and strategic resets
Provide clear recommendations to VP‑level leadership when trade‑offs or decisions are required
Team Leadership & Development
Line‑manage and develop a team of Project Managers and Senior PMs covering different product categories and workstreams
Set clear expectations, ways of working and standards for planning, delivery and communication
Coach the team to operate confidently in a high‑change, high‑volume environment
Encourage proactive collaboration at all times, working with other business functions to maintain alignment.
Delivery Excellence
Oversee delivery across a broad mix of project types, including:
Direct retail store design and rollouts
Third‑party retail design and toolkits
New Product Development (NPD) fixtures
Visual merchandising programmes
2D retail design assets
Ensure projects are delivered on time, to scope and to quality, while managing risk pragmatically
Stakeholder & Cross‑Functional Leadership
Act as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders across Retail Design, Product, RDD, Marketing, Supply Chain and Markets.
Translate complex and changing inputs into clear, actionable plans for the team
Confidently challenge when required to protect capacity, focus and delivery quality
Operational Governance & Continuous Improvement
Define and evolve programme management frameworks, tools and reporting to suit Dyson’s pace of innovation
Balance structure with flexibility – enabling speed without bureaucracy
Drive continuous improvement in how the team plans, communicates and delivers
Experience
Significant experience in senior programme or portfolio management within complex, multi‑stakeholder environments
Proven leadership of project management teams
Experience managing high volumes of concurrent projects with frequent change
Background in retail design, experiential design, physical product environments or related industries strongly preferred
Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels
Skills & Capabilities
Calm, confident and effective under pressure and ambiguity
Highly structured thinker with the ability to simplify complexity
Excellent communication – able to distil complex programmes into clear narratives
Strong stakeholder influencing skills, including at senior leadership level
Exceptional prioritisation, judgment and decision‑making skills
Leadership Style
Positive, proactive, resilient and solution‑focused
Trusted, transparent and decisive
Naturally collaborative, but willing to challenge and say no when needed
Passionate about enabling teams to do their best work
Why This Role Matters
This role is pivotal to the success of Dyson’s global retail design ambition. With responsibility spanning over 400+ direct retail stores and 26,000+ third‑party retail doors globally, and with constant innovation at the heart of the brand, the Senior Programme Manager is the central operational leader who ensures the team stays aligned, focused and effective at all times.
The VP of Global Retail & Events Design relies heavily on this role as a trusted partner to ensure the right work is being done, at the right time, with full visibility of risk, change and opportunity.
Financial
- Performance-related bonus scheme
- Competitive pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Discounts on Dyson machines and retail discounts
- Free bus travel to and from campus (from Bristol, Bath, Chippenham, and Swindon)
Lifestyle
- 27 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays)
- Free on-site lunches, fruit, and hot drinks
- Free on-site sports centre, gym, hair salon, and lifestyle assistance (concierge)
- Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
- Ability to purchase additional holiday
Health
- Private medical insurance and dental insurance
- Employee assistance programme, digital GP, on-site physio and GP, prescription service, fertility treatment support
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Dyson is an equal opportunity employer. We know that great minds don’t think alike, and it takes all kinds of minds to make our technology so unique. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other any other dimension of diversity.
