Programme Manager - Network

Job description

Relay is fundamentally reshaping how goods move in an online era. Backed by Europe’s largest-ever logistics Series A ($35M), led by deep-tech investors Plural (whose portfolio spans fusion energy and space exploration), Relay is scaling faster than 99.98% of venture-backed startups. We're assembling the most talent-dense team the logistics industry has ever seen Relay’s Mission is to free commerce from friction. Today, high delivery costs act as a hidden tax on e-commerce, quietly shaping what can be sold online and limiting who can participate. We envision a world where more goods move more freely between more people, making the online shopping experience seamless and accessible to everyone. THE TEAM • ~110 people, more than half in engineering, product and data • 45+ advanced degrees across computer science, mathematics and operations research • Thousands of data points captured, calculated, analysed and predicted for every single parcel we handle • An intellectually vibrant culture of first‑principles thinking, tight feedback loops and relentless experimentation The Opportunity Relay's Network squad builds the forecasting engine that powers every operational decision in the business. Demand forecasts drive shift release in sortation. Expansion models determine where the network grows. Parcel intelligence feeds route planning and vehicle loading. When the squad ships a better model, the impact multiplies across five consuming squads, Finance, and ultimately Relay's cost per parcel. The squad is growing from four people to ten: Data Scientists, Analysts, and a Software Engineer, each contributing to a system that spans demand forecasting, expansion modelling, parcel dimensions, sortation predictions, and demand management. That system has dependencies on Sortation, Middle Mile, Last Mile, Routing, and Commercial - plus Finance, who extend the operational forecasts into longer-range financial projections. It also supports four embedded analysts sitting in other squads across the business. As Programme Manager for the Network squad, you coordinate the delivery of this system. The role involves taking the squad's roadmap and turning it into a structured programme - tracking commitments, managing cross-squad dependencies, removing blockers, and keeping stakeholders informed. The specifics of the programme will develop as you ramp up and learn how the squad and its consuming teams work together. The squad lead sets technical direction and manages people. You work alongside them to keep the programme on track, supported by a team that values coordination and wants to deliver well. Relay operates a centralised data team of around 30 data engineers, analysts, and data scientists. The Network squad sits within this team and serves every operational squad in the business. You will work with the squad lead, the Data Scientists and analysts in the squad, and the leads of the five consuming squads. What You'll Do - Coordinate the delivery programme for the Network squad: roadmap tracking, sprint management, cross-squad coordination, and dependency management across a 10-person team - Manage dependencies with five consuming squads (Sortation, Middle Mile, Last Mile, Routing, Commercial) and Finance, ensuring that what Network delivers matches what those teams need and when they need it - Run the squad's delivery cadence: cycle planning, triage, standups, retros, and cross-functional syncs - Track commitments and surface risks early - identifying which initiatives are on track, which are slipping, and what needs to change - Remove blockers that sit outside the squad: engineering dependencies, data access, stakeholder alignment, prioritisation conflicts with other squads - Coordinate the work of four embedded analysts in other squads (Routing, Sortation, Middle Mile, and one TBC), ensuring alignment with Network's priorities - Keep stakeholders informed with regular updates on what's shipped, what's in progress, and what's changed - Support the squad lead by taking on operational coordination, freeing them to focus on technical direction, model quality, and strategic relationships Who Will Thrive in This Role? - You have at least 5 years of experience in programme management, delivery management, or a similar coordination role, ideally in a technical or data-heavy environment. You have experience managing multiple workstreams. - You have experience working in technical environments even if you're not a data scientist yourself. You can follow a conversation about model accuracy, forecast horizons, and pipeline reliability enough to know when something is blocked, behind, or being under-scoped. The squad will help you build domain knowledge as you ramp up. - You have experience tracking commitments and following up when things stall. You bring structure to how teams track and deliver their work. - You have experience coordinating across teams without direct authority - helping squads understand what's expected and when. - You have experience communicating with stakeholders at different levels - giving a squad lead a quick update on a dependency, giving senior leadership a picture of the programme's health, and giving a Data Scientist an answer on when their work will be prioritised. - You have experience managing dependencies and how work connects across teams. You plan for how one squad's timeline affects another's. - Experience in logistics, data platforms, or forecasting environments is a plus, but what matters more is the ability to learn a complex technical domain quickly and manage a programme within it effectively. Who Thrives at Relay? - Aim with Precision: You define problems clearly and measure your impact meticulously. - Play to Win: You chase bold bets, tackle the hard stuff, and view constraints as fuel, not friction. - 1% Better Every Day: You believe that small, consistent improvements lead to exponential growth. You move quickly, deliver results, and learn from every experience. - All In, All the Time: You show up and step up. You take ownership from start to finish and do what it takes to deliver when it counts. - People-Powered Greatness: You invest in your teammates. You give and receive feedback with care and candour. You build trust through high standards and shared success. - Grow the Whole Pie: You seek out win-win solutions for merchants, couriers, and our customers, because when they thrive, so do we. If these resonate, and you combine strong technical fundamentals with entrepreneurial drive, let’s connect. Relay is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and fostering a workplace where everyone thrives.