Program Manager

Purpose of the Job: The Program Manager is responsible for managing and translating the strategic goals of financial services customer into programs and projects. This role ensures overall coordination, progress, and alignment of programs and projects, working closely with both project managers and IT infrastructure operations managers to create an overall overview and identify dependencies and issues, and manage the projects to a successful completion.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategical & Tactical:
• Support and facilitate the transition and transformation management roadmap, continuously aligning customer expectations, commitments and potential gaps to be identified.
• Support management in linking projects to strategy, and ensure focus on the right priorities
• Facilitate the setting of the right priorities and requirements, balancing risk and value, and monitoring benefits, required resources, progress, and budget

• Represent the program(s) to the key customer stakeholders, ensure required weekly/monthly reporting and steering meetings participation, both internally and to customer

• Standard Way of Working:

• Maintain the standard Project Management methodology, including the identification and improvement of processes and best practices
• Ensure the Project portfolio process is fit for purpose, with all activities performed and enough resources available
• Perform internal/external audits in running projects if required
• Ensure standard templates, documentation, supporting materials, and project plans are updated and readily available for internal teams and higher management
• Program Management:
• Monitor, analyze, and evaluate program performance through the realization of milestones on time and within the overall budget
• Facilitate the decision process and approvals for programs and projects
• Manage the overall budget allocated to programs and projects, reporting on budget, realization, and forecasting in collaboration with the finance controller
• Manage expectations (stakeholders) on available resources, rolling forecasting based on demands, and benefit tracking of running programs/projects
• Ensure that all global IT projects and delivery include project team resource identification, communication planning, tracking progress, designing and monitoring key metrics, project planning, requirements gathering, technical & functional documentation, issue tracking & resolution
• Ensure that the right mitigating actions are taken and reported to relevant stakeholders and the project board

Knowledge and Skills:

• Able to build bridges between strategic, tactical, IT infrastructure operations and project execution.
• Strong planning and organizing skills, with the ability to see the big picture
• Strong results orientation, pushing self and others to achieve results
• Strong communication, able to align well with customer stakeholders
• A strong team player with proven team leadership potential
• Stress-resistant; able to perform under pressure

Competence Framework:

• Management & Leadership:
• Leading by example and guiding others to contribute to the desired results of the organization
• Creating conditions for effective and efficient delegation of tasks
• Coordinating the effective and efficient planning and organizing of goals and activities
• Ensuring organizational information is available for monitoring projects and activities at all levels
• Interpersonal Skills:
• Providing feedback on effective communication and guiding others in improving their communication skills
• Engaging in persuasive arguments and negotiations to reach acceptable agreements
• Encouraging cooperation and initiating company-wide cooperation initiatives
• Decision Making:
• Contributing to an organization that values analysis-based opinions and decision
• Making clear decisions when required
• Staying informed on organizational and societal developments and integrating this knowledge into activities