United Kingdom · Internal consulting · Lead (8-12 years)

Lead Performance Improvement Consultant

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

See how AI is changing this job, and get the full read by email.

As a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant, a good place to start on Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration is Planning Automation Across a Department, a free Future Fluency module at Level 5. You'd practise working out what in your department's work could be automated, what should not be, and what to recommend.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandLead (8-12 years)
  • Direct reports3-8 reports
  • Reports toPerformance Improvement Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Lead Process Improvement Specialist · Senior Business Transformation Lead · Principal Process Consultant · Internal Consulting Lead

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Level 6 Award in Leading Organisational Change Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 9 standards
Level 6 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 9 standards
CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership Chartered Management Institute · Level 5 · covers 1 of 9 standards
BIIAB Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership (NVQ) BIIAB · Level 5 · covers 1 of 9 standards
EAL Level 4 Diploma in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (Development Competence) Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 4 · covers 3 of 9 standards
ETCAL Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Business Improvement Techniques ETC Awards Limited · Level 4 · covers 2 of 9 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Lead Organisational Change Level 6 Award in Leading Organisational Change
Design business processes CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership
Leading the carrying out of Six Sigma process mapping EAL Level 4 Diploma in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (Development Competence)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Change Fluency taking people through change
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Lead Performance Improvement Consultant

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Lead Organisational Change Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 9 standards Level 6
  2. Design business processes Chartered Management Institute · covers 1 of 9 standards Level 5
  3. Leading the carrying out of Six Sigma process mapping Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · covers 3 of 9 standards Level 4
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration
  • Ethical AI & Bias Detection in Analysis
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Lead Performance Improvement Consultant plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

A Lead Performance Improvement Consultant leads complex, cross-functional projects to redesign how an organisation works. The job means digging into messy processes and coming out with a clear, workable plan. It involves working with teams across an organisation, from shop floor to executive level, to build agreement and put change into practice. The work is demanding, but seeing a redesigned process deliver real results is satisfying.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Microsoft Visio / Lucidchart Expert

Leading workshops to map complex, cross-functional current-state processes, embedding data, and designing sophisticated 'To-Be' states independently. You'll also teach others best practices for process mapping.

Power BI / Tableau Advanced

Performing data shaping in Power Query/Tableau Prep, writing DAX/LOD expressions, and building complex, interactive dashboards that reveal deep insights into process performance and programme impact. You'll use these to validate your recommendations.

Advanced Excel Expert

Building robust financial and operational models for business cases and impact analysis. This includes writing and debugging VBA macros to automate repetitive data tasks, and using Power Pivot for data modelling when enterprise tools aren't available.

Smartsheet / MS Project Advanced

Building and managing complex programme plans from scratch, including dependency mapping, resource allocation for your team, and critical path analysis. You'll also manage programme risks and budgets within the tool.

Confluence / SharePoint Advanced

Designing the knowledge management structure for large programmes, creating templates and workflows to ensure consistent documentation, and driving adoption across your project teams and stakeholders.

Signavio / Celonis (Process Mining) Intermediate

Setting up data connectors and configuring analyses to identify process deviations, bottlenecks, and conformance issues. You'll present these findings to stakeholders to justify improvement initiatives.

Anaplan / Workday Adaptive Planning Awareness

Understanding how these platforms are used for financial planning and providing process inputs or extracting data for analysis to support the financial modelling of your improvement initiatives.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Programme Scope Changes Escalate all proposed changes to supervisor for review and approval. Propose minor scope adjustments to manager with rationale; execute once approved. Escalate major changes. Recommend scope adjustments with impact analysis to programme steering committee; seek approval from programme sponsor.
Methodology Selection Follow prescribed methodology as directed by supervisor. Select appropriate methodology for routine tasks, consulting manager for complex problems. Choose and adapt methodologies (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, BPR) for specific workstreams, consulting Director on novel approaches.
Resource Allocation (Team) No authority; assigned tasks by supervisor. Allocate own time to tasks within a project; inform manager of workload conflicts. Allocate junior resources to tasks within own workstreams; consult Director on significant resource needs.
Budget Approval No budget authority; all expenses require supervisor approval. Approve minor expenses up to £500 (e.g., training materials); all project costs reviewed by manager. Approve project-related expenses up to £5K; recommend larger purchases to Director.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Programme ROI
The return on investment for the improvement programmes you lead, calculated against the initial business case.
Target · Achieve an average programme ROI of >3:1

A programme to optimise our order-to-cash process, costing £150K to implement, delivers £500K in annual savings, resulting in a 3.3:1 ROI.

Quantifiable Process Improvement
The measurable reduction in cycle time, cost, or error rate for processes you've transformed.
Target · Deliver a quantifiable improvement (e.g., 15% cycle time reduction, 20% cost reduction) on 90% of led programmes.

Reduced average customer onboarding time from 10 days to 7 days (30% reduction) for a key service line.

Stakeholder Satisfaction (NPS)
How satisfied your internal clients are with the delivery and outcomes of your improvement programmes.
Target · Maintain an average stakeholder NPS of +50 for programme delivery.

Feedback from the Head of Operations gives your recent supply chain optimisation programme an NPS score of +65.

Programme Budget Adherence
How closely your programmes stay within their allocated budget.
Target · Complete 85% of programmes within a ±5% variance of the approved budget.

A £250K programme completes at £255K, which is within the 2% variance target.

Team Utilisation Rate
The percentage of time your direct reports are actively engaged in billable or value-adding project work.
Target · Maintain an average team utilisation rate of 75-80%.

Your team of 5 consultants logs 150 hours of project work out of a possible 200 hours in a week, hitting 75% utilisation.

Strategic Alignment & Impact
Ensuring your programmes are not just efficient, but also directly support the organisation's highest-level strategic objectives.
  • Programmes consistently linked to board-level priorities
  • positive feedback from executive sponsors on strategic relevance
  • your input sought on future strategic planning discussions.
Team Development & Mentorship
The growth and capability building of your direct reports and other junior consultants.
  • Junior consultants you've mentored take on more complex tasks
  • positive feedback from team members on your coaching
  • successful internal promotions from your team
  • active participation in skill-building workshops.
Problem Resolution & Ambiguity Management
Your ability to tackle novel, ambiguous, or politically charged problems and guide them to a clear resolution.
  • Successfully navigated a complex stakeholder conflict
  • developed a solution for a previously intractable operational issue
  • recognised for bringing clarity to fuzzy situations
  • able to articulate trade-offs clearly to senior leadership.
Knowledge Sharing & Best Practice
Your contribution to the overall knowledge base and continuous improvement culture within the Internal Consulting department.
  • Regularly contribute to our internal knowledge hub (Confluence)
  • lead internal training sessions on methodologies
  • share lessons learned from programmes
  • actively participate in our internal 'lunch and learn' sessions.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Complex Puzzles

You'll be handed really tough, ambiguous business problems that no one else has managed to crack. Your daily work involves dissecting these, finding the root causes, and designing elegant solutions.

Being asked to figure out why a key operational metric has been declining for six months, despite multiple attempts to fix it, and then presenting a clear, data-backed plan.

Driving Tangible Impact

You're not just writing reports; you're seeing your recommendations implemented and delivering measurable improvements. You'll get to see the actual cost savings, efficiency gains, or customer satisfaction boosts your work creates.

Successfully leading a programme that reduces a critical business process cycle time by 25%, directly impacting customer delivery speed and satisfaction.

Leading & Developing Others

You'll have a small team of consultants looking to you for guidance, mentorship, and direction. You'll get to shape their careers, help them grow, and lead them through challenging projects.

Coaching a junior consultant through their first complex process mapping exercise, helping them refine their analysis and presentation skills.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Antibody' Response: The organisation's immune system actively fights your changes, with stakeholders agreeing in meetings but then reverting to old habits or quietly sabotaging the new process.
  • Data Janitor Duty: Spending 60% of your programme time chasing down, cleaning, and validating data from ten different siloed systems, none of which talk to each other.
  • Political Minefields: Your data-driven recommendation is overruled because it negatively impacts a politically powerful executive's department or pet project.
  • The 'Flavor of the Month': Leadership gets excited about a new methodology (Agile! OKRs! Design Thinking!) and pivots the entire team's focus, abandoning half-finished Lean Six Sigma programmes.
  • Being the Scapegoat: When a difficult change is implemented, you become the face of the unpopular decision, catching all the blame from front-line staff even though the decision came from senior leadership.
  • The 'Show Me the ROI' Squeeze: The constant pressure to assign a hard pound value to every improvement, even those with 'soft' benefits like reduced employee frustration, improved quality, or better compliance.
What this role does not give you
  • A predictable, unchanging daily routine – expect constant shifts in priorities and project focus.
  • Complete control over implementation – you'll need to influence, not dictate.
  • Guaranteed deployment of every single recommendation – some great ideas just won't make it.
  • Working in a silo – you'll be constantly collaborating and presenting to diverse groups.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the direction of our improvement initiatives across significant business areas. You'll be the one ensuring that our transformation programmes are not just well-planned, but actually deliver tangible, measurable benefits that align with our strategic goals. Your work will influence how different departments operate, how we serve our customers, and ultimately, our competitive position in the market. Get it right, and you'll see a leaner, more agile, and more profitable organisation. Get it wrong, and we risk significant operational disruption and wasted investment.

Inside the business
  • VP of Operations
  • Head of Finance
  • Product Leads
  • IT Directors
  • Sales & Marketing Leadership
  • Legal & Compliance Teams
Outside the business
  • Key technology vendors
  • Industry benchmarking partners
  • Specialist external consultants (on joint projects)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional improvement projects from initiation to closure, demonstrating measurable results.
  • Demonstrable experience in managing and mentoring junior team members within a project context.
  • Advanced proficiency in at least one core process improvement methodology (e.g., Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification, or equivalent practical experience).
  • Strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and driving organisational change without direct authority.
  • Expert-level data analysis and visualisation skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Process Mining & Simulation

Moving beyond basic 'As-Is' mapping, the ability to simulate 'To-Be' scenarios and predict their impact before implementation will become a standard expectation. This allows for much more robust business cases and de-risks transformation programmes. This is important within the next 12-18 months.

Conformance Checking & Deviation Analysis · Predictive Process Monitoring · Digital Twin Modelling for Operations · Automated Root Cause Discovery

  • This quarter: Explore advanced features in Signavio or Celonis, focusing on simulation and predictive analytics modules.
  • Next quarter: Lead a small pilot project using process simulation to model the impact of a proposed process change.
  • Month 6: Attend a vendor-specific training on advanced process mining techniques and new feature releases.
  • Month 9: Propose an enterprise-wide strategy for using process mining to identify continuous improvement opportunities.

Quick win: Run a simple 'what-if' simulation in your current process mapping tool to demonstrate the potential impact of a minor change to a stakeholder.

Cloud-Native Analytics & Data Engineering Basics

As more of our data and analytical platforms move to the cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), understanding the basics of cloud data architecture and how to get data out of these systems efficiently will be crucial. You won't be a data engineer, but you'll need to speak their language. This is important within 18-24 months.

Cloud Data Warehouses (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery) · Basic SQL for Cloud Databases · Data Lake vs. Data Warehouse Concepts · API Integration Fundamentals

  • This quarter: Complete an introductory course on cloud fundamentals (e.g., AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals).
  • Next quarter: Practice writing SQL queries against our internal data warehouse (if cloud-based) to extract data for your analyses.
  • Month 6: Work closely with our IT/Data Engineering team on a project, asking questions about data pipelines and architecture.
  • Month 9: Document a common data extraction process, including the cloud tools involved, for the team's knowledge base.

Quick win: Familiarise yourself with the basic structure of our cloud data platform and identify who to talk to in IT for data access requests.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences and webinars on process excellence, business transformation, and emerging technologies (like AI/ML in operations).
  • Participate in professional networks or communities of practice for internal consultants or process improvement specialists.
  • Take advanced courses in data analytics, business intelligence, or specific software tools (e.g., advanced Power BI, Python for data analysis).
  • Seek out opportunities to mentor junior colleagues and present on best practices within our internal consulting team.
  • Read widely on leadership, organisational psychology, and change management to continuously refine your influencing skills.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration

Honestly, competitors are already using large language models (LLMs) like GPT and Claude to draft reports in 10 minutes that used to take 2 hours. Consultants who figure this out will outproduce their peers by a significant margin. This is critical within the next 6 months—it's not future-state, it's happening now.

  • Context Windows & Token Limits
  • Temperature Settings for Different Tasks
  • RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) Architectures
  • Output Validation & Hallucination Detection
  • Prompt Chaining for Complex Analysis

Ethical AI & Bias Detection in Analysis

As we rely more on AI for data analysis and decision support, understanding and mitigating algorithmic bias becomes crucial. Incorrect or biased AI outputs can lead to unfair decisions, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. This will become important within the next 12-18 months as AI adoption grows.

  • Algorithmic Bias Types (e.g., selection bias, confirmation bias)
  • Fairness Metrics in AI
  • Explainable AI (XAI) Principles
  • Data Governance for AI

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC/DFSS)
  • Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)
  • Change Management (ADKAR/Kotter's 8-Steps)
  • Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
  • Hoshin Kanri / Strategy Deployment

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Senior Performance Improvement Consultant (L3)

    3-5 years as a Senior Consultant

    Skills to master

    • Mastering end-to-end project leadership for medium-complexity initiatives, advanced stakeholder management, and deep expertise in 1-2 core methodologies (e.g., Lean Six Sigma).

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivering projects on time and budget with quantifiable results.
    • Proactively mentoring junior team members and being a go-to expert for specific methodologies.
    • Successfully navigating challenging stakeholder situations and building strong relationships.
    • Demonstrating a clear ability to take initiative and solve problems independently.
  2. 2

    External Management Consultant (from a top-tier firm)

    5-8 years in external consulting

    Skills to master

    • Adapting to an internal client model, building long-term relationships within a single organisation, and transitioning from project-based work to continuous improvement.

    You're ready to move on when

    • A desire to move from project-hopping to deep, sustained impact within one company.
    • Strong track record of client delivery and managing complex engagements in external consulting.
    • Ability to translate external best practices into our specific organisational context.
    • A genuine interest in building internal capabilities rather than just delivering recommendations.
  3. 3

    Senior Project Manager (with process focus)

    5-7 years as a Senior Project Manager

    Skills to master

    • Deepening process analysis skills, formalising improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean Six Sigma), and shifting focus from project delivery to process optimisation.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully managed large, complex projects that involved significant process change.
    • Demonstrated ability to identify and resolve process bottlenecks within projects.
    • A clear interest in moving beyond project coordination to actual process design and transformation.
    • Experience leading and developing project teams.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead into operational leadership, into a programme management office, or into senior external consulting work.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Lead Performance Improvement Consultant is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Lead Organisational Change, worked against Lead Performance Improvement Consultant.

Lead Organisational Change Level 6

Applied to your work in Lead Performance Improvement Consultant

This unit aims to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of organisational change, including various models and influencing factors. Learners will be able to effectively communicate a change vision to stakeholders and lead the change process, managing resistance to ensure successful implementation.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Lead Performance Improvement Consultant
  • Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC/DFSS)
  • Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)
  • Change Management (ADKAR/Kotter's 8-Steps)
  • Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
  • Hoshin Kanri / Strategy Deployment
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Lead Performance Improvement Consultant is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Performance Improvement Manager (L5)

    3-5 years as a Lead Consultant

    You'll move from leading programmes to managing a portfolio of programmes and a larger team of consultants. Your focus shifts to functional strategy and P&L ownership.

    • Enterprise-level Process Architecture Designing how major processes integrate across the entire organisation.
    • Vendor Management (Strategic) Managing relationships with external consulting firms or technology providers at a strategic level.
    • Business Unit P&L Impact Directly linking all improvement initiatives to the financial performance of a specific business unit.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, you're always looking for an edge. What if you could cut down on the grunt work and focus on the strategic stuff? AI isn't here to replace you; it's here to make you a far more effective Lead Consultant. Imagine getting to insights faster, drafting communications in minutes, and mapping processes with a fraction of the effort.

For a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant, AI tools are quickly becoming indispensable. They're not just fancy gadgets; they're genuine force multipliers that can automate the tedious, data-heavy parts of your job, freeing you up to do what you do best: strategise, influence, and lead. We're talking about real-world applications that will change your day-to-day, letting you deliver more impact with less effort.

Process Mining Co-Pilot

Use AI-powered process mining tools like Celonis to automatically analyse system event logs from our ERPs or CRMs. This instantly generates a baseline 'As-Is' process map, highlighting deviations, bottlenecks, and compliance issues that would take weeks to find manually. It's like having a super-powered detective for your processes.

Root Cause Insight Finder

Feed operational performance data – things like production logs, error reports, or customer complaints – into an AI model. It'll identify non-obvious correlations and predict the most likely root causes of recurring issues. This means you'll point your analysis in the right direction from day one, saving days of fruitless investigation.

Best Practice Synthesizer

Need to quickly get up to speed on best practices for a specific process, say, 'procure-to-pay in manufacturing'? Use a generative AI assistant to research and summarise industry benchmarks, academic papers, and case studies. You'll get an instant brief with key themes and metrics, cutting down your research time dramatically.

Change Comms Generator

Provide an AI model with your project charter, stakeholder analysis, and key messages. Ask it to generate first drafts of communication materials tailored for different audiences. Think executive summaries for the CEO, detailed FAQs for front-line staff, or even a training outline. It's a huge time-saver for getting everyone on the same page.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant?

Common routes in include Senior Performance Improvement Consultant (3-5 years as a Senior Consultant), External Management Consultant (from a top-tier firm) (5-8 years in external consulting) and Senior Project Manager (with process focus) (5-7 years as a Senior Project Manager). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant progress to?

This role can lead on to Performance Improvement Manager (3-5 years as a Lead Consultant), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Lead Performance Improvement Consultant?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration and Ethical AI & Bias Detection in Analysis. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 5

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

This job at other levels
More jobs in internal consulting

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills built in this role transfer across industries and functions. They include driving change, improving performance, and leading complex projects, all valued in operational leadership, programme management, and consulting.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.