15 Programme Manager CV Samples for 2026

How to Write a Programme Manager CV

Entering a new career or changing jobs can be overwhelming, so be sure to provide prospective employers with a well-written CV that highlights your work experience and why you would be a good hire. Also, you should properly format your programme manager CV to make it logical and readable by anyone. With the right format, you can be confident your CV won’t be discarded immediately by an ATS.

In this section, you’ll learn how to:

What does a programme manager do on a CV?

On a CV, a programme manager must demonstrate the ability to oversee large-scale projects, manage cross-functional teams, plan resources, and execute action plans that deliver measurable business outcomes. Avoid listing vague responsibilities; instead, emphasise specific achievements in managing stakeholders, planning, and leading organisation-wide teams.

Typically, your responsibilities centre around:

• Setting and aligning project goals
• Managing schedules and budgets
• Leading teams from across the organisation
• Managing and mitigating risks
• Report writing and presentation

How to format your programme manager CV

Before a recruiter or potential employer reviews your CV, it must pass ATS. Therefore, formatting your CV is a crucial step in ensuring your application progresses through the entire hiring process and enhances your chances of securing the job. Use a clean layout with space for your achievements, expertise, training, and qualifications that set you apart from the rest.

It’s also essential to keep your document to one page, as hiring managers typically spend only a few seconds reviewing it before deciding whether to read the rest of it or move on to the next. If necessary, use two pages if you’re an experienced programme manager with numerous achievements in the same career path.

Reverse-chronological format vs. functional format vs. combination/hybrid format

These three formats are the most popular ones you can use when writing your programme manager CV in 2026.

Even though you can make a CV with any of these formats, the reverse-chronological format is the best choice. Many recruiters within the programme manager industry prefer the reverse-chronological format. Since your most recent work history is displayed first in bullet points, employers find the information easy to scan and digest.

What are the key sections for your CV?

Divide your draft into the following sections (the order may vary depending on your experience):

• Header with name, contact details, and LinkedIn URL
• Professional profile (only if necessary)
• Key skills aligned to the job advert
• Work experience accompanied by measurable results
• Education and qualifications

How to add contact and header details

Your CV’s header and contact information should be positioned towards the very top of the document. Ensure that your name is in the largest font size compared to any other words on the page. The job position you’re applying for should be placed directly under your name in a slightly smaller font. Regarding contact information, make sure to include:

This bold font and classic colour exude professionalism and class; Notice the size of the name in comparison to the job title below.

Position your contact information at the top with a more standard and traditional font style. Fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, and Cambria are favourites among recruiters and managers. If you want to use some colour in your CV, consider doing so modestly for your job title and name, with the font size around 20-24 points. Any headers should be closer to 14-18 points. The information placed below headers should have a font size of 10-12 points.

How to ensure your CV is optimised for ATS and recruiter’s readability

An applicant tracking system is practically essential for larger companies that receive dozens or hundreds of applications every week. Most employers sort through CVs with the use of ATS software. When a company uses ATS software, they typically place CVs through the software at the very beginning of the process. Review your CV before it meets the ATS and a recruiter. Reduce the chances of your programme manager CV being filtered by the ATS;

Using our AI CV builder, you can be confident that your programme manager CV has been formatted for success.

How do you write a programme manager CV?

When you first begin writing your programme manager CV, you might find the task daunting because it is important to secure the interview. However, you can avoid these frustrations by taking the process step by step and using our free CV builder.

Should you write a CV objective or summary?

Although they aren’t always needed, you can use a CV objective or summary to provide recruiters with a better understanding of who you are before they read the rest of your CV.

Showcase your extensive work experience with a customised summary like this one.

The following are examples of poorly written objectives and summaries for a programme manager position.

Summary: Programme manager with extensive experience developing programmes of various shapes and sizes.

Objective: Seek to progress in my career by assisting companies in expanding as a programme manager.

You can easily see that these statements aren’t well-written because their information is vague and ultimately pointless. If a recruiter looks at the summary or objective before anything else, they might believe that there isn’t any substance to the rest of your CV.

The following are examples of well-written objectives and summaries for a programme manager position.

Summary: Programme manager with over 10 years of experience in developing and optimising programmes through scalable processes. Throughout my career, I’ve overseen budgets of more than $30 million and have been part of teams on projects that have generated over $100 million in revenue.

Objective: Seeking to secure a position as a programme manager with Google. As a recent graduate with two years of internship experience in this industry, I’ve developed excellent organisational, leadership, and communication skills that are ideally suited to enhancing service efficiency and delivery in relation to company performance.

These statements are detailed while also providing employers with metrics to measure the value you offer as an employee.

How to include programme management work experience

While you must highlight your past work experience, you should only include two to four roles. If you’ve had seven jobs since you were 18, you don’t need to include the first three or four. If you already have extensive experience as a programme manager, only include the roles that are relevant to the specific position for which you’re applying.

How do you write bullet points that demonstrate impact?

You should create your work experience bullet points to make this information easy to scan. Use active instead of passive voice to convey a strong and clear tone. Avoid personal pronouns as much as possible. Regarding punctuation, you can either place full stops at the end of your bullet points or leave them out entirely. However, consistency is crucial. Since you’re writing about previous work experience, always use the past tense.

A few examples of poor bullet points include:

These bullet points don’t provide the recruiter with any valuable information. They won’t understand how hiring you can benefit their profit margins.

Some examples of effective bullet points include:

These bullet points are useful to recruiters because they offer quantifiable data that provides a clearer understanding of the value you could bring to their company.

How to measure your impact with metrics

Metrics are practically essential if you want your CV to attract recruiters’ interest effectively. Anyone who’s worked as a programme manager or in similar positions should quantify the impact they had in previous roles.

Try to include at least one metric for every two bullet points. Some examples of how to incorporate metrics into your work experience bullet points include:

What programme management skills should be on your CV?

The skills listed on your programme manager CV will play a crucial role in whether or not you secure the job for which you’re applying. When listing these skills on your CV, remember that they can be divided into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are essential and specific to the role you’re applying for. Conversely, soft skills are considered universal, meaning you could potentially include them on any CV.

To identify which skills you should include in your CV, look through the programme manager job description for keywords and phrases that align with your skills. Your CV should consist of five to eight skills.

Examples of hard skills for programme managers to include:

Some soft skills that you might include on a programme manager CV are:

A potential list of combined soft and hard skills might look like this, although we prefer to display hard skills first.

How to add education and specialist certificates

Another important section of your programme manager CV is the education you’ve received and any specialist certificates you’ve been awarded over the years. If you want to qualify for a position as a programme manager, you will likely need to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration, or communications.

A master’s degree in business administration or project management could help you secure a position as a programme manager for a larger company. Useful qualifications include the PMP, CISM, CAPM, CISM, and CISSP, to name a few. Regarding work experience, you should have at least four to five years of experience in human resources or programme management before applying.

Capture the employer’s attention with your qualifications!

When and how to best include projects, interests, and hobbies

Most CVs shouldn’t include information about interests, hobbies, and projects. However, you might benefit from adding these sections depending on the field and your level of experience. Projects and interests are excellent if you’re a recent university graduate or someone applying for an entry-level position; projects and interests are excellent. They can help address the issue of having too much white space due to a lack of work experience. A couple of examples of interests/hobbies you could add to your programme manager CV include:

Although programming languages may seem more relevant, cooking French cuisine could also be appropriate if you can explain how mastering international recipes and delicacies is akin to project management.

Perhaps you’ve volunteered your time to assist the university health centre with projects. If so, it might look something like this:

Should you send a generalised programme manager CV?

No. Why? A busy recruiter will likely skim it with a yawn if you send a generalised CV that could apply to any old programme manager job. To make your programme manager CV stand out, tailor and adjust the skills, experience bullet points, and objective/summary sections.

Proofread, proofread, proofread

Proofreading can be done in several ways. For one, you should carefully read through your CV several times to search for grammatical or punctuation errors. This is the simplest part of the entire CV and is often overlooked. It’s also possible you didn’t add enough information to certain sections.

Have others look at your programme manager CV, allowing you a valuable outside perspective. Take advantage of our free CV checker as well to ensure there aren’t any additional issues that you’ve missed.

Key points

Formatting and writing a successful CV takes time and patience. However, this guide should give you the tools and information you need to ensure your CV is well-written and properly formatted. Your CV should pass through the ATS without issue by highlighting your most relevant work experience and listing the hard and soft skills you possess. Congratulations on completing your programme manager CV and equipping yourself for the next exciting step in your career!